Argh! Flight change. Need advice

[sam_gordon]

I called at one point during the process, and they did say we could get a full refund due to the 4-hour change, but it meant canceling all flights. I should have taken them up on it! I may call again today.

I haven't had to do it with American, but with Delta, one time when our kids were small, they changed our 90 minute layover in Atlanta to 35 minutes. That's within the minimum connection time, but since I knew we'd have to deal with the kids, I called and they changed our flight to have a longer layover. One thing I always suggest before calling is to know what flight change you want to make. Then simply say "your change will not work for me because of <insert reason here>. I'd like to continue flying with you, but please put me on flight <insert number and origin and destination airports> at <insert time>." If they won't make the change, then cancel.

Maybe that's what you did, but this might help someone else.

 

[seashoreCM]

Sincve the airline made the change to begin with that upset your plans, would they let y ou make a rechange without your having to pay the $75, difference or any change fee?

Worth talking to higher up (a superviser, a manager, etc.) if the first person you talk to won't make the change you waht..

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Thanks everyone! This ended up being quite a hassle.

We went to book the afternoon flight with a layover in DFW, but every time we tried to complete the change, the system threw up an alert saying one of our flights was no longer available. TURNS OUT, they were in the middle of a price update. After 20 minutes, the system went back to working and all of the flight prices changed from being a lower fare than our current rate to a HIGHER fare. There was a $75 swing PER TICKET, and we went from credit to price increase in an instant.

I was pretty enraged about that and by now, determined to get a credit voucher for my new, inconvenient flight options, so I selected a different route home through Charlotte. The departure time is better but unfortunately, we have only a 40-minute layover in which to drag 2 small children from gate to gate, give them a bathroom break and hopefully grab food and drink to have dinner on the plane. UGH. I’m going to spend our entire vacation stressing about the trip home. I honestly might cancel the whole flight and find a different airline.

You should not have to pay to change your flight when the change is due to their schedule change. I would have called instead of doing it online. When an airline changes their schedule, they know it will affect some people and typically those who cannot accept the new schedule are accommodated on another flight (same city pair) that the passenger believes is acceptable.

 

[DebbieB]

I had a flight on American a couple years ago SNA-PIT with a change that left me with a 4 1/2 hour layover in Chicago. I looked at the schedule and found a layover in Dallas that worked, called and switched with no problem.

 

[bookwormde]

I am a direct or at least a no plane change person, as well as budget minded, so while it would cost another $200 getting most of another full day at Disney would lead me to move the flight1 day and get a room in the Hyatt at the airport ($150) and add a day to tickets assuming you are not at the 10 day limit ($50?)

 

[DisneyJade]

You should not have to pay to change your flight when the change is due to their schedule change. I would have called instead of doing it online. When an airline changes their schedule, they know it will affect some people and typically those who cannot accept the new schedule are accommodated on another flight (same city pair) that the passenger believes is acceptable.

When I called, they said it would be an even trade for a flight change - no cost to me, but also no voucher for me. They only way to get a travel credit voucher was with a voluntary online change. Also, they would not allow me to choose my seats on the phone which I thought was bizarre.

I am a direct or at least a no plane change person, as well as budget minded, so while it would cost another $200 getting most of another full day at Disney would lead me to move the flight1 day and get a room in the Hyatt at the airport ($150) and add a day to tickets assuming you are not at the 10 day limit ($50?)

As it happens, the next day's flight options were actually worse. :/

 

[bakerworld]

We have found the best airline to fly - as far as these type of situations - is Southwest. American left us stranded in TN overnight and made us fly out the next day at 6a. Haven't used them since.

 

[frannn]

Jetblue canceled the 5AM March flight we booked and placed us on one for late afternoon. I called to see what they could do since there were 2 flights earlier that day. Apparently they were fully booked so I accepted the one they gave us, but they noted the record to say we could move to the earlier time should 1 become available. Thankfully, I was able to move it to late morning a week-ish later, and just last week was able to change to 8AM . That was great customer service. The price was up to like 399, but we did not have to pay the difference. We're a bit nervous about the full plane, but will take proper precautions...if we get to actually go this time.

 

[goofy4tink]

We have found the best airline to fly - as far as these type of situations - is Southwest. American left us stranded in TN overnight and made us fly out the next day at 6a. Haven't used them since.

I think all airlines can drop the ball. We had a flight home, from FtL, on NYE day...should have been home in Providence by 2pm. But, we ended up circling Philly for an hour!!! We were then told that we were unable to land in Providence (Warwick) and were landing in Philly. We had two choices...get off the plane, find a place to stay overnight, and we would fly out on the first flight in the morning, but they weren't offloading any checked bags! Or, stay on the plane, go back to FtL.. get a room for the night, get checked bags, and fly out first thing in the morning. We had nothing in our carry on bags...we were going home so didn't 'pack accordingly'!!! We went back to FtL. SW told us all we were on our own as far as finding a room for the night..no help whatsever!!!! It was miserable. Nothing was open for dinner, we found a room on the backside of nowhere. So, yeah, SW dropped the ball on that one. Oh, and the reason we couldn't land at TF Green? A plow had hit a landing runway light....the runways were shut down for an hour!!!! One hour!!! But, SW needed that plane back in FtL that night!!!!! So, they couldn't take the time to head to Green.

 

[bakerworld]

I think all airlines can drop the ball. We had a flight home, from FtL, on NYE day...should have been home in Providence by 2pm. But, we ended up circling Philly for an hour!!! We were then told that we were unable to land in Providence (Warwick) and were landing in Philly. We had two choices...get off the plane, find a place to stay overnight, and we would fly out on the first flight in the morning, but they weren't offloading any checked bags! Or, stay on the plane, go back to FtL.. get a room for the night, get checked bags, and fly out first thing in the morning. We had nothing in our carry on bags...we were going home so didn't 'pack accordingly'!!! We went back to FtL. SW told us all we were on our own as far as finding a room for the night..no help whatsever!!!! It was miserable. Nothing was open for dinner, we found a room on the backside of nowhere. So, yeah, SW dropped the ball on that one. Oh, and the reason we couldn't land at TF Green? A plow had hit a landing runway light....the runways were shut down for an hour!!!! One hour!!! But, SW needed that plane back in FtL that night!!!!! So, they couldn't take the time to head to Green.

Yeah, November '19 our SW Flight was on time and ready to go but SW commandeered it for a flight that didn't go out the previous day due to weather related problems. We had to wait 3 hours for a plane SW brought in from NY and than sat on it for an hour while SW convinced PHL to let us take off. What a cluster. I don't know why SW didn't let us leave and have the stranded people take the plane from NY as they were already stuck from the previous day but DH thought it had something to do with take-off clearances.

SW is not perfect but compared to our other choices it's been the best bet. Runner up would be Frontier but I always feel like I have to flap my arms all the way to FL and they constantly change flight times. American we've had too many plane delays due to mechanical and that last time when they just choose to fly by and not pick us up was a camel straw situation. That said if I needed to fly them, I would.

 

[staceyj2]

I'm sorry you haven't found a good alternative flight yet. Hoping you find something that works for your family.

So far (knock on wood) this hasn't happened to us. However, I am flying spirit next week for the first time. If they are going to change or cancel your flight, how early do airlines generally do that? Will they cancel or change in the last few days before the flight or is it usually earlier than that?

 

[sam_gordon]

I'm sorry you haven't found a good alternative flight yet. Hoping you find something that works for your family.

So far (knock on wood) this hasn't happened to us. However, I am flying spirit next week for the first time. If they are going to change or cancel your flight, how early do airlines generally do that? Will they cancel or change in the last few days before the flight or is it usually earlier than that?

They (any airline) can cancel up until the last minute. In all honesty, you can be on the plane taxiing to the runway, have a problem and have to return to the gate. The "no frills" airlines (Spirit, Frontier, etc) don't have extra planes around, and not as many flights. So if a flight is cancelled late, while it could be hard for a legacy airline to get every rebooked, it's basically an impossibility for the no frills ones.

 

[Gitelfor]

If your trip is at least 3-4 weeks away, I suggest looking at www.southwest.com for alternate flights. Keep in mind that Southwest allows up to 2 free checked bags, per customer; so, unless you have a perk for no-fee checked bags from AA, or you are not checking bags, you might have savings which could help minimize a difference in fare.

That’s not to say that Southwest will not make changes, but they have a very strong presence at MCO, meaning lots of flight options.

 

[nkereina]

Sorry if I missed it, but what is the timing of the flights with the layover? I much prefer nonstop flights because the travel time is faster and there's a lesser chance of losing checked luggage, but in this case, I would opt for the layover flight if it gave me 4+ more hours at Disney that day. That would be my "is it worth it" threshold. I'd also have to back into how much additional time I'm actually getting by changing the flight, considering the time it takes to get to and from parks, the time I'd have to be at DME, etc etc. Sometimes you think you're getting a couple hours, but the logistical timing starts to eat away at the useable time.

 

[Raven01]

FWIW, check if the flight number changes, which indicates it is cancelled. Both Frontier and Spirit did this to me, and I got my refund. I will stick with Southwest for now on.

 

[keishashadow]

Re SWA, their schedules used to be written in stone. Covid has changed things dramatically there.

Starting with our fall travel last year, times shifted on our fights over 5 times, lost count after that. eventually some fights disappeared entirely.

Going from 6 NS flights a day, often to just one, in the early afternoon equates to us cutting out nearly 2 park days on a shorter trip. It’s a decided inconvenience.

Unlike many others here, just not about to entertain a ong haul on a connecting fight if I can avoid it.

Yes, I reaize the airlines are struggling, doesn’t mean I have to like how they are responding. This is not the way to encourage people to get back out there and travel.

That said, with SWA it’s almost back to the days of AirTran...where you could book the cheapest flight with them and wait for a flight time change so you then grab the flight you really want.

 

[sam_gordon]

This is not the way to encourage people to get back out there and travel.

I've been assuming the airlines have cancelled flights because they don't NEED the flights... the customers aren't there. If they run flights with less customers than they need, they go out of business.

 

[keishashadow]

I've been assuming the airlines have cancelled flights because they don't NEED the flights... the customers aren't there. If they run flights with less customers than they need, they go out of business.

Of course. I just don’t understand the multiple changes or why they didn’t originally adjust the number of flights more realistically when they released their flight schedules

how profitable can it be if those who bought an $83 tix, are able to reschedule to one that costs three times as much? Easy enough to do on SWA after a flight time change (for a flight a few days prior or later than original booking)

I’m rooting for them. Our go-to carrier, have branded CCs etc & lots of points accumulated. happy enough it appears as though we should be able to redeem our extended credits from last year as travel should start to bounce back once we hit the appropriate vaccine threshold

 

[EACarlson]

Of course. I just don’t understand the multiple changes or why they didn’t originally adjust the number of flights more realistically when they released their flight schedules

how profitable can it be if those who bought an $83 tix, are able to reschedule to one that costs three times as much? Easy enough to do on SWA after a flight time change (for a flight a few days prior or later than original booking)

They had no idea how many flights were going to be realistic when the schedule was released. I believe there was also an incentive to having their schedule look close to "normal" to secure additional bailout money.

 

[keishashadow]

an incentive to having their schedule look close to "normal" to secure additional bailout money.

Winner, winner