American Airlines cancelling non stop flights PHL - FCO
 

I HAD (past tense) non stop tickets with American Airlines from Philadelphia to Rome in September. I just happened to check my flights yesterday to see how many seats were actually booked. Lo and behold, when I pulled up my flight details, I learned AA had canceled my direct flights and have me re-routed through LHR. I NEVER received an email notification! I called customer service. AA has cancelled all non-stop flights PHL > Rome. Now we have to fly to LHR and pick up a British Airways flight to final destination.

I just wanted to warn anyone else holding American Airlines tickets to Europe to check your flights in case AA has canceled, re-routed and not notified you.

"I NEVER received an email notification! "

Unfortunate but certainly not unusual and the same thing happens on every airline. All airlines have had continual minor to huge schedule changes/cancellations/re-routings and in the vast majority of cases no notice is sent until closer to the dates. They have millions of passengers to contact, refund, re-book so they do it chronologically. Sept is 'years away' in the current landscape.

"I just wanted to warn anyone else holding American Airlines tickets to Europe anywhere to check your flights in case AA has they have been canceled or re-routed . . ."

I agree the "current landscape" is and will require changes. BUT, I still encourage everyone to check. When they re-routed me, they made a HUGE error!!! Instead of starting me at the airport I had booked only 15 minutes from where I live, they started my journey at an airport 2.5 hours away from where I live! Had I not caught that, the flights out of my local beach resort airport would have been sold out over Labor Day weekend by the time they notified me.

Nothing new... Because we're on the West Coast, nearly every trip involves a connection. Without notice, we've had airlines change itineraries in bits and pieces right up to the departure date, and I've learned to check the reservations every week or so. Since it's just computers making the adjustments/re-bookings, there's no common sense or much knowledge of geography involved.

We once had a connecting flight cancelled, and the computer auto re-booked us on the same flight 24 hours later, meaning we'd spend a night at an airport hotel and lose a day of our vacation. I couldn't change the first flight segment, but the airline did have a connecting flight to another city where we could catch a train to reach our destination. We would arrive 4 hours later rather than a day. The airline wanted to charge a change fee because I was technically changing the destination and pointed out they were accommodating us by paying for the airport hotel. Well, duh. It made absolutely no sense to pay for the airport hotel when they didn't have to but also refuse to waive the change fee. Who was being more accommodating, me or them? The humans were thinking like computers, but eventually common sense won!

Dee_dee one thing to look into is that Italy is requiring Americans travel in Covid-tested flights nonstop into FCO or Milan. (Maybe Venice too.) If you are routed through LHR, you may have to quarantine upon arrival in Rome. I would call American and ask.

I'm so glad common sense won! That's not always the case when dealing with airlines!

I so wish I could take one of those Covid tested flights. But, due to where I live it would take 22 hours (flight time) and transport from Newark airport to JFK to do. At my age, I just don't think I'm capable of a trip like that. If Italy doesn't lift it's quarantine requirement by September for vaccinated Americans, I fear I will have to cancel the trip.

This is why I'm booking flights through travel agencies at the moment.