American Airlines just changed DD's flight - update post #7

[disneyholic family]

I knew i shouldn't have booked one of DD's flights with an airline going through bankruptcy!!

just got an email from American Airlines - they've changed the time of DD's Orlando -New York flight.
How totally irritating.

The only reason she's flying to new york is to catch her trans-atlantic flight.

And i picked that american flight because it was the most convenient.

And now it's not.

So i wonder if they'll refund my money if i can find another flight.

i know it's a non-refundable ticket - but they've changed the schedule, so shouldn't i be able to return the ticket?

off to see if the other airlines have something better.

and in any case, let's keep our fingers crossed that they don't go completely out of business before this summer!!

 

[pharmjenn]

When the airline changes your flights, you do not have to accept the flight they put you on. Try calling the airline and seeing what else they can offer. Is the transatlantic flight booked on the same airline/reservation? If so, they should make every effort to make it work.
Also, I would think if they change flights to something that won't work, you can probably get a refund. But try calling them first. I would say wait a few hours till business hours here in the US, so if there is a problem you can escalate the call up to manager level.

 

[disneyholic family]

no the transatlantic isn't on the same airline.

and now i just checked - delta and jet blue have more flights to JFK than AA does, so with AA a bit iffy in my mind now, perhaps i'll change her to delta.

I always prefer to use an airline with multiple flights on my route, just in case there is a problem, it's theoretically possible to get on another flight.

i'll call AA later. I hate them (not that i like delta any better ).

That was the only leg of her trip that i booked with AA, but i'm kicking myself now.

the other domestic legs of her trip are with delta and Alaska Airlines.

 

[pharmjenn]

We are flying AA from SFO to TPA this summer, upgraded with miles to First class for our super vacation. Very few legacy airlines actually go under when they file, so I am not too worried. Did decide to use most of our miles for the upgrades though, and AA was cheaper than United.

Good luck!

 

[alebisi]

Oh no Beth! that's horrible, before I booked my flight with british airways I was considering taking a flight to NY (as they are frequent in Venice) and then taking american airlines to orlando... GLAD I DIDN'T DO THAT!
Good luck with that

 

[Kath2003]

It won't be anything to do with their financial status. Domestic flights in the US change all the time, like our train timetables. Almost all the airlines have declared bankruptcy at one point or another. AA will be flying for years to come. Just call them and tell you the new time doesn't work for you. They'll sort you out.

 

[disneyholic family]

just got off the phone with American Airlines.

God they're a pain. Why did i book with them to begin with?
i can't stand them.

ok. so first they refused to refund the money. They offered me vouchers.

But i told them that i never fly AA so i would never be able to use the vouchers.
And besides, why am i being punished? It was they who changed the schedule.

So she put me on hold and then came back to tell me that they have the right to change the flight by up to 60 minutes. In this case it was 60 minutes exactly.

I told her they wouldn't make it to the airport in time. That i had picked the noon flight for a reason.

So she suggested taking their one other flight to JFK - it gets into JFK at 10:15 PM at night.
But their connecting flight is just after 11 PM. She said - "that's enough time - you only need 40 minutes".
I asked her incredulously if she had ever been in JFK.

Anyway...we went back and forth and back and forth for about 10 minutes, getting nowhere.

Finally she kind of said take it or leave it.

So i asked for a supervisor. And while i waited, i told DH to get on the phone.
So we waited for a while and finally the male supervisor came on the phone.

I explained the story, and then DH chimed in, clearly very very very irritated.

After a bit of a back and forth, DH then said, how am i ever going to use a voucher with a company that it's not clear if it will still be around in the future.
The supervisor went silent then put us on hold.
When he came back he said he had credited the tickets back to the original credit card.

So that's that. We got the refund.

And i've bought tickets with Delta. No guarantees about Delta either, but at least Delta has multiple flights from MCO to JFK, so at least if they play with their schedule there are workable alternatives.