American restructuring flights to San Juan

[gdpups]

I saw a post on the Royal Caribbean board that said American Airlines is restructuring it's flights to/from San Juan, so I check the flights I booked in early May for our March 2009 cruise and sure enough they had changed our flights and didn't notify us.

 

Our flight home after the cruise was changed from 11:45 am to 10:45 am. I had booked using points, so checked to see what flights were still available using points and there was slim pickings!!! I was luckily able to get them to switch me to a 11:20 am flight to a different airport. I thought the 11:45 am flight was pushing it as everyone says the San Juan airport can be a zoo and you never know if you'll be able to get off the ship in a timely manner.

 

If you have flights booked to/from San Juan on American I'd advise you to check them for changes. I just wonder if they'll change us again in the next 10 months!

[critterchick]

If you have flights booked to/from San Juan on American I'd advise you to check them for changes. I just wonder if they'll change us again in the next 10 months!

 

More likely than not, I'd say.

[cjcruiser27]

I just checked mine for 3/09 and they have not changed, how often should we keep checking? Are they just certain flights ?

[Flip2cruise]

I just checked mine for 3/09 and they have not changed, how often should we keep checking? Are they just certain flights ?

 

I check my flights once a week regardless of which carrier I use. When you book 7-10 months in advance you can expect numerous flight and equipment changes. I have had some flights change 6 times.

[cjcruiser27]

Thanks..I had no idea!:eek:

I check my flights once a week regardless of which carrier I use. When you book 7-10 months in advance you can expect numerous flight and equipment changes. I have had some flights change 6 times.

[Host CJSKIDS]

I saw a post on the Royal Caribbean board that said American Airlines is restructuring it's flights to/from San Juan, so I check the flights I booked in early May for our March 2009 cruise and sure enough they had changed our flights and didn't notify us.

 

Our flight home after the cruise was changed from 11:45 am to 10:45 am. I had booked using points, so checked to see what flights were still available using points and there was slim pickings!!! I was luckily able to get them to switch me to a 11:20 am flight to a different airport. I thought the 11:45 am flight was pushing it as everyone says the San Juan airport can be a zoo and you never know if you'll be able to get off the ship in a timely manner.

 

If you have flights booked to/from San Juan on American I'd advise you to check them for changes. I just wonder if they'll change us again in the next 10 months!

 

American is restructuring their flights to San Juan but they haven't done it yet.

American has always alternated their schedule at various times of the year, all airlines do. At different times of the year the early flight from SJU to FLL can either be at 11:30, 10:20 or 9:50 am. And they do suck at letting you know that your times have changed, especially this early on as there is a great chance that flight would have changed again prior to March 2009. For some reason the flights seem to be earlier in the spring and later in the fall for the SJU-FLL run.

 

Keep checking as you may still see some changes so you don't get caught having to be on something you don't want. Also keep checking your seats as if they change the aircraft you may not end up with the seats you had picked for your current booking.

[Repsol Rod]

My AA flight to SJ has changed once already but I booked through Orbitz which has an excellent notification system. I got the notice immediately but still did - and do often - check the intinerary for any other changes.

Can never be to anal retentive about this kinda' stuff.:rolleyes:

 

Rep

[nho9504]

If you have flights booked to/from San Juan on American I'd advise you to check them for changes. I just wonder if they'll change us again in the next 10 months!

 

Almost 100% probability they will. Airlines normally change schedules EVERY QUARTER anyway, let alone now AA (and most other airlines as well) is looking to reduce the overall capacity and cutting routes...

 

Generally if the connection flights changed, the airlines would automatically rebooked you to the replacement flights - whether they are "workable" (though within legal connection time) is a totally different matter. It is always up to you to check and make sure changes are "workable".

 

For us, our records of flight changes, thus tickets reissued, were 7 and 8 times respectively, on our UA award tickets to New Zeland and Australia. To top it off, UA India call center agents had not re-issued the tickets - it was until an Air NZ agent said to me, "You may want to remind your travel agent to re-issue your tickets." that we learned the tickets must be re-issued after EACH change! That was already after the 4th change when we learned about such. Those tickets were booked 9 months before the travel date, fwiw.

 

Always check your flight info once a new quarter rolls in. Often the changes can be minor changes, but there are times even a 30min change would cause potential problem. Sometimes the flights are cancelled altogether. I found airlines, not just AA, hardly inform passengers of flight changes, eventhough you sign up for such notification. It is passengers beware situation, sadly.

[gdpups]

From the AA website:

 

(((((((( "AA Reaccommodates Customers Impacted By Schedule Reductions "

 

Skyrocketing Fuel Costs and Softening Economy Drive Changes

 

FORT WORTH , Texas – AMR Corp. today announced the first round of reductions to its flight schedule as part of its previously announced plans to reduce capacity in an effort to significantly reduce costs and create a more sustainable supply-and-demand balance in the market. The actions come in the face of skyrocketing fuel prices and a softening economy.

 

The initial changes to the flight schedule include, but are not limited to:

Discontinuing its Chicago – Buenos Aires service effective Sept. 3.

Discontinuing its Chicago – Honolulu service Jan. 5, 2009. Between September 3, 2008, and Jan. 5, 2009, American will operate Chicago – Honolulu service only on peak demand days.

Discontinuing its Boston – San Diego service effective Sept. 3.

 

Restructuring American and American Eagle operations at San Juan, Puerto Rico beginning in September. This round of reductions will affect American and American Eagle flights originating from San Juan to the United States and various islands in the Caribbean.

Customers impacted by the schedule changes will be contacted starting next week and re-accommodated on alternative flights.))))))))))

 

I wonder if this is what happened to my flight. Though I am on a 757. Just checked on aa.

[nho9504]

Your travel is 10 months from now. I wouldn't worry about it too much until 6 months from now. Chances are you will see your flights being changed at least 3, 4 times between now and next January. Just periodically pull up your reservation to see if it is still there.

 

I assume your whole trip is on AA Metal, so any flight changes would be readily viewable.

 

If your itinerary involved partner airline, and there schedule changes, your reservation would disappeared from aa.com. Dont panic if that happens. :) It most likely requires re-issuance of tickets. Just call AAdvantage, the agent should be able to see the new partner flight and reissue tickets. The reservation will then re-appear. This happened to our current trip, the first part was already flown in May. The second part will be flown in Sept/Oct. It is AA business award Europe / US / Europe booked in January. The reservation has changed 4 times after ticketed, incl one after travel started. Each time new e-tickets are issued to reflect the change.

[El turista]

American Airlines/American Eagle will discontinue the following routes from/to San Juan effective September 3, 2008. This will bring down the number of daily flights from/to San Juan from 93 to 51.

San Juan-Fort Lauderdale

San Juan-Orlando

San Juan-Newark

San Juan-Los Angeles

San Juan-St. Maarten (will be served by American Eagle)

San Juan-Antigua (will be served by American Eagle)

San Juan-Santo Domingo (will be served by American Eagle)

San Juan-Aruba

San Juan-Baltimore

San Juan-Washington DC

San Juan-Samana

[cjcruiser27]

I booked directly w/AA..what is AA Metal?

Your travel is 10 months from now. I wouldn't worry about it too much until 6 months from now. Chances are you will see your flights being changed at least 3, 4 times between now and next January. Just periodically pull up your reservation to see if it is still there.

 

I assume your whole trip is on AA Metal, so any flight changes would be readily viewable.

 

If your itinerary involved partner airline, and there schedule changes, your reservation would disappeared from aa.com. Dont panic if that happens. :) It most likely requires re-issuance of tickets. Just call AAdvantage, the agent should be able to see the new partner flight and reissue tickets. The reservation will then re-appear. This happened to our current trip, the first part was already flown in May. The second part will be flown in Sept/Oct. It is AA business award Europe / US / Europe booked in January. The reservation has changed 4 times after ticketed, incl one after travel started. Each time new e-tickets are issued to reflect the change.

[FlyerTalker]

I booked directly w/AA..what is AA Metal?

It's a way of expressing quickly that you will be flying on an aircraft operated by American, and not on a codeshare operated by another airline. (That aluminum tube is owned by AA and operated by them) However, for the new 787, it might have to be replaced by "Carbon". :D

[Hflors]

American Airlines/American Eagle will discontinue the following routes from/to San Juan effective September 3, 2008. This will bring down the number of daily flights from/to San Juan from 93 to 51.

San Juan-Fort Lauderdale

San Juan-Orlando

San Juan-Newark

San Juan-Los Angeles

San Juan-St. Maarten (will be served by American Eagle)

San Juan-Antigua (will be served by American Eagle)

San Juan-Santo Domingo (will be served by American Eagle)

San Juan-Aruba

San Juan-Baltimore

San Juan-Washington DC

San Juan-Samana

 

El Turista - where did you find this listing of cancelled flights? I just went to AA and I don't see this posted.

 

Since I was on a flight out of Washington DC, it looks like my flight is toast! The other airport I use is Baltimore.

 

What I want to know is if AA is not going to fly from Washington to San Juan, and you are booked on a flight what are your options?

I guess I'll try philly?

[MARTYsmom]

:) i booked our flights from ord to sju just this past week for 03/09. when i finally found a great fare i jumped on it. $1000.00 for 3 non-stop. took the advice to fly in a day ahead of time. weather March in Chicago can be great or a blizzard. also, spring break time here and wanted a non-stop flight and was fearful if we waited to long we would have to have a connection. lost luggage once -- lucky it was on our way home from Cancun. took 4 days to get it back.

[El turista]

El Turista - where did you find this listing of cancelled flights? I just went to AA and I don't see this posted.

 

Since I was on a flight out of Washington DC, it looks like my flight is toast! The other airport I use is Baltimore.

 

What I want to know is if AA is not going to fly from Washington to San Juan, and you are booked on a flight what are your options?

I guess I'll try philly?

 

 

Sorry for the late reply, the information is in El Nuevo Dia, Puerto Rico's main newspaper.

http://www.elnuevodia.com/diario/noticia/negocios/negocios/no_mas_vuelos_a_orlando/411383

This is truly a big punch to our economy, 400 employees lost their jobs only on AA without counting those who work in American Eagle. Theres a rumor that AA will use only 4 gates of the 19 they currently use, our airport will be empty. I hope other airlines start flying to San Juan.

 

The services that will continue to operate between San Juan and mainland US are:

One daily from/to Hartford

Three daily from/to New York

Seven from/to Miami

One daily to/from Philadelphia

One daily to/from Tampa

Two daily to/from Dallas

One daily to/from Chicago/O'Hare

One daily to/from Boston

[MARTYsmom]

:eek: sorry to hear about the lost jobs. let's hope another carrier picks up where AA left off. I know UAL also flies to SJU--maybe they'll expand and try to grab some new business.

[FlyerTalker]

What I want to know is if AA is not going to fly from Washington to San Juan, and you are booked on a flight what are your options? I guess I'll try philly?

I don't speak for AA, but I would suspect they will reroute you from WDC to MIA, where you'd connect to one of their flights to SJU.

[Hflors]

I don't speak for AA, but I would suspect they will reroute you from WDC to MIA, where you'd connect to one of their flights to SJU.

 

FlyerTalked I am sure you are right, but the reason I go to Washington is because IAD has a direct flight. FLights with stops are looooooong affairs. a 3.5 hr flight turns into 6.5 minium and there are a several a lot longer. If I need to take a flight that connects I will want AA to put me on a flight out of Baltimore, I don't see the point of going to Wash.

 

Saw a direct flight out of Phila, if I can get aa to change me I'll will drive to Phila.

 

No direct flights = no more cruises from San Juan for us!

[kenish]

:eek: sorry to hear about the lost jobs. let's hope another carrier picks up where AA left off. I know UAL also flies to SJU--maybe they'll expand and try to grab some new business.

 

Magic 8 balls says, "Unlikely at this time". :D

 

AA had a "lock" on SJU by offering low fares, many routes, and frequent service. Their pullout means that the low margin / high volume business is not paying off. UA probably has no interest in that market either. I think what's happened at SJU will be repeating itself at almost every airport. (Yesterday, Horizon Air announced some cities in Montana and Eastern Washington will lose air service completely.)

[El turista]

No direct flights = no more cruises from San Juan for us!

 

You've just said the magic words, the cruise agents in Puerto Rico expressed that concern, the lack of direct flights will affect the flow of cruise passengers to/from San Juan. The only direct flight from the west coast was American Airlines LAX/SJU and it will be cancelled and cruises out of San Juan had lots of people from the west coast, I now imagine how hard will be to fill the ships from now on.

[nho9504]

FlyerTalked I am sure you are right, but the reason I go to Washington is because IAD has a direct flight. FLights with stops are looooooong affairs. a 3.5 hr flight turns into 6.5 minium and there are a several a lot longer. If I need to take a flight that connects I will want AA to put me on a flight out of Baltimore, I don't see the point of going to Wash.

 

Saw a direct flight out of Phila, if I can get aa to change me I'll will drive to Phila.

 

No direct flights = no more cruises from San Juan for us!

 

Use Philly. Dont let AA put you connecting at MIA - the airport is like a zoo almost at any given day, any hour of the day...

[Shorex]

I am mystified by the general aversion to flight itineraries that involve a change of plane. Between earning miles and burning miles we will fly well over 110,000 miles this year. There is not one trip that is point to point. Even for a SEA-ORD trip I chose CO deliberately in order to route through IAH -- earning more miles while enjoying a likely upgrade to first.

 

What is the dread of a connection? Is it that a few extra hours traveling is critical? Is it a fear of lost luggage? Is it a fear of a mis-connect? Is this aversion just for cruises where you can't afford to miss the boat (literally and figuratively)? Or is it for all flights? It would just never occur to us not to book a great cruise because getting to or from the ship would require an air connection. Help me understand.

[cruiselover00029]

I am mystified by the general aversion to flight itineraries that involve a change of plane. Between earning miles and burning miles we will fly well over 110,000 miles this year. There is not one trip that is point to point. Even for a SEA-ORD trip I chose CO deliberately in order to route through IAH -- earning more miles while enjoying a likely upgrade to first.

 

What is the dread of a connection? Is it that a few extra hours traveling is critical? Is it a fear of lost luggage? Is it a fear of a mis-connect? Is this aversion just for cruises where you can't afford to miss the boat (literally and figuratively)? Or is it for all flights? It would just never occur to us not to book a great cruise because getting to or from the ship would require an air connection. Help me understand.

 

Being someone who is currently effected by this and very upset I will tell you why I dont like it. I dont reallly like to fly but I have to in order to vacation, which I love to do. I do not want to spend the day trying to get to my destination. I want to get there and get my vacation started. By the end of the cruise I am so tired that I just want to get home. I miss my kids, my home, etc. By the end of the 7 days I am really ready to get back home (I know that's weird). I dont ear miles so I really dont care about them. I just want to spend as little time flying as possible.

[nho9504]

Being someone who is currently effected by this and very upset I will tell you why I dont like it. I dont reallly like to fly but I have to in order to vacation, which I love to do. I do not want to spend the day trying to get to my destination. I want to get there and get my vacation started. By the end of the cruise I am so tired that I just want to get home. I miss my kids, my home, etc. By the end of the 7 days I am really ready to get back home (I know that's weird). I dont ear miles so I really dont care about them. I just want to spend as little time flying as possible.

 

I can understand Shorex's viewpoint completely - for when we PAY to fly, we want to earn as many miles as possible - but we also look at how much longer is the total hours involved, vs how many more miles it added by flying connection. In other words, it has to add a lot more miles in order for us to fly connection.

 

I can also understand your viewpoint completely - for when we fly FREE, on our miles, we want as little connection as possible.

 

But of course, you have to EARN THE MILES FIRST, in order to FLY FREE LATER.

 

Miles are like Money - they are valuable currencies. And, they are not difficult to use, as long as you are flexible and know the "tricks". ;)