Flight changes after final payment

[alainciao]

We are approaching final payment.  We have good flights BWI to Haneda and return.  With current airline unreliability I was wondering what our redress would be if Regent changed (after FP) our flights to very undesirable routing with, say, close connections and additional stops.  We are not young and resilient as we once were and would not want an itinerary which would very probably lead to a horror story such as some we have seen recounted on CC.  I did go to Regent's web site but did not see anything relevant.  My guess is we would be stuck.  Any knowledge out there regarding this? TIA.

[Kwaj girl]

I don't believe REGENT would change your flights. It would be the AIRLINE'S own flight cancellations and/or schedule changes that might affect your travels. Regent will do its best to rectify an airline-caused flight change with the best-available arrangements within their contractual agreements with the airlines. I believe in placing the blame where it belongs. Regent cannot control what an airline does with it's flight schedules. 

[Portolan]

I agree with Kwaj Girl: there is no incentive for Regent to change your flights since they've been booked under a contract favorable to Regent.  However, stuff happens.  We booked our own air for a Regent cruise in Japan next March.  We had non-stop flights both ways between Dulles and Tokyo.  The slow restart of tourism (and hence flight demand) in Japan resulted in United suspending some of their flights to Japan until late March, including ours.  Now connecting through Chicago outbound (could be worse, both Dulles and Chicago have Polaris Lounges which are great).  Fortunately, the suspension ends before our return so still on the non-stop.  Had we booked these through Regent, the exact same thing would have happened.  Likewise, the mess at Amsterdam's airport has required airlines to involuntarily reduce flights so a trip we have there in December is likewise now a connection versus the originally booked non-stop.  These types of changes are likely to continue well into 2023.

[alainciao]

I understand the uncertainty is caused by the airlines.  I guess I'm concerned because our flights have already been changed once (but are still good flights.)  I suppose this is just one of the uncertainties we have to live with in the current environment.  C'est la vie.  Thanks for the responses.

[Techno123]

5 hours ago, alainciao said:

I understand the uncertainty is caused by the airlines.  I guess I'm concerned because our flights have already been changed once (but are still good flights.)  

I don't mean this to appear rude or presumptious in any way but you mentioned in your first post that you aren't as young and resilient as you once were. If your flights are changed and involve terminal changes or long walks would you be entitled to any form of assistance from the airline to get you to your gate more quickly - might be worth investigating?

 

We have an upcoming Caribbean cruise and we had just over an hour and a half to change terminals at Heathrow on our way out - can you imagine when our luggage might have arrived in Miami let alone us. 😱 Regent were great and changed the shuttle flight to the day before and then an earlier flight the following morning (sorting our own hotel) to Miami so hopefully our cases and ourselves will arrive together 😜 

[RachelG]

Agree with above poster that it is not Regent changing your flights.  It is the airline.

 

Portolan, are you going to be on our Tokyo to Tokyo cruise in late March??  We did our own air for that and getting there is a bi***.  Crazy connections, but coming home is fine.

[Portolan]

1 hour ago, RachelG said:

Agree with above poster that it is not Regent changing your flights.  It is the airline.

 

Portolan, are you going to be on our Tokyo to Tokyo cruise in late March??  We did our own air for that and getting there is a bi***.  Crazy connections, but coming home is fine.

Not late March.  Embark on the 14th (with a pre-cruise land program earlier), so maybe the one before your cruise?

 

[RachelG]

41 minutes ago, Portolan said:

Not late March.  Embark on the 14th (with a pre-cruise land program earlier), so maybe the one before your cruise?

 

Yes, the one before ours.  Disappointed.

[Portolan]

8 hours ago, RachelG said:

Yes, the one before ours.  Disappointed.

We'll warm up the ship for you.

[daetchief]

On 11/7/2022 at 9:32 AM, Techno123 said:

...If your flights are changed and involve terminal changes or long walks would you be entitled to any form of assistance from the airline to get you to your gate more quickly - might be worth investigating?

 

Requesting assistance for yourself or another in your party can be a lifesaver.   8 out of 10 times the assistants are waiting at the cabin door and will utilize methods not always available to the common traveler; such as motorized carts or a tarmac vehicle strategically staged to get your party to the next gate.   It may feel like it obligates you to offer a gratuity to your assistant - but it's money well spent.

[alainciao]

I agree.  We have been doing this for DW for the last couple of years.  A blessing we are happy to pay for.

[Boatmans Lady]

On 11/6/2022 at 11:33 PM, alainciao said:

We are approaching final payment.  We have good flights BWI to Haneda and return.  With current airline unreliability I was wondering what our redress would be if Regent changed (after FP) our flights to very undesirable routing with, say, close connections and additional stops.  We are not young and resilient as we once were and would not want an itinerary which would very probably lead to a horror story such as some we have seen recounted on CC.  I did go to Regent's web site but did not see anything relevant.  My guess is we would be stuck.  Any knowledge out there regarding this? TIA.

 

We have long paid our final payment and I noticed in the wee small hours that KLM had brought our flight home from Rio forward by 6 hours which meant we landed in Amsterdam at 06.00 and our onward flight wasn't till the middle of the afternoon. 

A phone call to our TA resulted in Regent swiftly changing our onward flight to 07.20 and assuring us, there is no luggage to collect, and our onward gate is in the close vicinity. 

So be reassured if things do change Regent will do their best to sort it. 

[Pcardad]

Ask your TA to specify Mobility Assistance on the flights and the airport staff will shuttle you to the gate in a golf cart.