When the airline changes your flight and messes up your plans

[Choirmom]

We fly out next Thursday for 7 nights at VGC. My sister booked flights for her, my mom and niece on the same reservation and I booked mine separately...all 4 of us on the same flight. The flights were changed once, not a big deal. My sister and I both got emails today informing us of yet another change. This time, my flight was changed to 2 hours earlier and the three of them are flying out 3 1/2 hours later!

So...we can't share a ride to the airport like we planned, we can't share a taxi to the resort. My sister rented the VGC reservation so I don't know if I can get into the room if it's ready.

I had a Storytellers reservation for our arrival dinner, but now they will get in too late and I can't change it due to availability!

I know there is probably nothing I can do (flights are much more expensive now as its only a week out). Just came here to vent because I know you will all understand!

 

[AquaDame]

You can contact the airline and ask to be placed on the same flight as your family. There may not be a charge for this, just tell them the new time doesn't work and see what they can do. If it is a major carrier this is all standard protocol.

 

[Choirmom]

Thanks. Its Alaska airlines...I'll try that. I booked my flight on miles, so I hope I can change. Problem is...I like the earlier flight!

 

[Iceman93]

Oh, that stinks and I'm sorry for the stress this must be causing all of you! Lesson learned, I suppose, is to always book one's entire travel party on a single reservation so the airline will do any rebooking of the entire group.

@AquaDame is absolutely correct that you should call the airline. They've all become much more flexible since the pandemic, and your story is exactly the kind of scenario where the agent on the phone will have a lot of discretion to shift things around (easier for them to shift you to their flight, probably, but depending on loads they could move the other three, or even move all of you to an entirely different flight).

As for not sharing rides to and from the airport, it's not ideal but you *could* still do it. They would just be waiting at the departure airport for several hours and you'd be waiting at the arrival airport for several hours.

I would also call Disney regarding the Storytellers reservation. They do have back-end flexibility we guests never see on the front-end, and might be able to shift you to a later time. You have absolutely nothing to lose by calling to ask. But definitely call the airline first, because things could get resolved there that make the rest of the logistical challenges go away--good luck!

 

[martikus]

Usually when they change your flight more than 30? Min you can request a different one for free. That’s always been the way. Don’t agree to new flight.

 

[Choirmom]

Thanks for the great advice! I already cancelled the Storytellers reservation, but got a breakfast reservation for the day we leave. I'll speak with my sister and see if she wants to try to change to my flight before I try to change to hers. Normally, we would have booked them together, but I had airline miles to use.

 

[abent]

I had this happen on my Disney world trip in December. My flight was booked separately than my travel buddies, and my flight kept getting bounced around fromtheirs. We contacted the airline and had the flights attached to each other once we got all of them together. We took advantage of the idea of an additional day in the parks, a late return flight home, as well as a red eye flight for an earlier arrival!

 

[AquaDame]

Thanks. Its Alaska airlines...I'll try that. I booked my flight on miles, so I hope I can change. Problem is...I like the earlier flight!

Alaska will absolutely help you. They've done so for us numerous times pre-covid even... I'd be shocked if anything less than a sold out flight earned you a no.

 

[crystal1313]

I’m so sorry this is happening to you. We know at least ten people who have had similar issues lately, including us. It took us 29 hours to get home from Orlando. It was a nightmare. We flew Alaska, but we know people who have had issues on American and southwest as well. I hope you can get it all sorted and that you get to the DLR on time. Have a wonderful trip!

 

[kappyfamily]

Yep, agree with the above. I fly Alaska a TON and they always help me out with changes for no fee. In fact they just changed my September flights for getting in later and leaving earlier go back home and I did the online chat and they quickly changed my flights to leaving a day earlier on each flight. So now the 7th thru the 10th instead of the 8th thru 11th. Those flights were much more expensive too. They will help you out!

 

[Mamabun]

For anyone else may have a similar situation, I believe all airlines allow you to link reservations, so that if they have to rebook or reseat or provide alternate transportation or whatever, they will keep you together.

 

[kikismom]

For anyone else may have a similar situation, I believe all airlines allow you to link reservations, so that if they have to rebook or reseat or provide alternate transportation or whatever, they will keep you together.

I was coming here to day this. We linked ours to our friends who are flying down with us, we live 2 hours from the airport and are driving together so it would be so bad to have the reservations changed from the same flight. We always fly Alaska.

For the OP, definitely go link your flights home so this doesn't happen. Our flights for October have changed twice already. Our last flights on Alaska changed as well. I feel like it's so much more common now.

 

[Piglet99645]

Thanks. Its Alaska airlines...I'll try that. I booked my flight on miles, so I hope I can change. Problem is...I like the earlier flight!

Alaska is great and they did this to me and my son one time. They worked very hard to fix it for us.

Also there are no change fees, so look into moving your family to the earlier flight!!

 

[Piglet99645]

For anyone else may have a similar situation, I believe all airlines allow you to link reservations, so that if they have to rebook or reseat or provide alternate transportation or whatever, they will keep you together.

Alaska did this to me even with the tickets linked. But they fixed it.

 

[Choirmom]

OP here. I was able to get my flight booked to my family's flight. The woman I spoke with was so nice, and even got me an aisle seat when I told her that was one of the reasons I booked early!

My reservation was linked to my family's and she apologized for getting booked to different flights. She also told me that they had scheduled flights to pre-COVID schedules and the demand has changed and they needed planes for other places more in demand.

Thank you everyone for the great advice. We fly out in one week! Hopefully everything will go smoothly from now on!

 

[Bigmace]

We had a pretty stressful situation leaving the park on Tuesday. The second we got to the airport (Orange County) I got a text saying our flight was cancelled due to weather. (Not sure why because we were going to Vegas for a layover and then Portland, must have been due to the prior flight). And there were no other flights to get us Portland on Southwest that day. Was about to hop over to Alaska to see if they could get us on their flight to Portland with out costing us a million dollars but it turned out a flight to Sacramento was delayed several hours and their plane had just showed up, and then from Sacramento to Portland. So fortunately that all worked out and we even got home early but I was gonna pretty bummed if we burned half a day at the park just to go stay at a hotel by airport to fly out the next day.

 

[silver236]

Delta just moved our return flight from 7PM to 1PM completely blowing any chance to go back to the park on our last day. Fortunately, we could move our flight to the next morning and now we will get a FULL day on our last day! (Now I just need to find a hotel for the extra night)

 

[PirateBrigade]

Ooof, I'm sorry, but I'm glad everything worked out! I've had this happen before, and for others in this situation, definitely call the airline and be super nice to the agent (like the OP!)

I had a direct flight turn into a monster plane change + layover on United. I contacted their customer service and suggested alternate airports (which is hard to rebook online, you usually have to call) and they were able to place me back on a direct flight (I live pretty equidistant between SFO, OAK, SJC, and SMF).

Once other airports are in play, the agent might have a lot more options for you in terms of space. Great resource to look at is Google Flights, which lets you put in multiple airports as the destination -- filter by the airline you are on, THEN call customer service with suggestions. Alaska flies to LAX, SNA, and further afield BUR and SAN.