Flight Changes

[Junebugwv]

Are there suggestions for avoiding detrimental flight changes? I know we are not the only ones who spend months comparing flights and prices, purchase exactly what we want, and then get notified that the flight was cancelled or changed. But, I can't help but wonder if there is something I can do to lessen the chances of being the recipient of that dreaded news.

Usually, we just call the airlines and see if there are better options, but they have never been any help.

The latest is for an upcoming trip to a wedding in Toronto. I have to take my 86-year-old mother to her grandson's wedding and bought tickets early so I could be assured of good flight times and layovers. I did not buy the deepest discounted tickets because they were for the very early AM flights. Of course, our mid-morning flight has been cancelled and we have to fly out at 6 AM now (the cheaper flight that I avoided has now become the flight I paid more to end up getting). I have 5 kids (they aren't going) and have had to shrug off getting them up early in the past. But getting an elderly lady up at 3 AM is not easy and will make the remainder of the day very difficult for her.

Delta was very helpful through all of this. They said they are going to waive the fee for changing the flight!!! Wasn't that nice of them?

Any ideas for avoiding this in the future? We're flying to WDW in September.

 

[MomofCKJ]

As far as I know, no. I don't think there is anything you can do. You are just at the mercy of their scheduling. I know if it changes a lot (a few hours I think I have read on here) they will help rebook you on something else but as far as a secret to book something that won't be changed, I don't think there is anything.

I booked our flights for December in February and they have changed probably 5 times but we have kept relatively good times (only an hour's difference).

Allyson

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

There is nothing you can do, except take common sense precautions, like not scheduling a flight to arrive in late afternoon or early evening at an airport on the east coast in the summer (many weather delays due to thunderstorms), or similar situations.

I have found the best way to avoid delays and problems is to take the earliest flight in the day possible. Problems magnify during the day, and later flights have more problems.

You certainly cannot plan on airline maintenance problems, or lack of adequate staff, or delayed planes, etc.

 

[bavaria]

Any ideas for avoiding this in the future? We're flying to WDW in September.

Book a week in advance.

Now, that's not going to 100% avoid flight changes, but booking at the last minute minimizes flight changes.

And that's not how most of you travel - most leisure travellers book 6-9 months in advance.

I book 0-7 days in advance for work and leisure, and am at 1 flight change year to date with 68,000 miles flown; that change was by 3 minutes.

The reality is that by booking in advance you are almost guaranteed to experience changes in flight schedules; the shorter out you book, the less likelihood of changes. Of course that won't work for most leisrue travellers, however.

(And this refers to flight changes ie schedule changes before day of departure; anything can happen day of departure to delay/cancel flights - weather, mechanical, crew issues) All you can do there is book the first flight of the day, avoid weather (ie the whole centre of the continent during summer etc), don't travel on the last 3 days of the month, and press your thumbs hard that nothing will delay your travels.

 

[bicker]

Bavaria hit the nail on the head -- to avoid schedule changes, book late. Typically, airlines make more flight changes until about four or five months prior to the flight date. Simply don't book that early. (Incidently, there are some airlines [Southwest and JetBlue, for example] that won't even allow you to book that early, even if you wanted to deal with the flight changes.)

 

[Junebugwv]

Thanks for the ideas. Usually, we just roll with the punches, but this time I need to consider that my elderly mom doesn't roll anymore.

 

[mareed]

Fly Southwest. Once they publish their schedule (typically 4-6 months out), they very rarely (almost never) change flight times.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Fly Southwest. Once they publish their schedule (typically 4-6 months out), they very rarely (almost never) change flight times

They may not officially change flight times (and I do not know if they do this often or not), but they have flight delays and cancelled flights as often as other airlines (and in some cases, more often).