Flight times changed (by 7 hours!)

[PatMcDuck]

I have a question, Virgin America just emailed me that they changed my flight times. One way is just an hour later, but the return is now 7 hours earlier. (LAX to PHL, return home from D23/DL trip in August).

This causes me to miss the 3rd day of the D23 conference, just about completely. I know some airlines waive the change fee, if the flights changed more than a certain # of hours? Is this a general FAA type rule, or is it up to the airline? 7 hours seems like ALOT to me.....

Call Virgin America you say?? Well, I am TRYING. On hold now 32 minutes just to ask! I was just wondering, why I am waiting, if I can ask them to waive that change fee. I wanted a refund, at first, but now can just re-book out of Newark I think.

 

[sam_gordon]

I have a question, Virgin America just emailed me that they changed my flight times. One way is just an hour later, but the return is now 7 hours earlier. (LAX to PHL, return home from D23/DL trip in August).

This causes me to miss the 3rd day of the D23 conference, just about completely. I know some airlines waive the change fee, if the flights changed more than a certain # of hours? Is this a general FAA type rule, or is it up to the airline? 7 hours seems like ALOT to me.....

Call Virgin America you say?? Well, I am TRYING. On hold now 32 minutes just to ask! I was just wondering, why I am waiting, if I can ask them to waive that change fee. I wanted a refund, at first, but now can just re-book out of Newark I think.

Have you checked online for other flights that day?

To answer your question, no, I don't believe the FAA forces airlines to waive a change fee. It's up to them. Yes, 7 hours seems like a lot to me too.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Just call them. I had a flight time change on United and they gladly switched me to a later flight which happed to be the flight I wanted in the first place but it was double the cost.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Individual airlines set their own policies for when you can make a free flight change or get a refund when they change flight times. Find a flight you want and call Virgin to see what they'll do for you.

 

[PatMcDuck]

WELL, they were willing to switch me to a flight going to Newark, instead of PHL. But when I asked them to switch my flight out, to Newark as well, they said no. (I have to park at the airport, I need to leave and return to the same one).

But I did get a refund. I may rebook the Newark flights on Virgin, but would prefer a more stable airline. But, the other airlines are higher, and the flight times I need, are much higher.

RATS. Could be worse, I will figure it out.

 

[jsilvers]

I know some airlines waive the change fee, if the flights changed more than a certain # of hours? Is this a general FAA type rule, or is it up to the airline? 7 hours seems like ALOT to me.....

Generally speaking, the FAA regulates safety issues, not consumer issues. Consumer issues are primarily handled by the DOT.

DOT policy does require refunds if there are "significant" changes to a ticket, but does not specify a number of hours:

carriers should not be applying nonrefundability/penalty provisions in situations in which a change in travel date or a significant change in scheduled departure or arrival time has been necessitated by carrier action. The same is true of a change in carriers or airports used, even without a significant schedule change, or a change from direct to connecting service or from nonstop service to a flight with a stop. We believe that imposing monetary penalties on passengers in these kind of situations or maintaining any contract of carriage or tariff provision mandating such a result would be grossly unfair and violate 49 U.S.C. 41712.​

http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/rules/20010925.htm

 

[PatMcDuck]

Good to know, I guess most airlines are reasonable about this stuff for good guest relations.

While I could not get them to switch my departure and return destination cities, I was able to get a full refund.

I ended up booking Virgin again, out of Newark myself. For $100 more in airfare. (luckily, just one ticket for me) But I was not able to get seats assigned for any of the 3 flights (return is connecting). I am worried about that, so I will call later.