Song is cancelling flights- check your itinerary!

[Jillpie]

I am very torn by this as well. I guess the only question is, can you afford to add on another nights stay? In my case, I would have to borrow DVC points at the BCV from the following year. I don't know if I'm willing to do that. I really don't want to stay anywhere else as we are making a grocery stop and it would be a pain to store everything somewhere else for one night.

 

[Tiffany]

Originally posted by Jillpie
I am very torn by this as well. I guess the only question is, can you afford to add on another nights stay? In my case, I would have to borrow DVC points at the BCV from the following year. I don't know if I'm willing to do that. I really don't want to stay anywhere else as we are making a grocery stop and it would be a pain to store everything somewhere else for one night.

Hi Jillpie,

Money would not be an issue. It was just the last time we took a Friday night flight to MCO is was the worst flight we had ever had. Delayed leaving Logan, the flight was bumpy, we had to circle MCO and did not end up at the AKL until almost 11pm when we should have gotten there around 9pm.

Anyone else have an opinion? If adding on a night was not an issue money wise would you take the Friday night flight or the late morning Saturday flight?

 

[buzz5985]

If I do a search for flights on the day I want to fly (10/11-10/19) - the only available flights coming up have 2 stops, changing planes, etc. So I am torn. I get very angry when I see the airlines changing things like this, especially when it is 6 months in advance and the flight down was 90% booked. I'm a little leary about calling and asking for seat assignments, on the new flight because then I feel that the airline will tell me I accepted the changes and have no chance of a refund. Plus I am angry that I didn't even get an email informing me of the changes, a friend happens to be on the same flights and she received an email from AOL travel.

This is why I drove last year. USAir did the same thing. Then they made me wait 8 weeks for a refund.

I have a cousin who works for AA. She has taken a big cut in pay (middle managment) - but meanwhile UPPER Management are getting bonuses - for what - running the airline into the ground. The government should never have bailed them out after 9/11. Should have just let the strong survive. Corporate Welfare.

I'm waiting for SWA to come out with October dates.

 

[goofy4tink]

When I called Song to see what they were going to do after cancelling my 7:20 flight and being put on the 11:35, (which was unacceptable for my plans), they asked if I was able to fly out the day before. They offered me whichever flight worked best. So we are flying at 3:15 on Aug. 15 (a Friday). I just can't fly and check in at midnight! And dh can't get away from the office before noon that day. So he will be coming home, changing and walking back out the door!! My only concern is that at this time of year, the afternoon thunderstorms can be brutal!! Hoping the weather cooperates with us. I did get a nice email from Song, after emailing them. They could do nothing for me, were apologetic about the 'distress' these changes were causing families and maybe in the future the early flight would be reinstituted. Not for me tho. I'm just not changing anymore. In the future I'll be driving.

 

[Tiffany]

So I called this morning after sleeping on it and talking it over with my husband and I got us switched to the 7:15pm flight that is flying out the night before. I hope they do not get rid of that flight now

I have changed our car reservation and now I have to add a day onto our stay at the YC.

It just does not make sense that they are getting rid of the only early morning non-stop to Orlando that flys out of Boston. The 7am flights were always full on Delta Express.

 

[CamColt]

I agree, driving is looking better and better. We opted to fly for this Dec trip because we were worried about bad weather and didnt want to deal with driving in snow/ice, but the aggravation Im getting isnt worth it.
We have had the trip booked for less than 3 months and so far 2 different flights on 2 different airlines have been cancelled, and then changed by quite a bit(our first flight was MUCH more of a change though)...and its still 8 months away!!! We were able to get a refund from AA. If Song changes us to any later I will give up, demand a refund from them and drive...and use the money to stay at a deluxe resort.

I understand that these changes do happen, but what gets me is our 7:20 flight was cancelled less than 3 weeks after it was announced. You would think they would give it a little more time, especially since it isnt for another 8 months.

I think flying is much more stressful than driving.

 

[Jillpie]

I just did the exact same thing as the above poster, except we booked the 11:35 am flight out of Boston. I figured, if I'm changing the whole schedule to the day before, I might as well try to get down there as early as possible and enjoy the evening at least at the BCV's (first time there). I will scream if they go and change things again!! Now at least we gained back our first day of the vacation. Now its the last day that I don't like, returning at 3:30 in the afternoon, but you have to be at the airport by 1:00, so there goes that day. But I wasn't about to add on another day at the end. Maybe we'll spend the morning at Stormalong Bay.

 

[seashoreCM]

I happened to inspect the Song schedules for Orlando and it seems that what was the last flight to Boston which becomes the first flight to MCO the next day now goes to San Juan PR for the night, starting in July.

If and when a second flight to San Juan is added the deleted Boston flights could be added back. One plane can do two round trips to SJU or to the northeast if they get it in and out of MCO within an hour. The Las Vegas run is a third round trip for one plane flying overnight.

 

[Jillpie]

The trouble now is this...now that Delta has cancelled my flights and I have rescheduled mine for the day before (left the return flight alone) and got these new flights reissued to me, even if Delta reestablishes that late flight back to Boston on my return flight, I cannot go back to it because you can only get reissued once. That really stinks.

 

[CamColt]

Jillpie, is that true if you accept the new flight you are given, or just if you reschedule to something other than what was offered? We took what was offered and when we called to find out about our seats, DH asked if a new earlier flight is added or one changes to earlier can we get on that one and we were told yes, since we originally had the earlier flight.

 

[Jillpie]

I was told by the Delta rep. that once your new flight is "reissued", that is final. In other words, when they email you or send the new flights in the mail, thats it. She did add, however, that I could always call Delta and try to explain the situation and see what happens. Not very definitive.

 

[CamColt]

Thanks for the info, Jillpie. Thats interesting. At least we got the name of the woman who told us this and we have the day and time we called. That should give us some ammo in case the need arises.

 

[Jillpie]

OK, Camcolt, I have an update for you. After your post I decided to get a second opinion at Delta. Sure enough, I got someone that said that because it was Delta that made the schedule change, and they reestablish your original flight, you will be able to get back on it, provided there are seats left. I really didn't get a good feeling from this rep. that I dealt with rebooking my flight yesterday anyway. She was actuallly pretty rude about the whole thing. I imagine she must be getting tons of very unhappy people calling at this point. I'm really hoping they bring back that 7:00 pm flight back to Boston! That would give us a last day at the MK, like we always do. So there you have it!

 

[CamColt]

Oh thats great news! Thanks for checking and posting.
Now if they would just offer better times.

 

[sixcats]

I just want to assure those that are leary about Friday night flights. We almost always travel on Friday nights between 6-9 pm. Two or three times a year for at least 8 years. Only once were there any delays and I was lucky enough to not be the one stuck on the plane. Due to a winter storm at the flights's origin, DH arrived in WDW at 4:00am, not 10:00pm. Other than that we have been very fortunate.

 

[buzz5985]

How many people have actually heard form Song about flight changes???? I haven't heard a word from Song or Delta. I booked my flight on 4/17. 2 weeks later cancelled. Maybe Congress should enact a law that once a consumer books a flight, and the airline has to change it - the airline has to pay us $100/ticket. You would see a lot more people flying. LOL

There was an article in the Boston Globe Business section today about the airline industry, and how they are struggling, and can't figure out how to make Southwest's business model work for them. Southwest is the only airline to make money since 9/11. It also pointed out that most of the airlines were not doing well before 9/11.

 

[goofy4tink]

I have never gotten word from Delta or Song when my flight changed so far. I have always found out about the change online, due to my obsessive daily checking!!! But, that being said, both airlines have been quite helpful when I called them. Well...not helpful enough to put the 7:20 am flight back. But, I'm trying to have a good attitude about this. I figure, I'm getting an extra day in the parks because Song cancelled my morning flight. My dh can't blame me for that, so he's not grumpy about it and is going on Fri. afternoon happily.

 

[seashoreCM]

Is Orlando one of Delta's minor maintenance locations (let alone major maintenance locations?

If so, suppose up to three Song airplanes are inspected there each night, that means there must be three not so popular late evening arrivals into MCO from somewhere every day and three not so popular early morning flights out or MCO to somewhere every day. In the actual schedule (at least for November) there is a fourth such pair of not so popular flights and the plane goes off to Las Vegas overnight and comes back to begin the next day's schedule. I can foresee another redeye flight pair added from MCO to another western city to make use of planes that otherwise sit overnight.

 

[minster22]

I sent Song another email this am re: the "sold out" 7:20 am BOS/MCO flights. The reply stated that Yes, it has been cancelled and who knows, maybe if there is enough demand it will be reinstated. I thought the reply was a bit cavalier to respond to a customer complaint. I have flown the Delta Express 7am flight at least 6 times in the last year and a half and never seen an empty seat. Maybe it is time to switch to SWA. Not crazy about waiting so long to get tickets and their flight times, also it is a further drive from Cape Cod but I'd feel alot better giving them our business.

 

[DNSDisney]

seashoreCM -- the nearest maintance for delta is Tampa.

To all: Please realize that all major airlines (accept Southwest) are going through some really hard times at the moment. People aren't flying as they did before 9/11. Delta was in better shape financially than most but they are doing everything they can to stay in business. Look at there stocks for goodness sake 10-12 dollars per share when 2 yrs ago they were 60. ! That should tell you something. Employees are taking pay cut,benefit cuts, Management giving back bonuses and many other things just to keep there jobs and to keep the public flying. And other than Management and pilots airline employees aren't getting rich!!
So the next time you run into a customer service agent that doesn't seem to overjoyed with your complaints please know that she or he is a person that probably isn't too happy with life in general at the moment. If you really want to complain about Delta call there home office in ATL and try to talk to Leo Mullins or one of his staff. That is the only place it will do any good anyway. Leo Mullins is the CEO of Delta.

No I don't work for Delta but someone very close to me does.