Daisy54

I just need to vent. My mom & I bought tickets to London (from Los Angeles) on United - we purchased them in January to leave May 13. With it being a 10 1/2 hour flight from the west coast, I've always chosen a non-stop flight and found a good fare on the tickets at UAL. With exactly a month to go, I get an email from UAL saying they've changed our ininerary to flights that have layovers in both directions. I called them and the said, oh we changed our schedule. They did offer me a choice to switch to a different non-stop flight, but that schedule would have cut our time in London even more than the flights they put us on. So I guess we will stick with the changed flights and go through the hassle of changing planes, in Washingotn DC on the way there and Chicago on the way home. I'm just disappointed that UAL just ups and changes its schedule months after tickets are purchased without even an apology for the inconvenience. Do you think if I whine to them they'll throw me some extra frequent flier miles or soemthing? Has anyone else had this type of switcheroo happen?

WallyKringen

Who are we to dissuade you from trying, but would I bet a penny on a successful outcome? Nope. They can do that, they do do that, and in their effort of staying out of the only-just-put-behind-them bankruptcy they juggle their schedules to eke every nickel out of it.

I got an email yesterday changing my United schedule for next month, nothing as drastic as yours, but it happens daily, they need to up their load factor, and if the computer tells them to ditch one flight and consolidate pax from an intermittent airport, they'll have to do it.

Commiserations.

WK

gracejoan3

They change schedules regularly...When I use FF and get them the 330 days out, I get many, many changes along the way. They are usually 10 minutes this way or that, but no big changes..so far, that is!!!

WinterTravel

United changed our flights (to/from South America) this past summer. They did not offer anything in the way of extra ff miles or other when we expressed dismay -- as others have said, they apparently do this all the time. Probably not worth your time to seek anything. Have a good trip despite the less convenient flights!

Intrepid1

By just how much time would going on their-offered substitute non-stop actually cut out?

FainaAgain

This is normal for the airlines to adjust their schedules. My Continental flight was changed twice, last time probably 3-4 weeks before the take-off.

Sorry about such a huge change, hope the rest of the trip will be fine.

And if the phone calls are free, why not to try to get something out of them? Check the seats availability on other flights, maybe you'll find something more convenient, and talk to a manager, ask to put you on those flights.

janisj

This happened to me on my recent trip to Paris on AA. Originally we were on a noon flight and we get an e-mail saying they changed us to a 07:30 flight - pretty near impossible since we live 2+ hours away near Sacramento.

I call AA and throw myself on their mercy and they change us to a 10:30 flight - still nasty but a lot better than 07:30 . . . . .

rkkwan

Like others say, you won't get anything. This is just part of the deal with booking early. And remember, things may also work in your favor, and in those cases, the airlines don't give you less miles...

At least three ways a significant schedule change can benefit:

- The new schedule may give you more time in Europe.

- You can ask for a full refund. And this is what you should do - check the fares on other airlines. Maybe they're lower than what you paid back in January.

- If one has a bad connection initially, they may let you change to a better one. [I have done this a few times. A flight with a long connection may be cheaper. Because that flight's schedule was changed, they allow me to get on the preferred flight for no extra charge.]

AAFrequentFlyer

Schedule changes happen in all facets of transportation business, not just airlines. It's normal, necessary, sometimes required by outside forces.

When it happens to you, you have the following choices:

1. Request a full refund and you shall receive it.

2. Accept the "suggested" changes. Once you did that, it's over, meaning if your ticket was non-refundable/non-changeable, the same rules will apply to the new itn.

3. If the "suggested" itn is not working for you, call the airline and work on a different one. If there are seats available (they don't have to be the same fare codes), the airline will put you on these flights, no questions asked. No mercy required.

Just remember - once you accept one of the above, your fare code rules will apply to the new schedule.

Airlines do not guarantee their schedules and it says so in the "contract of carriage". They are allowed to change schedules and thus they give you the 3 above options.

Do not expect any miles or vouchers for a schedule change which happened weeks or even days before the trip. It won't happen.


Have a wonderful trip!