Song is cancelling flights- check your itinerary!

[Jillpie]

Thanks to the OP for posting this. I too am a victim, our flights were cancelled...they were the 7 am and 7 pm returning, couldn't have been better. I am so disappointed. We are losing 2 full Disney days now. I'm thinking of going the day before, but will have to use more DVC points, not sure if I want to borrow from the next year. Anyway, they let me change my seat assignments tonight, big whip. Thanks Song, not impressed so far.

 

[Cookie55]

I must thank the OP as well. I too am a victim. I was returning on the 7PM flight from MCO to BOS. I had to change to the 11:25 the next day which will cost me an extra day on my rental and an extra night at POR---thanks a lot Song--add me to the list of the unimpressed!!!

 

[buzz5985]

I was also bumped. Had a flight down at 7:20 am on 10/11!!! and return of 7:00 pm on 10/19. I can't understand the change in the flight down - when I booked and picked seats - the plane was 75% full. Now I am switched back to Delta. I am going to see the prices of Southwest, and maybe cancel and book on SWA. If I had more time I would drive. This is why I drove last year. Only it was USAir moving, canceling flights.

 

[goofy4tink]

Okay, this makes 4 times my flights have changed. I book early to get basically what I want. Thank God I keep checking too. My 7:20 Aug 16 flight, same as John's, is gone. I just won't fly into WDW mid-afternoon and lose that day! Only option was the day before! First they tried to put us on the 7:10 flight. Nope, not getting to WL around midnight. Keep trying. So, we're on the 3:15 flight, on Fri. Aug 15. So, DIsney gets another night's rate from us and I'm getting cranky. One more change and I'm cancelling and going with Southwest!! Any advice on the best way to do that??

 

[seashoreCM]

If you are thinking of going down the afternoon or evening before, you might try a budget motel near the airport for that new first night instead of paying Disney rates for an extra night. May also save an extra rental car day.

A second thank you to The Dis forums for a "heads up" on Delta/Song airline flight changes. The first was in January when I found a second offering of cheap seats for the dates I wanted which I originally missed out on.

 

[minster22]

I sent an email to Song asking about cancelling the 7:20am flight and the reply I got from customer service was that the flights"must be sold out." The last day I can find a 7:20 flight is on July 1, 2003. After that the earliest flight is 11:30am ....I have checked dozens of dates.Maybe if all of us email them a complaint about cancelling these flights we could have them reconsider. If we could email their customer service this thread it would be a great Heads Up for them!!

 

[goofy4tink]

minster22....done!!

 

[minster22]

Thanks goofy4tink !! I have tried twice to reply to the email they sent me and my whole computer freezes. I also tried to call yesterday and they have an automated system that is very frustrating to say the least!!

 

[TLinden16]

I, too, have lost both of my flights. I was scheduled on the 7:20am flight out of Boston on August 14th, and the 7:00pm flight out of Orlando on August 23rd. Right now, they have me scheduled on the 11:25 flight on the 14th, and the 3:25 flight on the 23rd. I do not have assigned seats on either flight at this point (but when it switched from Delta to Song, I didn't have preassigned seats until after I called them). It looks like the 3:25 flight on the 23rd is totally booked.

I am very disappointed by this. I'm meeting my sister and her family in Orlando on the 14th, and we were planning on going to a water park that day. Now, by the time my flight gets in, and get to the hotel, I won't be able to do that.

Going home, I'm disappointed by the earlier flight because it is taking four hours from my last days in the parks (or a day at the Beach Club). If the flights stay the same, I may consider staying an extra night on the end of my trip so I can still get the last full day in. I'd probably stay at a hotel near they airport for that last day.

This trip has been a planning nightmare for me. I don't know how many of you read the Resort boards, but I've had nightmare problems with Disney for the last three days of my trip. I've had my reservation completely cancelled at one point. I've was assigned a reservation number that no one can access. Then, I upgraded to the POFQ, only to find out three days later that it would be closed during my stay. Disney did upgrade me to the Beach Club for an extra $33 a night, which I'm thrilled about, but it was a major headache trying to get that sorted out.

And now this. Isn't planning a vacation supposed to be fun?

I will also send Song an e-mail expressing my disappointment. Here's hoping that the other flights return.

Karen

 

[beattyfamily]

I know how hard it is when your perfect flights change or get canceled and I really can sympathize as it's happened to me too but I also can understand why all this is happening and can feel for the airlines too.

It's the post 9/11 economy. Things are still not back to 'normal'. AA almost went bankrupt last week and other airlines did go bankrupt shortly after 9/11. I find it amazing that through all this Delta still launched Song Air.

I always book early to get the best flights etc (I booked in January for a November/December flight!)...but in this economy, I fully expect my flights to change and probably get canceled and if that happens, I'll make the best of it. My flight down is completely empty except for us so I'm quite sure it will be canceled.

I personally think the airlines are trying hard to keep everyone happy while still trying to stay afloat. Many people are still driving or taking the train and until those people start flying again, things won't get much better any time soon. Delta/Song are also dealing with changing flights over which is a big job while also dealing with the slow economy.

Just something to think about...

 

[minster22]

beattyfamily....I completely understand the points you made in your post. Please believe me when I say I am completely grateful that I have the opportunity to fly anywhere! never mind to my favorite place in the World. It just seems to me that most of us are planning on utilizing that early am flight and if they need to cut out a flight, why not the 3:00pm one. I have never heard one person looking for the afternoon flight down and if people need to fly later in the day they still have the 7:00pm.Orlando is a huge destination for many of us in the Northeast and and seems from my experience both in my personal life and the Boards that most vacationers like to arrive early to get the most vacation time possible.

 

[beattyfamily]

Originally posted by minster22
beattyfamily....I completely understand the points you made in your post. Please believe me when I say I am completely grateful that I have the opportunity to fly anywhere! never mind to my favorite place in the World. It just seems to me that most of us are planning on utilizing that early am flight and if they need to cut out a flight, why not the 3:00pm one. I have never heard one person looking for the afternoon flight down and if people need to fly later in the day they still have the 7:00pm.Orlando is a huge destination for many of us in the Northeast and and seems from my experience both in my personal life and the Boards that most vacationers like to arrive early to get the most vacation time possible.

I completely agree with you! I've never seen them cancel early morning (7:00 7:30) flights before. I've taken that flight to Orlando at least 3 times and it was never canceled. It is very weird. I actually thought my 3:00p flight that is practically empty going down would be canceled and I'd have to go down on that 7:20a flight...but now it's gone. I do still have a 11:25a flight and an evening flight to be bumped to...I haven't got a clue what they'll end up doing between now and November!

 

[dvc guy]

beattyfamily. You got it right. After 9/11 , the bad economy, SARS, all the airlines are just trying to stay in business. We also book 11 months out for our Christmas trip, and in this environment expect our flights to be , cancelled , changed , change of aircraft etc.

It is never pretty after you think that your plans are set in stone. We all must realize that this is now part of the planning process and factor it in to the plan.

 

[beattyfamily]

Originally posted by dvc guy
beattyfamily. You got it right. After 9/11 , the bad economy, SARS, all the airlines are just trying to stay in business.

How could I have forgotten SARS!!! That's also a BIG factor in recent months...people afraid to fly in a plane for fear of catching it and the fear of going to WDW for fear of catching it with so many foreign visitors....has had a huge impact on the airline industry!

 

[mcnuss]

I know this is the contrarian view, but in this climate, I would not book flights more than 90 days in advance. I think you are just asking for aggravation. I fly alot - almost every week, 2-3 times. Schedules are changed constantly. Airlines swap out equipment, they renegotiate gates, launch new service, and they declare bankruptcy. I do not want any airline holding my hard earned money for any longer than necessary! Further, the closer you make your reservations to the date of flight, the more likely you are to recoup your money from your CC if the airline goes belly up.

I know many people believe they get the best deals and choice of flights with a very early booking, but as this thread has proven, that old model just is not applicable in today's economy.

For those of you who have had your flights changed and where it has substantially affected your vacation plans, you should demand a re-accomodation or a refund. This is your right. I believe the contract of carriage states that if the change creates more than 4 hours difference, you can bail on your side of the agreement.

For those separated from your children, when you call, ask the agent to call the inventory desk. These agents can access blocked out seats (remember the airlines hold back the best seats for preferred travelers). If they will not do that, and they tell you the seating is under airport control, then you will have to get to your flight very early. If it's not a connection, you should be ok 2 hours ahead bc nobody will have been able to get in line ahead of you at an originating airport. In addition, if it is your return that has been changed, make sure you ask the agent to check for you when you check in for your flight going down. Sometimes they can work magic that the people on the phone cannot.

Good luck!

 

[gallaj0]

It just seems that there is more at work with Song than cancelling flights for a lack of paying travellers. My orginal flight was almost full, as was the later flight everyone got bumped to. I fail to see how it is more economical to overbook a flight by 80-90% and then be forced to create an entire day of flights with people giving up seats, getting bumped, and finding flights on other airlines for passengers that paid low fares. The airlines moan about people not flying, but here we have them cancelling almost full flights, with 4 months left to sell 10-15 seats.
If they think they have overestimated the number of passengers per day and need to cut back some flights, fine; that's their business. But suckering people in with "low fares" and then wasting our time, the gate attendants time, the reservation people's time trying to make the best of what seems to be an impossible situation, that's bad business.
In my own case, I was watching the later flights to see what availibilty they had, in case we needed to use a later flight (my mother in law is NOT the most timely person). All the flights on that day were almost sold out, and at a very high price. If every person from the early flight still wants to travel on that Saturday on Song, there will be a HUGE overbooking problem.
The company does have a resposiblity once it has sold a ticket; it is a contract. If you decided not to go for any arbitrary reason, they don't give you your money back, you're out of luck. If you decide the day before it's not "economically feasable" for you to go on vacation, they don't give you your money back. But if the airline suddenly decides to cancel a flight, they don't even bother giving a reason, they just cancel it, don't bother letting the passengers booked on that flight know, and without telling you move you to a flight knowingly causing problems with that flight.
They may be able to get passengers on one flight that way, but they are making sure they won't get any repeat passengers that way.
The airlines were all loosing money before Sept. 11, 2001; that just made their problem worse, and gave them an excuse to make some big changes that should have put them back towards solvency; big government payouts, unions caving on demands to lessen airlines expenses, cutting back on the number of flights and routes travelled.

 

[seashoreCM]

>>> But suckering people in with "low fares" ...

However if you booked early and now the fares are sky high, you have locked in your lower fare for whatever alternate flight still has empty seats.

You are entitled to a complete refund from Delta/Song if the schedule changes and you can't find flights you like and ask quickly. But then, if you change you mind again and want to book back in, you will have to pay the current fare at time of booking.

I did hear that Delta Airlines has very recently or will very soon change over to having customer service centers in India or the Phillipines service U.S. customers. Please be patient with the agents there who may not speak English very well, but feel free to ask for persons higher up if you don't get satisfaction right away.

Hmm... Could the Boston problem be that they don't want too many planes and flight crews laying over in Boston on overnights? The 7 PM MCO-BOS flight comes in around 10 PM and the plane would definitely stay there until morning. The next to last flight (4:25) arrives in Boston at 7:15 PM and (?) can become the last flight back to Orlando at 8:15.

 

[dvc guy]

First I do NOT work for an airline.
Second anyone who think that the airline sucker people into buying low price tickets, just to canel the flight is wrong. The major airlines have plenty of planes and gates , which they pay for even if they don't fly. NO airline can make money by parking aircraft. Everyone is up in arms over the morning BOS-MCO flight. I am sure that if this flight was 70- 80% full everyday if would be in the air, not cancelled.


Don't get me wrong the major airlines priceing system is broken, and untill they fix it don't expect to see things change.

mcnuss I disagree with your statement to buy tickets no more than 90 days out. For whose of us that travel over peak holidays
waiting till 90 days will result in either HUGH prices or no seats available.

 

[mcnuss]

dvcguy - I stand by my point. I travel at all the major holidays, too, and I have never paid a huge price. My parents live in FL so we go every T-giving and I fly them up here for Christmas. I booked in mid-Sept. for T-giving and paid $189 r/t MHT-MCO and I booked around T-giving for Christmas for $160 r/t (granted fewer people want to come my way in the winter!) You have to be extremely strategic about your purchases now, and I would not trust an airline with my money for more than 3 months. (Well, I might trust SW.) Just to give another example, I checked Expedia for BOS-MCO over July 4th and the average fare is $198 - not huge to me. Believe it or not, SW was higher at $220, still not that bad IMHO.

With respect to Song, I think the problems lie in the fact that while this is part of Delta, they are experiencing growing pains. They are trying to run a low cost carrier within a high cost carrier, and I suspect that they cannot get Labor to agree to the concessions that they are seeking. I am not a Delta flyer, US Airways is my poison, but I hear a lot of griping about Delta and I know a bunch of people who won't fly them anymore.

Everything about the majors is broken, starting with pricing. Next week I will pay $750 r/t to go to Philly for the day. I paid $1100 to go to Cleveland not too long ago.

 

[Tiffany]

I would also like to thank the OP. We were also booked on a 7:20am flight out of BOS on Aug 30th and that flight no longer exists. It appears that we are rebooked on the 11:35am flight out. Our return flight on Sept 8th has stayed the same as we are booked on the 3:25pm flight home.

I am thinking of see if they will change us to the 7:15pm flight from BOS to MCO on Friday Aug 29th. What do you guys think? We have flown on a Friday night before and it was a mess. People I work with that travel alot say that friday nights are the worst time to fly.

What would you guys do? Fly in the night before or stay with the 11:35am flight?