NWA cancelled my flight, and I'm HAPPY!

[Brian Noble]

I had originally booked a flight into TPA and out of MCO, because the fares down to MCO were significantly more expensive for our dates, and have been sky-high ever since. They dropped, and I thought about rebooking into MCO, though I would have had to take a connection, left at a less-convenient time, and paid a few bucks to switch. We ended up not biting.

Lo and behold, today I got email notification of a change in flight schedule for the DTW-TPA leg. Called the elite services line, and got precisely the flight I would have bought into MCO if money had been no object. As one would expect, no change fee, or difference in fare.

I'm now doing my little happy dance.

Moral: keep an eye on your schedule, particularly with DL or NW---you may find a gift-wrapped new flight!

 

[Drizzo67]

Brian - Happy Dancing with you.

I'm not looking to change our flights but I get excited when others get what they are looking for. Enjoy your trip.

Dina Marie

 

[TAKitty]

When are you leaving? I am flying out Dec 8 and have had my flight times changed, but I would be very upset if I had to change actual flights. I am, however, flying into MCO already from DTW.

 

[Brian Noble]

Week after P-week; flights have been pretty steep for those weekends for the last many months. Very different situation from early December.

 

[disney's daughter]

Yeah...Ours were changed too for our February trip..We had a straight flight..no stops...Now we don't...I had purchased our tickets last March...

 

[Brian Noble]

What airport are you flying from? If DTW, there are five or more nonstops per day; one of them may well be a good fit for you, and they should be able to rebook you at no cost to you if they cancelled your original flight.

FNT also has one nonstop each day but that may be it from MI now.

 

[canwegosoon]

I when it works out that way

 

[disney's daughter]

We are flying out of the Flint airport...Northwest had just started with the "non stops" to Orlando..Now..I was told they eliminated them...Which puzzles me...as our flight back to Flint from Orlando on February 20th is still non stop.... Originally..we were to leave at 8:00 AM and arrive in Orlando at 10:40 AM...Now we leave at 7:00 AM...change planes in Detroit...then on to Orlando...arriving past 11:30..... Two of us live in Flint and the rest live in Saginaw....

 

[Pinnie]

WTG Brian!!! Looks like it worked out great for you!

pinnie

 

[Brian Noble]

Disney's D: that does sound odd, because NW is still selling fares on that 8:10 direct flight on 2/20. You might try calling them to see what's what.

 

[disney's daughter]

I did call them as soon as I saw that our scheduled had changed..and I was told that there may even be more changes....

 

[Brian Noble]

I'd call back and see if you get a more helpful CSR. When my DTW/TPA flight go the axe, it was no longer available via nwa.com. Your flight (I assume 2/20 FNT-MCO 8:10 departure) is still being sold.

 

[disney's daughter]

When I look on line to see if I can "book us" for leaving the 14th of February..leaving from Flint using Northwest...... there is nothing before 3:00 pm......but if I type in our "new" flight number...it will come up...This is really strange.... Yes...We were supposed to leave at 8:10 AM before...now we are leaving at 7:00 AM and changing planes in Detroit...I wonder how they can still have flights returning non stop..?..Or will they just change that too later on....?

 

[Brian Noble]

I see--I was looking at the wrong date. My guess is that the FNT-MCO direct flight is no longer every day. Looking at the timetable, it appears to only run on Saturdays right now, but only the fall schedule is published. Probably in the winter they add a flight or two to handle the increased snowbird demand.

In any event, Tuesday is a low-demand departure day for leisure travel, so it doesn't surprise me that they've cancelled the Tuesday direct flight. Can you leave one day early? If so, you may be able to have them rebook you on the Monday 2/13 direct flight down, instead. Alternatively, if you want, you can stay in a park-n-fly at DTW on Monday evening (though not the Westin---it's rates tend to be high except Friday and Saturday nights.) No matter which route you go, NWA is likely to rebook you for no cost, though the day-early departure might be a hard sell.

 

[disney's daughter]

My problem is I am already locked into Pop Century (Best Rate Program) with the ten of us for those dates...and my grandchildren's parents do not want the kids to miss any more days of school than what they are missing right now...

Now..I am also concerned about my future flights with Delta..I have a lot of sky miles built up...I've been using them...but, I wonder what will happen in the future with them.....

 

[Brian Noble]

Well, if you can't change your dates, then there isn't much you can do unless you want to try to fly from DTW directly. If you live south of FNT, that's maybe not a bad idea, but if you live to the north, I wouldn't bother---especially because the roads could be dicey then.

I don't think delta is going anywhere anytime soon.

 

[disney's daughter]

We live north of Flint...so I guess we have to take our chances....and go with the flow... I remember there was a time when we flew out of MBS...until it became too expensive...So..then we began taking flights out of Flint.....To have to drive to Detroit..would be a real pain...especially as you said..during the winter... But, I wonder with all the airline's problems...if that is exactly what we may have to do in the future...