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Airline Scheduling Changes
I have a trip to Key West planned for early February. I was informed by my airline (American Airlines) that the schedule had been changed, and now there is a five hour layover in Miami instead of just an hour. I have been flying for almost thirty years and have never received a change so drastic. In fact, changes I have received before have always dealt in minutes differences, not hours. Are these type of drastic changes becoming commonplace in this new age of flying?
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yes, sometime. What do you want us to do?
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Schedule changes happen just about every 3 months (the airlines have to re-bid their routes). Sometimes the changes are just a few minutes or a flight number. Sometimes they're more drastic, where a flight has been removed completely leaving long connections or no connections.
However, you have the right not to accept the changes. I would suggest that you call the airline and see what other options they have, or you can force the issue and try for a refund since it was an involuntary change. Good Luck, Bobbi |
Considering the financial plight of just about all airlines, no one should be surprised when companies eliminate flights!
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I was just notified about a schedule change for my flight with USAir next March. I will be happy if they will still be in business then. ((C))
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Don, I mentioned this in your previous thread http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...en_name=don512
You do have rights. Call the airline and tell them the five hour layover is unacceptable and they have an obligation to put you on a sooner flight whether with them or another airline. |
Recently Alaska Air changed our daytime flight to Miami to a redeye which completely affected our plans to meet with friends and wouldn't work for us. A call to Alaska resulted in a full refund AND an extension of the time to use the companion coupon originally used to purchase the ticket. That's the most drastic schedule change we've experienced, but changes seem to be very common.
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Twice in last month - both on USAir. Son was fying Savannah-Charlotte-Boston on FF ticket. Notified of schedule change that would have had him sitting in Charlotte for 4 hours 2 days before Thanksgiving. I checked USAir flight schedule website and found better flight connection - one phone call and it was changed.
Just got email yesterday saying our non-stop flight Ft. Lauderdale to Boston end of Fed school vacation week had been changed to one involving plane change in Phil. Annoying, since we chose to fly to FLL instead of West Palm just because of non-stop flights. But in this case, I agree with Jed - I just hope they are still flying in mid-Feb. |
I had an undesired flight time change of 24 hours on a trip to Rome a couple years ago. Really messed up my plans, as you can imagine.
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<b>GoTravel</b>,
You are totally wrong about AA having an obligation to puy the OP on an earler flight with a different airline. No such obligation or rules exist. The OP has a right to a full refund if the new schedule is not acceptable. <b>don512</b> Try calling AA and see if there is a more acceptable schedule. If there isn't, your ONLY 2 choices are, cancelling for a full refund or accepting the change. You may be able to get an earlier or later flight from your city to hook up with an earlier or later flight to your final destination. AA will change all flights involved if needed without any fees if they did change the original itinerary. You are not restricted to adjusting just the one flight. Good luck! |
AA under Rule 240 of the Contract of Carriage, in case of delay, if the airline cannot put you on a flight acceptable to you on their own airline, you have the right to request ticketed seating on another airline at no additional cost to you.
Where am I "totally wrong"? I do understand there are exceptions to this such as Acts of God and War but this isn't the case. I cannot find American Airlines Contract of Carriage but didn't you work for them? If you can provide a link I would appreciate this. For additional information on the Contract of Carriage Rule 240: http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/...s/airlines.htm |
Go.....Here is a link to AA's Conditions of Carriage
http://www.aa.com/content/customerSe...Carriage.jhtml |
that recently happened to me with Independence. I didn't like the change - they couldn't give me anything better, so I was able to convince them to return my money and I got new tix on SW.
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The big difference is this one word - <b>delay</b>, not schedule change with enough notice.
Once you start your travels, (whatever the minimum required check-in times are for your trip), then you are entitled to (possibly) flying other airlines. I say <b>possibly</b>, because there is a certain time frame, availibility on the other airlines, etc. A schedule change is "normal", although this new one for the first quarter is more severe because of heavy (airplanes)equipment movement and adjusting schedules accordingly. It's part of the cutbacks and it's especially more pronounced when the origin or destination is a small airport. It's part of today's reality in the transportation business. I never did work for AA. I do fly about 125K miles per year for the last few years so I get the joys of occasional hiccup and learn something new everyday. I do have the advantage of contacting the Executive Platinum desk when something goes back, and these dedicated agents will go extra mile for their best cutomers, but there are occasions when even they can't do much, but they will rxplain what is or is not possible and they are the best in the business. That's when airline clubs become so valuable when one flies this much. Little oasis for times like this. |
Isn't anything over a four hour delay considered another ticket? Since this is a delay, and a huge one, I would ask about Rule 240.
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Go....."Delay" occurs day of travel, not in advance.The OP's situation is a "schedule change".Rule 240 does not apply.
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This is a schedule change NOT A DELAY.
Believe what you want, but it's not going to work for the OP. Again, 3 choices ONLY for situations like this: Full refund if so desired Adjust the itinerary with the same airline ONLY without any fees (if possible). Accept the new itinerary. THAT'S IT! Sorry. |
don512: A few weeks ago, my husband and I went to Dallas (we live in NJ). We get to DFW for our return (2 hours before our 7pm flight) and guess what? Continental canceled that route a couple of months earlier. The agent said I should have gotten an e-mail when the route was canceled. I said I didn't. Then he said an e-mail was sent out to me THE DAY BEFORE! We must have had a "are you f** kidding me" look on our faces, because he added "oh I guess you were here in Dallas and not back home". Duh! Anyway, there were no more Continental flights to Newark that day. They said they'd put us on the 1st flight out the next day. We said that was unacceptable and that they had to put us on another airline leaving that night. They did, on an AA flight that was leaving at 7:30pm. The only inconvenience was that we got THOROUGHLY SEARCHED by security (one-way flight, last-minute change). But hey that's the world we live in now.
We have a AA flight (Miami to Curacao) in 6 weeks. I just got an e-mail from AA that there's a flight time change (just 30 minutes). No biggie for us but to answer your question, I guess it is commonplace nowadays. 5-hour layover does suck though. Good luck if you decide to take on AA. |
Here are few excerpts from AA's Condition of Carriage:
<i>RESPONSIBILITY FOR SCHEDULES AND OPERATIONS American will endeavor to carry you and your baggage with reasonable dispatch, but times shown in timetables or elsewhere are not guaranteed and form no part of this contract. American may, without notice, substitute alternate carriers or aircraft and, if necessary, may alter or omit stopping places shown on the ticket. Schedules are subject to change without notice. American is not responsible for or liable for failure to make connections, or to operate any flight according to schedule, or for a change to the schedule of any flight. Under no circumstances shall American be liable for any special, incidental or consequential damages arising from the foregoing. </i> <b>AND</b> <i>DELAYS, CANCELLATIONS AND DIVERSIONS American Airlines and American Eagle will provide customers at the airport and onboard an affected aircraft with timely and frequent updates regarding known delays, cancellations and diversions and will strive to provide the best available information concerning the duration of delays and to the extent available, the flight's anticipated departure time. We are not responsible for any special, incidental or consequential damages if we do not meet this commitment. When cancellations and major delays are experienced, you will be rerouted on our next flight with available seats. If the delay or cancellation was caused by events within our control and we do not get you to your final destination on the expected arrival day, we will provide reasonable overnight accommodations, subject to availability. In extreme circumstances, it is possible that a flight will cancel while on the ground in the city to which it was diverted. When this happens you will be rerouted on the next American Airlines or American Eagle flight with available seats, <b>or in some circumstances on another airline or some other alternative means of transportation.</b> If we are unable to reroute you, reasonable overnight accommodations will be provided by American Airlines or American Eagle, subject to availability. American Airlines and American Eagle will provide amenities for delayed passengers, necessary to maintain the safety and/or welfare of certain passengers such as customers with disabilities, unaccompanied children, the elderly or others to whom such amenities will be furnished consistent with special needs and/or circumstances.</i> |
don512,
This is nothing new. 3 years ago British Airways changed my flight time by several hours. After I pointed out that it meant I would miss my flight to the US, I convinced them to purchase a seat for me on another airline. Keith |
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