caliform

Interesting anecdote:

I have travel planned in July from JFK-NAP; the inbound served by Air France, flying JFK-CDG, CDG-NAP, but the return was supposed to be Alitalia to CDG, CDG to AMS, and AMS to JFK.

(Why? Well, it was the cheaper and better schedule in J, and I want my huisje and grab a kroket in Amsterdam...)

A few days ago I logged into KLM.com to check something and the entire Alitalia part of the booking had been cancelled. Just, gone. The rebooking was comically bad; it would involve an entire night layover in Milan and there was a smattering of AF flights to get to where I was going.

Rebooked it via the Platinum Service Line to the same deal as the inbound; AF to CDG from NAP. I wonder if the cancellations have something to do with this, as it did have AZ on one ticket with AFKL.

NickB

It almost certainly has. Your NAP-CDG was booked as a codeshare (AZ-coded but AF-operated). All codeshares have been removed on AF and AZ flights between Italy and France. As a result, there is no longer an "AZ" flight between NAP and CDG and therefore that segment looks cancelled (and ditto for CDG-AMS if also booked under AZ code). You could probably have kept the same itinerary if you wanted to but rebooked it under AF and KL codes rather than AZ ones but the computer does not do that automatically. Typically, it tends to look for other AZ flights to replace the cancelled AZ flights and therefore changes the routing to achieve that, often with weird effects on timings. You need human intervention to clean up and sort it out.

I have a similar issue regarding an itinerary that includes FLR-CDG-LAX under AZ code (but both segments are AF-operated). The FLR-CDG no longer exists under AZ code. The computer has rebooked the FLR-CDG segment as FLR-FCO-CDG (so as to remain on AZ) but the way it has done it results in flights being out of sequence with the FCO-CDG departing after the CDG-LAX. I will need to contact them to rebook but I think that I will give it a few days to let the dust settle.

irishguy28

Is the return leg to DUS, perchance?

NickB

How on earth did you guess?

Goldorak

Here is the (long) list of AZ code-shares on AF/KL/A5 metal that no-longer exist.
http://www.routesonline.com/news/38/...routes-in-s17/

ticino

Yes, thanks, I can see that MrJet still sells combined AF/KLM-Alitalia tickets. But, these tickets seem a lot more expensive than AF/KLM-only tickets, and, more importantly, would AF/KLM be able to check my bags all the way to Italy, or Alitalia all the way to Sweden? Most of the time I just transit through AMS/CDG, and I always have too much luggage. And what about using the lounges? And my extra Gold bag? Would Alitalia honour that?

AlicorporateUK

Why would you have issues accessing lounges as a Gold? Despite today's reports, AZ is part of Sky Team and there's nothing more to add to that.

G

Goldorak

AZ situation seems to really turn bad. Sorry, in French.
http://www.latribune.fr/entreprises-...es-696471.html

Employees have rejected the last "rescue plan". Bankruptcy and liquidation are likely. But with AZ, you never know

joyu12

"How can you liquidate a company with 24 million passengers and 120 aircraft?" I think the list of examples might be quite long...

Bloomberg are reporting roughly the same thing as La Tribune if anyone prefers English: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...ructuring-plan

I'm flying AZ on Friday and Sunday so i hope bankruptcy proceedings won't get started too quickly...

Goldorak

I read another article in Le Figaro today and it was written that AZ has enough cash to continue operations for 3 weeks.

AlicorporateUK

If tomorrow's ops board will instigate the procedures for controlled administration (which seems to be the most likely scenario at this moment in time), then it could take up to 6 months before whoever gets designated by the government brisks things up and proceeds to ferry aircraft back to Dublin (lessor). Incidentally, it did happen back in 2008, when the controlled administration lasted for quite a few months (July-January). That aside, all the very latest as they happen on the AZ sub-forum.

G

joyu12

Thanks, i'll follow along ^

I wouldn't usually worry in these situations but this time i am flying down with a large group (15, on 5-7 different PNRs) to Milan for a company outing so if everything goes as normal that is very fine with me

olivedel

Makes me think about Sabena or Swissair...

Goldorak

and AOM/Air Liberté saga

caliform

I almost -- almost! -- got another mixed booking of AF/AZ to Venice in June, glad I skipped on that...