Everyone-CHECK YOUR FLIGHTS!!

[Carrieberry]

The below posts on US Air prompted me to check our flights on American for December. Sure enough we have been switched to different flights and times. Even though we never received any information the changes!! Good thing I looked, which I would have done closer to leaving, but it does mess up some of the planning for Tiffany etc as well as the day we leave, we are now leaving earlier fro WDW which makes me less than happy. Anyway, just wanted to let everyone know that all of the airlines are making changes, not just US Air-so call or log on to see your flights so you know what's going on!

 

[peachgirl]

Thanks for the heads up. I went and checked my AA reservations for December and just like you....new flight numbers and later flight times. I wonder how many times between now and December they're going to do this? Do I still just use my original confirmations I got when I booked online? What really bothers me is I paid a LOT of money to get the exact times I wanted. If when I left didn't matter, I could have gotten away with half what I paid! Ok, I'll admit the time change is less than an hour, but what's to stop them from making a major change in times? The fact that I may be entitled to a refund if they do won't help a whole lot if they make a last minute change when there won't be any other flights to choose from. Heck, it won't help a lot right now....Southwest has been completely booked for their discount fares for over a month. And the airlines can't figure out why they're going broke? I rarely fly and this is the reason why....it is a huge pain in the backside! Well there's my tantrum for the day....and I thought I was going to go the entire day without one!

 

[Carrieberry]

I asked the guy at AA and he said I better call back and check again a few days before leaving. Actuallyl I asked if I should and his response was "I would if I were you." Nice. BTW-I think it is absolutely awful that don't notify you when they switch you around. If they make any more changes, esp drastic ones I'm going to have a tantrum of my own!

 

[noodles]

Thanks for the post. AA has also changed our flights in Nov/Dec. I booked our flight through Expedia and when I went to check our flights they had a note on our account to call them for updated information on our flights. I called and they gave me all the new flight numbers and times. They also told me to check again before we left because they may change again.

My Dad booked his tickets (for the exact same flights) through aa.com and they did not inform him of the changes. I would think the airlines would start showing some customer service to keep loyal customers.

 

[pinky]

Great post carrieberry! The airlines to this a lot. We used Delta this past March and after 9/11 the flight numbers and times changed frequently so I checked my itinerary at delta.com weekly. (Besides, I wanted my choice of assigned seats.) One time they gave us a flight with only 20 min. to catch a connecting flight (which I know they do not allow). Another time the connecting flight on the way down was earlier than the first leg. I always call immediately so I had good flights and good seat assignments but both times they said they would have called as the date got closer. Yeah right, after the early morning flights I wanted had all been reserved. {I work for a company and we do a lot of domestic and international travel so I know flights and times do change. I shrudder to think what would have happened if I didn't know to keep checking in advance and worse yet....would Delta really have called me????}

My flights for next Feb have already changed slightly twice. This week the carrier changed and it's a smaller plane so I need to call for our seat assignments.

 

[peachgirl]

I asked the guy at AA and he said I better call back and check again a few days before leaving

After reading this, it reminded me of something. The other day I was checking my flight and for some reason the total price listed on the website ( not flights in general, but the review of my reservation) was about $100 lower than the actual amount I paid. I called AA and asked them about it and all I got was " gee, must be a error on the website". At any rate, I asked them about what I could do if the price went down and was told I could get a voucher. Kiddingly I said, well I won't complain about the price if you'll promise not to change my flight schedule. She said if there was any guarantee she could make, it's that the schedule would change. I guess she knew what she was talking about. Oh, and I did get an email from AA about a week ago saying they were "re-organizing" flights and that if I was affected I'd get an email from them. So much for that promise. I don't know, driving 1500 miles in 24 hrs is looking better and better!

 

[rcomputer]

If you book well ahead you are almost guaranteed changes. I check all my itineraries weekly if not daily. The airline will call me but only shortly before travel when there are fewer alternatives.

If your flight times change significantly look at alternatives and tell the airline what you want - you do not have to accept whatever the computer gives you.

Julian

 

[beattyfamily]

I booked end of January for flight at the end of October and it has changed already about 4 times. The outgoing has changed more than the return flight.

Luckily for me it's only changed by 5 or 10 minutes each time; staying around the original times. Also, both flights went from a smaller plane to a 757. So, of course, I had to be sure we were still siting together. That's my biggest concern.

Our flight is pretty full so I'm not too worried that it would get canceled.

Like others have said, I check it at least weekly. I've never been notified of the minor changes. I found them all out on my own. The first time I called AA about a change. She said there'd be many changes and there's no need to call her every time. Changes when you book early are to be expected.

Good luck everyone.

 

[peachgirl]

I found the aa email I was talking about, so I thought I'd post the part that applies to this subject...it was pretty much a generic email and I imagine others got it as well.

"You may be aware that we have been conducting a comprehensive review of everything we do at American to find better ways to run our business to provide better overall performance. The major part of that review has been focused on the products and services you, our customers, have told us you value. "

"For persons who have already booked fall travel, our reservations professionals will be contacting you to rebook any flights affected by our schedule changes."


Don't you just love it when companies do things that aren't the least beneficial to us and then try and convince us otherwise? Sounds like you may only be notified if the flight is cancelled completely? Another odd thing about my flight changes...they changed one of the planes on a leg of our flight from a 747 to a 757 but my seat choice numbers remained the same. Is that actually possible? As long as the change is from a smaller to larger plane, I'll live with it, but I refuse to fly those tiny little things AA calls an airplane!

 

[Simba's Mom]

Thanks for the warning! I did exactly that, found out that my flight was cancelled. I haven't yet called AA. However, my original flight was at 6:22 that day because I work all day. Now AA latest flight leaves aroune 1:00pm. And the next closest airport AA uses is 125 miles away. And I'm going to try to teach this afternoon?! Guess where my mind will be.

 

[Luv2Roam]

I checked our October flight, and it actually works to our advantage -- but only for about 20 minutes anyway.
Rarely does any flight I book not change. I think there has only been one time it has not.
I don't recall the airline, but one did call me several times, throughout the day, as it kept changing all day, and finally went back to the original time!
Usually my experience has been they change 5 - 10 minutes.
I always check the airline web site.
Sometimes I track the same flight for a few days, prior to my leaving, on thetrip.com. Although, I usually only do this in January, when the weather can be uncertain. This way I get an idea if it has been leaving/arriving on time.
My understanding is if they change the flight time by two hours + you can get a full refund also.

 

[rcomputer]

SimbasMom

We had a similar problem with one of our itineraries. First they changed the departure from 5:15pm to 3:15pm now it is cancelled all together.

I checked and found suitable replacement flights with NorthWest so I rang Continental and they replaced the cancelled flight with a Northwest one. When I said I could not depart earlier they actually offered 'another airline' before I even mentioned my researched alternative.

Julian

 

[shoes99]

My flights for December on Continental also changed. There was a big difference in the return flight times. I was originally supposed to return at 5:45PM, getting into Newark at 8:13. They changed it to 7:30PM getting into Newark at approx 10PM. I called and asked to be put on the 4PM flight. We are now leaving Orlando at 4:10, getting into Newark at 6:44PM which is better for me anyway. I will continue to check online as the trip gets closer. There was no fee to change, since it was their schedule that changed.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I called American, and since this is a frequent flier ticket, they won't pay for me to change airlines. So now my flight is almost 6 hours earlier, but with a 3 1/2 hour layover, so I only get in to Orlando about 3 hours earlier.

 

[Carrieberry]

Mine is a frequent flier ticket to. I hope they don;t change too much!

 

[Dopey Sharon]

Air Tran did this to me too! I booked non-stop from Philly to Orlando for our trip in November. When I checked the site, that flight was no longer there. I e-mailed them and they apologized for not letting me know that our non-stop flight is now stopping in Atlanta, then continuing to Orlando! Needless to say I was a little upset. They did put us on the earlier flight, non-stop (well so far it still is), but it leaves at 3:55pm...I don't get done work until 2 and live about a 1/2 hour from the airport! Luckily, my boss is letting me leave a little early.

 

[dcedwards]

I guess we've been lucky. Our flights haven't changed at all but SWA only puts up schedules about 4-5 months out. That might make a difference. Thanks though for the post, it reminds me to double check to make sure our Nov. reservations haven't changed.

 

[Debby7]

Sure enough, USAirways had cancelled our Frequent Flier Flight for December, but amazingly enough, the new itinerary is better than the original !!. Now we will arrive at MCO @ 3:18 rather than 8:18. I had been worried about our room requests being honored at the later time as well as finding a good place to eat at 10:00 pm. Now I will have to see if we get changed again ! Good luck everyone !

 

[peachgirl]

I called AA about our flight changes. They cancelled our original flights for Dec., and gave us new ones. The time difference is minor but they changed our seating on one leg and we have no assigned seats on the portion that they changed plane sizes on! The agent told me that there were no other seats available on the seat assignments that they changed and on the other flight where we now have no pre-assigned seats???...well we just get to wait till we get to the airport. She would not assign the seats now. I was told that they hold back a certain number of seats that they assign at check-in. Good Lord, if I had wanted to fly with no seat assignments I would have flown Southwest and gotten a much better deal. So was she giving me the real story or can I get something done if I push it? Of course, even if I get them to do something now, we don't leave till 12/19 and who knows what they'll do between now and then. Somebody ask me what my sympathy level for the tough times airlines are having is!:

 

[Luv2Roam]

I was surprised when I flew United from South Bend, IN to OHare last Tuesday.
I had my tickets for weeks, and this was my return flight.
When I went to the main ticket counter, I was told there was no assigned seating, as the flight was overbooked! (How comforting)
Luckily I was by myself and I knew from flying in that this plane only held 26 passengers.
I was told they would call me before boarding. (I was checking in 1.5 hours early and there were only a few people in front of me who also checked in.)
As people were arriving, I could overhear they had assigned seating.
About half an hour before flight take off they were asking for SEVEN volunteers, due to the overbooking. (Out of a plane that only carries 26, I thought that was a lot!) United was giving free RT tix to the volunteers. hhhmmm... I even stood in line to check it out.
What I thought was odd, only four people were in front of me. The first passenger was flying to Portland and United would not change her flight. They refused saying she and they were better off the way it stood.
One guy, and only the second in line and being waited on, did have a family, was changed, and then the plane was freed up! I thought he only had four in his party (not like I was stalking and counting his group or anything).
After him, they called my name and around five others. I think us who first checked in were not given assigned seating!
I would have thought United would do the opposite. When overbooked, ask for volunteers, but seats would be assigned on a first come first serve basis. Apparently not.
My luggage had the OHare routing tag. It also had a PENDING tag!
DH thought maybe all passenergers on that flight had a pending tag on their luggage.
The *new* assigned seat was not a window seat, as I had requested and was originally assigned. But it wasn't any big deal.
I just have never run into an overbooked flight and thought this was handled odd. But maybe not. Maybe this is the norm.