P_M

We were scheduled to fly to Naples via AA/Air Berlin using award tickets. We purposely avoided any BA flights due to the high fees they charge for "free" tickets. Now it seems Air Berlin has changed their schedule so it is no longer possible to get to NAP except to use AA/BA. This means an additional $300+ for each ticket as BA is now in the mix.

I found this change on line and I haven't called AA yet because I haven't decided what to do. I do not want to pay the extra fees and I have considered changing it so we will fly into Rome then we could take the train to Naples. Since our only option is to use BA, do you think AA will absorb the fees for us? I'm thinking not but I wonder if anyone out there has had the same experience.

Thanks.

Gardyloo

Don't do anything until AA notifies you of the change.

When are you traveling?

P_M

May 2014.

Originally the flight from DUS to NAP left around 12:30 pm, now it leaves at 6:10am. We are scheduled to arrive NAP at 7am so of course this won't work.

I suppose one option would be to spend the night in Dusseldorf and fly out the next day but of course we don't want to do that.

I will sit on this until I hear from them.

P_M

Correction: We are scheduled to arrive DUS at 7am but the flight to NAP leaves at 6:10am so this connection no longer works.

Gardyloo

Even if they offer London with no additional charges (which they can waive) don't go for it. BA serves Naples out of Gatwick, so you'd have to fly into Heathrow and do a surface transfer (your cost) to Gatwick. No dice. I'd overnight in Germany before taking that deal.

P_M

Thanks for your input Gardy. It looks like no matter what we do we will spend additional time and money.

Gardyloo

I can see non-BA routes in May via JFK and Zurich, JFK AA ZRH AB NAP, but not every day. Where are you starting from?

P_M

AUS, leaving 4/30. We are coming back from FCO so the return is not a problem.

P_M

Sorry, I just realized I mentioned above that we are traveling in May. Since most of the trip is in May I didn't think about the fact that we are leaving 4/30. By the time we get there it will be May.