Help with Flight Cancellation--Brussels/Paris/NYC
 

Hope someone can help or offer advice. Warning: long set-up:

I had FF flights booked in and out of Brussels from Newark on Continental--my flight is using One Pass miles, my husband using his Delta miles to fly on the same Continental flight on December 25. I was looking at the seats to see how full it was and noticed we were now on a flight leaving 12/26, arriving 12/27.

Our itinerary was to be as follows:

Arrive 12/26 Brussels, hotel is booked with a non-refundable deposit of 30Euro.

Train on 12/27 to Paris, 42 Euro/pp each way
We have rented a flat in Paris and will be staying from 12/27-1/4.

1/4 Train to Brussels, stay through 1/9.

The options I was given were to fly into Paris leaving 12/25, arriving 12/26, or call Delta and try to get on the Delta flight leaving 12/25 arriving in Brussels on 12/26.

Taking the flight straight to CDG seems less fussy as it will only be 1 way on the train, though I will have to eat the 2 42 Euro train tickets + the 30 Euro non-refundable hotel deposit--this is essentially $150 lost + the flight to CDG is full and I am still waiting to see if the apt is available a day early.

The Delta flight to Brussels, keeping us with our original itinerary is problematic as it requires me to be on conference call with both Delta and Continental at the same time and hope that we can both get the flight, though the same phone call scenario is the case with switching to the CDG flight.

Sorry for the convoluted question, but any thoughts are much appreciated.

Thanks!!

(I also posted on the Europe board)

also, please take into account, is the "new Delta" preferable for transatlantic flights over Continental--I normally only fly Continental at this point.

Well, call CO back and have them switch you to DL. They can set up the conference call and whatnot. No reason why that can't be done, as in such situation, they need to accommodate you. No reason why you need to fly to CDG and pay for your train ticket.

Or tell them to book you on the Jet Airways flight that also goes EWR-BRU. But I am sure they'll rather put you on DL instead.

p.s. If they still can't solve your problem, give me an email at rkkwan at earthlink dot net. Maybe I can get you other help.

thanks--that is what I thought, they could just conference in Delta but while she was nice, she said I had to call and that she had no access to putting me on the Delta flight which was odd as she could also see the flight existed and when I initially booked the Delta FF, they certainly had to go into Continental and put my husband on that flight.

I could go the consumerist.com-call the executives line, but really don't want to.

Could it be that I booked mine online separate that I have top go through Delta for my husband's ticket? Also, the agent offered to redeposit my miles so I could call delta to get on that flight.

UGH.

Are you flying in business or economy? Do you <i>want</i> to go to BRU or CDG?

coach--I get 6-8 international flights a year with miles and don't want to half it by flying coach.

I want to do both, though decided to jump over to Paris again after booking the Brussels--I have not been to Brussels and got a FF tix there. I am essentially just throwing a dart at a map when deciding where to travel. My goal is to hit as many places as possible by the time I am 40--I am 33. Belgium is one of the last countries unseen in <i>western</i> Europe. Though I am not sure why the question is relevant.

If you're flying in business, there is award availability on the DL JFK-BRU flight on 12/25, so the CO agent should be able to change your Onepass award ticket to this DL flight.

Then call DL to get your Skymiles award ticket changed to the same DL flight.

Any reissue fees should be waived because of the schedule change.

She can put my flight on the JFK-BRU, she just is unwilling to do both flights and will not conference in--I need to.

I see what the problem is. The CO agent can only change YOUR ticket. You have to call DL to change your husband's. That makes sense.

Since going the next day is a non-starter anyways, just have yours change first. Then call DL to change your husband's. I don't see how and why that can't be done.

If she can change your Onepass award to the DL flight, go ahead and do that. Then call DL and get your husband's Skymiles award changed. DL can override their own award availability so as long as you can get CO to make the change, you shouldn't have a problem.

The reason my question of BRU or CDG is relevant is because my advice would be different if you'd rather fly into CDG instead.

cb, Patty was only asking whether you'd prefer flying into CDG or BRU on the 26th; she wasn't questioning your overall trip plan for Paris and Brussels.

yes you are correct, I am concerned with the whole calling and getting them both changed as it needs to be done simultaneously.

Sorry, Patty--just was over defensive/sensitive--sometimes people question one's plans just to pick and I am all stressy today from work and this.

rkkwan: am i getting this correct that I should just change and if he can't we take separate flights and not worry about it? I guess that could work.

Well, there's no reason why DL won't change your husband's flight. He also uses DL miles. His flight also get canceled and moved. If CO can move you to the DL flight, DL can move him to the DL flight too.

Or, call DL first and have move him first. You already know that CO can move you.

Really, it doesn't matter. You still have to make two phone calls. One to DL to move him, one to CO to move you.

true--the delta flight only has like 3 seats sold--am worried that may get cxl'd too. I can get into the apt in Paris a day early though and try to get them to comp me for my train tickets or get upgraded for the trouble.

I would call CO first and make sure CO can move you to the DL flight. Currently, that flight is showing no Skysaver availability in economy on 12/25 so I was kind of surprised when you said CO can put you on that flight. I was not aware that CO could override DL availability, but maybe the agent got on the phone with DL or something.

DL is capable of overriding their own award availability and should do so to accommodate you since there was a schedule change. Even though the schedule change was caused by CO, DL is still the one issuing your husband's ticket and responsible for your husband's reaccommodation.

Are you thinking you'd rather fly into CDG now?

There's also no Standard availability on either of the CO EWR-CDG flights on 12/25, so you'd have similar issues when dealing with tickets from 2 different programs. Each carrier can generally override their own award availability but not the other's. You can try contacting DL to see if there's any way they can put you on the CO EWR-CDG flight. I don't know if they're able/willing to do this. It would be much easier for the DL agent to put you on their own JFK-CDG flight. Or maybe you don't mind taking different flights to CDG?

I assume CO can put you on their EWR-CDG even without Standard availability.

would rather fly together, esp. out of the same airport--the CO flight EWR-CDG only has the 1st class option--they were giving me the flight so I can only assume that is what I would get, since Delta booked my husband on Continental--dualing phone calls so to speak while I sat on the phone with them prior to hitting purchase on my ticket--I would think they might give it to us.

BTW: Delta did not have any FF for this flight when we booked in early July either--all their FF skysaver dates were locked up to every city i typed in whereas CO practically let me fly wherever on FF for their flights, delta was easy with me when booking out his flight on CO--they aren't losing any $$ as it is a free flight.

yes--thinking best to fly straight to CDG, esp. if we can upgrade on the fligght. Off to make some calls.

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP!!!

Will update for the interested.

We have elite member seats on CO to CDG. It was a 4 way conference call and they would not relent on the business class. I lose one way on the train tickets, though in retrospect, i never wanted to take the train, so it is just one less leg.

Thanks again!

What was the explanation for CO not being able to keep you on your original flight dates? I ask because the current edition of their timetable shows three flights EWR/BRU on December 25, and one wonders why they can't find two seats on one of those flights.

I think you are being wildly optimistic to think that they will give you cash for lost deposits and an upgrade. They hate to give out cash, and they would rather let a front cabin seat go vacant than give it away. I think their only obligation under the contract of carriage is to say they are sorry and offer to return your money and miles. They might, as a good will gesture, give a voucher or some miles (they love to give those, as it keeps us using that airline; if they gave cash, we could easily switch to another airline).

My inclination would be to demand an explanation of why they won't honor their original commitment, given that they have three flights. If that fails, explain how loyal a customer you have been, and suggest that you want to continue to patronize them, but if they can't fix this problem you will have to take your business to another carrier.

However, my evaluation after reading this thread is that you don't appear to concentrate yourself on just what you want. I think it would be difficult for the phone agent to concentrate on the problem unless it is substantially clarified; telling the agent about your train reservations, how many countries you have visited, your plans between arrival and departure, would just distract the agent from the business at hand, so I would suggest you narrow your focus to getting to BRU on such and such a day, and not even distract him with the alternative of flying to CDG on an another day. You might also look into an alternate airline on which you could both use your miles; suggesting such a flight may help the agent find it, although I would not offer this alternative until you have exhausted the possibilities of getting back on your original flight.

Incidentally, looking on the CO website to see how many seats have been sold is unlikely to get you accurate information, and I think they even say that on their website. I noticed at one time that when I change the seats of me and my wife, the seats we have vacated show as being taken until the next day, so at the time we change, there are actually two seats available that don't appear on their website as being available.

I haven't found a lot of upgrade availability on Continental until just before the flight dates, when it seems that almost every flight has some, so I think its a bit early to conclude that there will be no availability for your dates.

Good luck in getting this resolved.

CO is not operating CO60 EWR-BRU on 12/24 and 12/25, based on current schedule.

Glad to hear you got it resolved!

Clevelandbrown: they suggested the CDG flight as it left on the 25th and got us on it--I only told them that we had train tix and non-refundable hotel to get them to put me on something. Not more info than necessary, it is hard enough to resolve a complicated itinerary!

I hoped for an upgrade (as I think we all do) and was super nice--as were the agents I spoke to--shock, Though it took an hour and a 4 way conference call between delta, continental, my husband and me to get it resolved, I am pleased with the results and with the advice given here.

In the end the CDG flight is for the best as it involves less fooling around as we were flying into Brussels, then leaving the next day to Paris on the train--now we are just doing a one-way train to Brussels for that portion of the trip, i.e. we have an open jaw rather than backtracking.

More good news--the hotel booking agent waived the &quot;non-refundable&quot; deposit as we are staying at the same hotel in Brussels when we go back and even though they are separate reservations, they are treating it as one.

Now--will my Thalys train discount RT tix be unusable as I won't be using the first leg? guess that might be a question for the europe board.

Sorry for the long-winded post!