DirectAir problem ... check your flights

[lvdis]

If you have a flight booked with DirectAir, you might want to check it and make sure the flights are still OK. I've had our flights booked since July for our January trip and I was looking online and found out that our return flight no longer exists. It doesn't show any Saturday flights after December. We are flying out on Friday, January 6, 2012 into Lakeland, FL and were supposed to return on Saturday, January 14. I called today and talked to a representative and found out the return flight had been canceled. My only options are to get a full refund or reschedule the return flight with them. We will either have to come home a day early on Friday, 1/13 or stay 2 extra nights and fly out on Monday, 1/16. This is so frustrating. All of our plans have been based on the flight we had arranged. She claimed they don't legally have to notify of a flight change until 10 days before the flight. Wouldn't that have been nice to not find out until 10 days before.

I told her I would call back and let them know what I want to do. It will cost almost double to go with another airline at this point. I really don't want to end the trip a day early since we are staying on rented DVC points and I would just lose that night. I just reserved 2 nights at Buena Vista Suites for the extra 2 nights, but I'm not sure if we'll stick with that or not. I wish we could just stay on at AKV-Kidani, but it will cost too much.

I just wanted to warn others of this possibility, so you won't get a nasty surprise right before you travel. I was very happy with our flights through DirectAir this summer and didn't hesitate to book again when they offered a 1/2 price promotion. Now, I don't believe I will be using them again in the future.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

You could always ask for a refund for just the cancelled return flight. then use the money to buy a one way ticket home out of the Orlando airport for the same day as your cancelled flight.

 

[lvdis]

You could always ask for a refund for just the cancelled return flight. then use the money to buy a one way ticket home out of the Orlando airport for the same day as your cancelled flight.

I did look into that, but the airport we're using is small so they only have a couple of airlines. The one way tickets coming home on a different airline would be more than I paid for the round trip tickets. It's very frustrating. Thanks for your advice though!

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

What city do you live in?

 

[TomD]

thanks for the warning. my april flights are still listed

 

[lvdis]

What city do you live in?

We're flying out of Springfield.

 

[lvdis]

thanks for the warning. my april flights are still listed

I hope they stay that way for you! For some reason, it's seems they've done away with all Saturday flights from/to my airport after December. We're trying to decide whether to stay with them and fly back on a Monday or cancel and go with another airline. It would actually be cheaper to stay 2 extra days than redo our airfare at this point. We got such a good deal on the original airfare. I just hope they don't cancel more flights between now and then. Now, I feel I can't trust them.

 

[Lewisc]

Direct Air is a charter airline. "Real" airlines will offer you a refund if there is a schedule difference. Some airlines, like Airtran, will offer you a refund if the schedule change is only a few minutes. Other airlines might require a more substantial change, maybe 4 hours.

Directair doesn't have to offer you a refund unless the schedule change is "major" which they define as more then 48 hours. In other words they can change your date and still don't have to give you the option of a refund.

f Direct Air makes major changes prior to departure, the Participant shall have the right to cancel the reservation on the Charter Flight and receive a full refund. The following are major changes: (1) a change in the origin or destination city of a Charter Flight, unless the change is only the order in which cities the cities are flown; (2) a change in the departure or return date of a Charter Flight experienced by Direct Air of greater than 48 hours; or (

 

[lvdis]

Direct Air is a charter airline. "Real" airlines will offer you a refund if there is a schedule difference. Some airlines, like Airtran, will offer you a refund if the schedule change is only a few minutes. Other airlines might require a more substantial change, maybe 4 hours.

Directair doesn't have to offer you a refund unless the schedule change is "major" which they define as more then 48 hours. In other words they can change your date and still don't have to give you the option of a refund.

They did offer me a full refund. Of course, my return flight was completely cancelled, so I think that qualifies as major! The other airlines are just so much higher right now it makes it hard to decide whether to take the refund or just switch to a different return date. Although, I have to admit I'm worried what could happen between now and then.