Airlines has changed flight schedule?

I have had my American Airlines flight for upcoming Alaska cruise out of Seattle (June) booked since August. My return flight was originally scheduled for 1:30. Perfect timing, right? But now the airlines has moved the flight to 11:00. We are suppose to port back in Seattle at 7:00. Is this possible to make? The airlines has agreed to book on later flight but that is extra day or refund money. What happens if I keep the 11:00 a.m. flight and then something happens that I am delayed getting to airline gate. Would airline give a later flight for free if this happens?

11:00 AM is the earliest flight I would take out of Seattle.

You will want to be in the first group off the ship and move quickly.

This question comes up on the West Coast Departures Board:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=-1&f=413

American Airlines has been changing a lot of flights of late.

You can call American Airlines to understand what happens if you miss the flight but there would likely be penalties plus all other flights that day could be full.

If you don't like stress I would ask the airline what is the next flight and consider that. But as I said 11:00 AM is doable but you do have to be off first. I would call AA back to discuss options and then make a decision once you have all the facts.

Keith

Thanks for the reply! I will be calling American Airlines again to ask all options. I do wonder if American may change the flight again. Has anyone had flight schedules changed several times (just for airlines benefit and not weather related)? I'm almost afraid to make any changes yet because I'm afraid the schedule may change again.

I have had my American Airlines flight for upcoming Alaska cruise out of Seattle (June) booked since August. My return flight was originally scheduled for 1:30. Perfect timing, right? But now the airlines has moved the flight to 11:00. We are suppose to port back in Seattle at 7:00. Is this possible to make? The airlines has agreed to book on later flight but that is extra day or refund money. What happens if I keep the 11:00 a.m. flight and then something happens that I am delayed getting to airline gate. Would airline give a later flight for free if this happens?

I don't know about American's consortium partners but, if this was a United flight, I would ask to have my ticket "assigned" to a Star Alliance partner flying that same day at a workable time. There would be no extra charge.

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Thanks for the reply! I will be calling American Airlines again to ask all options. I do wonder if American may change the flight again. Has anyone had flight schedules changed several times (just for airlines benefit and not weather related)? I'm almost afraid to make any changes yet because I'm afraid the schedule may change again.

They could but my guess on this one is they won't or if they do it won't be by much.

There was an article about this on the Cruise Air board recently.

Good luck with all of this.

Keith

We have had airline flights changed several times before we actually flew. US Airways (now gone), American Airlines and Delta.

This is why we arrive at the embarkation port 2 -4 days ahead and stay over a day after the cruise.

Airlines can definitely upset the best laid plans, especially when those plans are made almost a year in advance.

We (family group of 6 adults and a 3 1/2 year old) are cruising out of Seattle this summer (Saturday to Saturday) and had a great return nonstop flight (12:50 pm) back to DC. This weekend I discovered United dropped the flight and changed us to their 8:20 AM(!) flight. Obviously that wasn't going to work and the next nonstop (more or less essential with the granddaughter) would have been a redeye. Luckily since the next day was a Sunday and no one had to be to work until Monday plus we had almost enough Hilton points to cover 3 rooms in a hotel we changed to the Sunday morning flight and that actually saved us more than enough money to cover the hotel and meals. Now we'll have a full day (plus the afternoon before the cruise) to do some sightseeing. Here's hoping there are no more changes!

Read the terms under your Carriage of Contract. Unfortunately, when you purchase a ticket from any airline, you accept that they can and will change flight times. Definitely call and talk to AA - you do have the option of changing your return time without any penalty or charges (within a reasonable amount of time) after receiving notificiation

We had a similar change on Delta on our flight home after a cruise to Alaska from Seattle. They were trying to move us to a flight we probably would not make. Their initial offer was to put us on a redeye. We eventually got rebooked on a flight through New York City. At that time, there were not any nonstop flights home.

The Airlines change their schedules five or six times a year and always have. To avoid the tumult book a few months prior to your trip but be prepared for there to be little or nothing available and at much higher prices. Those willing to take their chances and deal with the schedule changes get the better choices and fares.

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This was an interesting writeup that someone recently posted on the Cruise Air Cruise Critic Board about schedule changes.

http://crankyflier.com/2018/03/12/americans-flight-schedules-dont-solidify-until-100-days-out-and-thats-a-big-improvement/

Keith

Now I know what happened to my flights back in 2011, the last time I flew American!

My original flight was bwi to charlotte to San Diego first class. 6 weeks before our cruise American changed our flights to bwi to Charlotte to Phoenix to San Diego, and by the way no first class from Phoenix to San Diego. The agent assured me that it was "such a short flight that I wouldn't miss not being in first class"! Yea right! We tried every which way to get from BWI to San Diego in first class that day, but no deal. I finally asked for a refund. Agent said no. So I asked to speak to a supervisor. Spoke for one minute and had a refund. I am going to say the refund was about $1800 - $2000. With such short notice I couldn't find another first class ticket on another airline so I booked South west for about $600 for the two of us the difference paid for our hotel rooms before and after the cruise and had some extra cash for the trip! So it did end up ok.

The worse part was American didn't notify us of any of this. I found out by checking our schedule one day, I couldn't find our flights and when I finally did I could see something was wrong. The agent I spoke to was so non-chalent about the whole thing and when she said I wouldn't "notice" not being in first class was what got me! Of course I want to pay for first class and sit in coach! NOT!!! After reading this article it does kind of make sense.

So you were on a discounted ticket which didn't allow refunds. Now it makes sense. For those fares seating in coach cabin is standard and seating in first class is on an on availability basis. In terms of notification, given that the airlines may change their schedule several times before your flight, notification is typically only given once the *final* schedule change is implemented... and then only given to the travel agent. It is the travel agent's responsibility to make notification to the passenger, not the airline's. The only time the airline will take responsibility for making such notifications is when the purchase is made directly from the airline itself and again only after the last schedule change has taken place.

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Thanks for the reply! I will be calling American Airlines again to ask all options. I do wonder if American may change the flight again. Has anyone had flight schedules changed several times (just for airlines benefit and not weather related)? I'm almost afraid to make any changes yet because I'm afraid the schedule may change again.

With American, Delta and United, schedule changes are the norm. In fact, I cannot recall ever booking a flight more then a few months in advance with any of those airlines...and actually ending up with the exact schedule originally booked. Other airlines such as Alaska, JetBlue, and Southwest tend to have fewer schedule alterations. One United employee (at an airport check-in counter) once told me that we should view any schedule more then a few weeks in advance as "advisory" rather than "reality"....and this statement did get a laugh from a few at that counter.

Hank

Other airlines such as Alaska, JetBlue, and Southwest tend to have fewer schedule alterations.

Which of those airlines release any schedule information and allow reservations as many months before flights as United, American and Delta?

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AA does this stuff ALL the time...very annoying! If your flight has been changed by more than 90 mins, you can cancel and rebook without penalty. I would be ok with an 11am flight....you should be OFF the ship by 8am, unless you plan to linger.

One of our challenges is that if we have to change planes I allows a lot of time as I carefully select my flights.

If they have a flight schedule change then all of a sudden I am on other flights with tight connections. Legal but not ones I like.

So I have to call them and change it.

Now the positive aspect of all of this.

For those of us who can cruise we are very fortunate as many people don't have these opportunities.

So while this is a nuisance there are far worse things in life so we will just work though all of this.

Life is good.

Keith

I've flown out of Seattle on American after a cruise. We made a noon flight with no trouble, but 11:00 would be a bit stressful. This was back in 2011. The cruise buses drop off passengers on the lower level, and the airlines have check-in counters outside of baggage claim for cruise passengers. The problem was getting through security. We were on the south side of the terminal (American was then on Concourse A), and there was no line for first class/elite frequent flyers. I was told that Alaska had a line for elite flyers, but that was on the other side.

Now, AA is on Concourse D, on the Alaska side of the terminal. So, if you are flying First or are AAdvantage Gold or higher, I'm betting there is a dedicated line. I would hazard that the security lines near the cruise check-in desks don't have TSA Pre. You might want to check the TSA website. It's usually good at telling where those lines are at various airports.

You might want to consider taking a cab, just so you don't have to wait for a bus to fill.

My last cruise, out of Miami, the issue wasn't so much changing times, as it was aircraft. On both ways between Chicago and Miami, the flights changed between a 777, a 767, and a 737, probably 5 or 6 times each way. What got fun was when my flight to Miami was cancelled the day before departure (the plane was supposed to be a 777, but another 777 scheduled to fly to China had major issues, and they had to swap in our aircraft). We managed to get the last 3 seats on the next flight. Fortunately, we listened to our travel agent and flew the day before the ship's departure.

Pretty sure airlines can change/cancel flights all the way to the last minute. As with life, NOTHING IS GUARANTEED.

I'm not even planning on booking my flights until I make the final payment on the cruise. My operating assumptions are as follows:

• The ship departure waits for noone.... NOONE! Even my boss is flexiable with my return to work with prior notice.
  
• The only flights that I would even gamble with same-day cruise ship departures is ships departing from Los Angeles and San Diego, and that's only because I live in the same state. Even then, it's a non-stop flight.
  
• Everything else, it's a day before. Especially if I have to transfer between planes, which is practically a given considering that the airport I fly out of (SMF) has few non-stop destinations.
  

I'm not even planning on booking my flights until I make the final payment on the cruise. My operating assumptions are as follows:

 

• 
   
  
• The ship departure waits for noone.... NOONE! Even my boss is flexiable with my return to work with prior notice.
   
  
• The only flights that I would even gamble with same-day cruise ship departures is ships departing from Los Angeles and San Diego' date=' and that's only because I live in the same state. Even then, it's a non-stop flight.
   
  [*']Everything else, it's a day before. Especially if I have to transfer between planes, which is practically a given considering that the airport I fly out of (SMF) has few non-stop destinations.
   
  

Though a flight may be "non-stop" from Sac to LA or SD, it's still worth flying early of whatever day you're going. Not unlike SFO, there are times of the year when fog can be a real nemesis for take-off at SAC. By your flying as early as possible, the plane will have been sitting at the gate overnight rather than originating someplace else and not being able to land at a fogged in airport.

Note that many airline apps now list where the "non-stop" plane you're about to take is coming from.

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Though a flight may be "non-stop" from Sac to LA or SD, it's still worth flying early of whatever day you're going.

Thanks for all the great info. We decided that we wanted a total stress free vacation (hopefully) and rushing to try to meet the 11:00 am airline departure for just not for us. We contacted American and changed to the next day's 11:00 flight so we'll have an extra day to check out Seattle and the Mariners are playing that night so an added bonus. American Airlines did easily change to the next day with no issues. I also have enough points to get a free hotel that night! Now, just hope for no more changes!

Alaska Airlines changed the times of both my "to Seattle" and "from" flights just this week. I phoned them and, even with non-refundable tickets, their associate was happy to move me to an earlier "to" and a later "from' flight, at no extra charge.

We have just been advised that our return flight from Papeete to NZ has been cancelled. We now have a choice of 2 days earlier....meaning we will have to cancel our OTB nights on Moorea after cruise, or stay an extra 2 days in Papeete at our own expense! The airline will not compensate in any way.