sonomawine

In November I am booked SFO-LAX-CDG (one ticket), with the SFO-LAX leg being on Delta. Delta has made a schedule change and leaving 50 minutes to connect in LAX not the required 90 minutes MCT.

I contacted AF and asked if they could change my flight to non-stop SFO-CDG one. They said they could only change my Delta flight SFO-LAX (a few hours earlier). And they also said to I could hold off on making the change "due to more possible schedule changes, and check back in a few weeks".

In the past, when I have had schedule changes affecting MCT, I was able to get a more optimal routing. I'd really prefer to be on the SFO-CDG flight as it is a 777 with the new biz seats. Should I reattempt to get them to book me on the SFO-CDG flight or is it within their right to still route me via LAX?

tpatta

I would call back and tell them the MCT will not be met with the current itinerary and it is impossible for you to take an earlier SFO-LAX flight. Have the SFO-CDG flight info handy and tell them this would be the best solution for the problem they caused with the flight change.

It is possible that the SFO-LAX flight will change again between now and November but I would be proactive here.

sonomawine

Finally got it all sorted out. They refused to book us on the AF SFO-CDG flight and insisted we still connect via LAX with an earlier Delta flight. I then requested they book us on KLM SFO-AMS then onto our original destination IST. They made the change without issue. I am confused as to why they didn't want to move us to the SFO-CDG flight, but was more than willing to book us on the SFO-AMS flight. It all worked out for the best as the KLM flights are on the 787-9 with much better biz seats.

orbitmic

Perhaps an issue of specific booking class availability?

sonomawine

They never said it was a booking class availability issue, rather "we can only change your flight from SFO to one earlier flight so as to keep the original itinerary." The entire interaction was just a bit odd, but worked out in the end!

Goldorak

Was that an award flight booked with SM or FB miles ?

sonomawine

It's a discounted biz class fare purchase, not an award.

irishguy28

Given that fares on your route were on sale for below $1200 return [as an open-jaw] on a number of occasions earlier this summer, and given that you apparently bought your ticket during this sale, you can probably understand why they are reluctant to move you to a particular flight that may have only a handful of seats remaining for sale and/or already have a large number of passengers booked at these rates

[PREM FARE GONE] Sfo-ist $1484 kl/af j ...

sonomawine

Why I would agree, but both flights had plenty of availability and if the seating chart is a good proxy about 70% availability. Yes, it was a great fare, and here's the link:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/milea...-november.html

Regardless of discounted fare, the connecting flight via LAX was below the MCT, and I am still at a loss as to why they wanted to force me to connect through LAX.

Ditto

The seatmap is not an indication for availability at all, as well as it is still 3 months ahead, it is possible that AF expects to fill up the SFO-CDG flight by that time.

irishguy28

But they were "more than willing to book us on the SFO-AMS flight" so they did not want to force you to connect through LAX.

They didn't want to book you on the direct SFO-CDG that day, because clearly revenue management had decided that they need that/those seat(s) for (a) higher yielding customer(s).

I susect that you would have booked yourself onto the direct SFO-CDG had it been available to you at that fare when you originally booked - not every fare can be honoured on every possible routing.