Flights rescheduled with now seemingly impossible short layover to catch flight

[HappyInVan]

19 hours ago, iceman93 said:

Yes, how could I who have flown over 2 million commercial air miles possibly know how much time is needed to make a connection?  😂

 

 

Is the OP as agile and young as you?? Will the OP be unloading from the front of the plane like you? 🙄

Edited September 28, 2022 by HappyInVan

[HappyInVan]

Duplicate

Edited September 28, 2022 by HappyInVan

[The-Inside-Cabin]

4 hours ago, Tante1231 said:

UPDATE:  First off thank you all for your responses - we are flying into BA several days early however if we missed our flight, the next American flight would not be until the following morning.  Now the real skinny - not happy with Flight Ease at all...I've now learned that making your final payment EARLY is the automatic death sentence to making a change in your flight plans.  I was on the phone with them and my TA and they were sticking to charging me another $1,800+ to change my flight to give me more time in MIA. A supervisor was supposed to call back my TA to discuss further - it's been 24 hours and no call back. 

However - here is the silver lining.  I called AA myself - as the wait time was excessive, I left my cell number and about 3 hours or so later a rep called me.  SHE WAS FABULOUS.  Saw the issue immediately, understood my concern and worked her magic. It took a while but now I have a flight leaving RDU to CLT and then on to MIA  where I will get onto my flight to BA.  Of course there is a chance it might change again...but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. 

Again - thank you all! 

For future reference here is a copy of AA's guidance to travel agents regarding how to handle schedule changes.    If your flight changed by more than one hour - max flexibility is authorized.   https://saleslink.aa.com/en-us/documents/archives/agencyref/schedule_change.pdf
 

not sure if this document is up to date, but a change over an hour usually waives all fees.   Surprised HAL doesn't know this already.   
 

Another tip for a tight connection - request wheel chair assistance for "distance only" or "between gates".  This way you will be met by a person at your arrival gate in an electric cart or ready to push you fast in a wheel chair.    Tip them $5 and everyone's happy.  
 

the airline doesn't charge and you don't need anything special like a doctors note.   Just say you need it and you get it. 
 

great for big airports and tight connections
 

 

Edited September 28, 2022 by The-Inside-Cabin

[Mary229]

1 hour ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

the airline doesn't charge and you don't need anything special like a doctors note.   Just say you need it and you get it. 

I usually agree with you but I take exception to this advice.  Those services are meant for those who truly need them.  There are services for those with tight connections and this is not it.   Abuse of a system makes it difficult for those in need and amounts to theft from the needy.   This is exactly what has and is happening with service animals.  

[The-Inside-Cabin]

7 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

I usually agree with you but I take exception to this advice.  Those services are meant for those who truly need them.  There are services for those with tight connections and this is not it.   Abuse of a system makes it difficult for those in need and amounts to theft from the needy.   This is exactly what has and is happening with service animals.  

It's not abuse as the requirements for requesting the service is your own assessment that you need assistance.   This isn't like getting a handicap placard.   If you are going to have to walk a mile and don't think you can easily walk a mile - ask for help. 
 

abuse of a system is when you fudge.the truth to get qualified.   Thai not the case here 

[Mary229]

9 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

It's not abuse as the requirements for requesting the service is your own assessment that you need assistance.   This isn't like getting a handicap placard.   If you are going to have to walk a mile and don't think you can easily walk a mile - ask for help. 
 

abuse of a system is when you fudge.the truth to get qualified.   Thai not the case here 

I am sorry you think that way.  

[mwj]

One thing that hasn't been mentioned with respect to short layovers, is luggage. Given the shortage in staffing, luggage transfer has been a significant problem. For the start of a cruise, I wouldn't want less than X time (you choose X), to minimize chances of your luggage not making it to your destination in a timely fashion.

[Mary229]

Just now, mwj said:

One thing that hasn't been mentioned with respect to short layovers, is luggage. Given the shortage in staffing, luggage transfer has been a significant problem. For the start of a cruise, I wouldn't want less than X time (you choose X), to minimize chances of your luggage not making it to your destination in a timely fashion.

Exactly, that is why you don’t abuse the wrong system and use the proper system to handle close connections.  An ill gotten wheelchair is not going to help.  You first try to work with the airline to fix the schedule , if that is not possible you mention your issue to the very first airline agent when you check bags (they will be sure your bags are loaded in a logical order to get them off fast) and continue mentioning it especially and including the flight attendant.  They can call ahead, they can be sure you get off of the flight first.   They will be sure baggage handling gets your bags forwarded.  I have seen this in action plenty of times this summer and it works. 

[ontheweb]

On a land trip, we were once informed that the second flight was moved up, and it might be a problem. I called the airline, Air France, and they said we should have plenty of time and that the baggage would be automatically taken to the second flight.

 

It turned out that our first flight landed early, and the second flight ended up delayed just about to the time it was originally supposed to takeoff. So, we had no problem, though if the times did turn out as on the new schedule, it could have been tight as the terminals were a little further apart than we expected.

[DaveOKC]

28 minutes ago, mwj said:

One thing that hasn't been mentioned with respect to short layovers, is luggage. Given the shortage in staffing, luggage transfer has been a significant problem. For the start of a cruise, I wouldn't want less than X time (you choose X), to minimize chances of your luggage not making it to your destination in a timely fashion.

Very good point!  Going home not a big deal, but going out it is!

[Torquer]

The OP mentioned a policy change and a $984 fee charged by Flight Ease to change flights.  Was that an actual fee charged by Flight Ease to ask the airline to make the change, or was that a fee that the airline is charging Flight Ease and they are just recouping it from the cruiser.  If the former, I assume it only applies after the flights are actually paid and ticketed, since presumably you can cancel the flights and select new ones before that time.  Depending on the answers, this may affect if we use Flight Ease for our next cruise.

 

In any case, I agree with what most others have said that a 45 minute connection is unacceptable; in these times I want a minimum of 90 minutes and much more if I need to go through security/customs/border control at that intermediate airport.  And I agree that this is AA's problem since they changed the flights and they need to fix it.

Edited September 28, 2022 by Torquer

[Mary229]

6 minutes ago, Torquer said:

The OP mentioned a policy change and a $984 fee charged by Flight Ease to change flights.  Was that an actual fee charged by Flight Ease to ask the airline to make the change, or was that a fee that the airline is charging Flight Ease and they

I think she got an uneducated agent.  Since the airline made the change the further change to an unacceptable schedule should be free to make. She ended up doing the right thing by dealing directly with the airline 

[Laminator]

1 hour ago, Mary229 said:

Exactly, that is why you don’t abuse the wrong system and use the proper system to handle close connections.  An ill gotten wheelchair is not going to help.  You first try to work with the airline to fix the schedule , if that is not possible you mention your issue to the very first airline agent when you check bags (they will be sure your bags are loaded in a logical order to get them off fast) and continue mentioning it especially and including the flight attendant.  They can call ahead, they can be sure you get off of the flight first.   They will be sure baggage handling gets your bags forwarded.  I have seen this in action plenty of times this summer and it works. 

I agree with you 99% of the time but on the wheelchair accessibility issue I vehemently disagree. If the pax does not feel comfortable with that trek they should absolutely request assistance. My best friend from Holland refused to listen to me about requesting a wheelchair on a short connection in Mexico City and wound up hitting the floor with a heart attack while rushing to the gate. I believe the saying goes an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Considering HAL's demographic I am a firm believer in better to be safe than sorry.

 

Edited September 28, 2022 by Laminator

[Mary229]

1 minute ago, Laminator said:

I agree with you 99% of the time but on the wheelchair accessibility issue I vehemently disagree. If the pax does not feel comfortable with that trek they should absolutely request assistance. My best friend from Holland refused to listen to me about requesting a wheelchair on a short connection in Mexico City and wound up hitting the floor with a heart attack. I believe the saying goes an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Considering HAL's demographic I am a firm believer in better to be safe than sorry.

 

I am not saying you shouldn’t use a wheelchair if you need one.  I am quite aware that not everyone’s disability is publicly apparent.  I am saying the able bodied should not use them to simply get through the airport more quickly. 
 

Heathrow reported this summer they were not able to assist a lot of disabled passengers because of the rampant abuse in the system.  The wheelchairs are there to comply with the Air Carrier Access Act which clearly states it is for the disabled, it is not for the inconvenienced

[rslinky]

American announced late summer that they were eliminating 1100 plus flights in the fall.  I was lucky enough to have two of my four legs of a European flight eliminated.   They tried to give me a two stop flight home thru London with a 50 minute connection time.  My husband said no.  At 84 he doesn’t run anymore!   So we are staying an extra night before coming home to catch a flight the next day, no charge.  Sometime you get people who really want to help and others who don’t.   Glad you can relax about making your BA flight!

[opa&oma]

4 hours ago, Mary229 said:

I am not saying you shouldn’t use a wheelchair if you need one.  I am quite aware that not everyone’s disability is publicly apparent.  I am saying the able bodied should not use them to simply get through the airport more quickly. 
 

Heathrow reported this summer they were not able to assist a lot of disabled passengers because of the rampant abuse in the system.  The wheelchairs are there to comply with the Air Carrier Access Act which clearly states it is for the disabled, it is not for the inconvenienced

This summer at Paris CDG airport a wheelchair assistant told us a flight from India had arrived that morning that had 100 wheelchair assists requested.  She said international passengers request them at airports with unfamiliar languages.  The service is widely misused.  Just as handicapped parking placards are. 

[AnnieBelle]

American is doing a lot of flight changing. My flight in December to San Diego moved up 5.5 hours earlier - to 6:00am. Now I need to stay near the airport as I live 3 hours away. I tried calling Flight Ease and their message said they were aware of flight time changes. I didn't have time to stay on hold. I'm looking at the upside that I'll have an extra half-day in San Diego. I'm fully paid now so may try calling AA and seeing if they can offer a little later flight.

[Tante1231]

18 hours ago, Torquer said:

The OP mentioned a policy change and a $984 fee charged by Flight Ease to change flights.  Was that an actual fee charged by Flight Ease to ask the airline to make the change, or was that a fee that the airline is charging Flight Ease and they are just recouping it from the cruiser.  If the former, I assume it only applies after the flights are actually paid and ticketed, since presumably you can cancel the flights and select new ones before that time.  Depending on the answers, this may affect if we use Flight Ease for our next cruise.

 

In any case, I agree with what most others have said that a 45 minute connection is unacceptable; in these times I want a minimum of 90 minutes and much more if I need to go through security/customs/border control at that intermediate airport.  And I agree that this is AA's problem since they changed the flights and they need to fix it.

Hi it's me the OP.  That was the charge that Flight Ease was going to charge me (and it ws $984 per person - the total would have been over $1,800).  AA charged me nothing to change my flights.  We are prepaying another cruise next year 6 months before we embark.  However I am not buying my plane tickets until we get closer to sail date.  My TA said I can use Flight Ease at any time but this experience left me with a bad feeling about using FE again.  I was not requesting the change on a whim...the airline changed my 2 hour layover to 45 minutes.  My sprinting days are over plus if we had any glitches getting out of our home airport, we were finished.  Another thing about Flight Ease...when my TA and I had a conference call with their rep and realized we were getting no where, we requested to speak with a supervisor.  We we told that person was not available but would call us back at 11 am their time.  That was Tuesday...we are still waiting for the call back. 

[Laminator]

4 minutes ago, Tante1231 said:

Hi it's me the OP.  That was the charge that Flight Ease was going to charge me (and it ws $984 per person - the total would have been over $1,800).  AA charged me nothing to change my flights.  We are prepaying another cruise next year 6 months before we embark.  However I am not buying my plane tickets until we get closer to sail date.  My TA said I can use Flight Ease at any time but this experience left me with a bad feeling about using FE again.  I was not requesting the change on a whim...the airline changed my 2 hour layover to 45 minutes.  My sprinting days are over plus if we had any glitches getting out of our home airport, we were finished.  Another thing about Flight Ease...when my TA and I had a conference call with their rep and realized we were getting no where, we requested to speak with a supervisor.  We we told that person was not available but would call us back at 11 am their time.  That was Tuesday...we are still waiting for the call back. 

Just as an FYI I have found Flight Ease to be great for International Flights pricewise. For domestic flights not so much. For domestic flights I always book directly with the airlines as it is easier to deal with any issues such as the one you encountered with the airline as you have found out. I also have flown nearly one million miles and have status with both AA and UA. It is very easy to get off the plane quickly when you are sitting in the front. Not so much in the middle and back. Kudos to you for knowing your limitations and handling your situation prior to it becoming an issue. 

[Tante1231]

2 hours ago, Laminator said:

Just as an FYI I have found Flight Ease to be great for International Flights pricewise. For domestic flights not so much. For domestic flights I always book directly with the airlines as it is easier to deal with any issues such as the one you encountered with the airline as you have found out. I also have flown nearly one million miles and have status with both AA and UA. It is very easy to get off the plane quickly when you are sitting in the front. Not so much in the middle and back. Kudos to you for knowing your limitations and handling your situation prior to it becoming an issue. 

Thanks for the heads up.  We sit in Premium Economy so we're close to the front but geesh...45 minutes seemed a bit much especially in the Winter.  That other cruise I was discussing - we'll be going in and out domestic so I might book on my own.  For that one we're going in two days early so we'll have some flexiblity.  Thank you again.