YS

For international travel airlines always ask you to reconfirm the flight 72 hours before departure. While I usually do it leaving US, I often neglect to do it while abroad. Do you usually do it? Am I teasing my fait?

s.fowler

The best reason to call the airline before you return home is to make sure the flight hasn't changed time etc... <BR> <BR>The last time I tried to "reconfirm" in Europe -- it was in Vienna -- the hotel desk clerk laughed and said "no one did that any more." I've let it slide myself the last few trips and I've managed to get home okay

Hiho

I do not reconfirm, agree that it is basically a thing of the past. However, I learned the hard way that in China, you must reconfirm. After failing to do so for an internal flight from Beijing to Kunming, I was at first denied boarding, and when I managed to successfully plead my case to get on, I had to run as fast as possible thru the terminal to get to the gate. <BR> <BR>There are probably a number of other places where reconfirming is recommended, but these places are not in N. America nor most likely in Europe.

janis

Most people don't - but you really should re-confirm. Twice (in over 25 trips to Europe) either the flight time or number was changed. <BR> <BR>It doesn't take long to make the call and if it means learning that your LHR to SFO flight is now being combined with a flight to Seattle and leaving 90 minutes earlier (as happened to me) you will be very glad you did. The change was because of a baggage handlers strike somewhere other than LHR but it was affecting many flights.

Beth Anderson

I don't reconfirm cuz I always hope that if there is a snafu I won't know about it until it is too late - darn! stuck in Europe??

debbie

I do not confirm and have had luck so far. One trip, though, in high school to Spain with Spanish class the travel agent forgot the time difference and our leader never confirmed. We missed our flight by the 8 hours (whatever it was) and spent another three days in Malaga, southern Spain. It was great! The school paid for it and the call home to tell parents we were still there!

Dona

I always check international flights, going and coming, particularly Alitalia. I've had an experience where I had to fly standby with them because I hadn't reconfirmed. And flight times change often with them. I learned the lesson the hard way... <BR> <BR>Dona

StCirq

Hardly ever, I must admit, though when I do call they act surprised. It doesn't seem to matter, anyway - if the flight is going to be delayed it will be because of weather that happens aft er I confirm the flight anyways.

Pierrette

Maybe it's no longer necessary but I always do after departure time change 5 years ago when we missed our flight at Heathrow.

Mel

Nope. Funny, I ALWAYS call to re-confirm before leaving home, but have NEVER done so prior to the return flight.

MichelleR

I always reconfirm. I have had too many surprises at the airport due to last minute schedule changes not to. But sometimes it is tough to find a local number for an airline--and sometimes you are just SOL!

Karen

Have never done so in the past, but always will after our flight home in June. We got to the Paris airport and stood in the endless check-in line to be told that half our party of nine had seats and the other half were wait-listed because they were overbooked. After a tense hour and a half, we all got on, but nevertheless, I'll call to reconfirm from now on.

jo ann

We were in Paris just last month, and the final hotel we stayed in: the concierge suggested that he should call the airline for us and reconfirm the flight. So, at least some do still consider it a good idea.

steve

I have never done it in Europe. However, when our family was in Hawaii 5 years ago, my sister (a former travel agent) called to reconfirm our flights and found out that they had been cancelled. She then had to spend a couple of hours getting us rebooked on other flights.

Ed

I'm not sure that reconfirmation is "required" as it once was years ago. <BR> <BR>However, TWO calls to the airline are wise, at least if you'll be in the same city for several days before you return. <BR> <BR>Call as soon as you arrive in your departure city, mainly to leave your telephone number so they can call if there's a problem. Airlines have gotten incredibly bad about not calling about a cancellation or time change, but you can't gripe if you don't give them a chance. <BR> <BR>Then call early on the morning of your departure (or late the previous day if leaving very early in the morning) to check that nothing has come up that they should have called you about but didn't. <BR> <BR>If, on the other hand, you enjoy learning that your flight left 15 minutes before you got to the airport, don't bother to reconfirm.

janice

Oh, man, this is a GOOD idea. Last fall, returning from Dublin, Aer Lingus has pushed our return flight UP four hours i.e. by the time we got to the airport, our plane was long long gone. And we were, of course, not notified. They had made this change because of a scheduled 4 hours strike by ground crew announced for 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., so our 1:00 p.m. plane just went ahead and left at 9:00. I've got to wonder how many people were actually on that flight.....