Airline changed my award ticket schedule
#16
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 10
How do I complain to the DOT?
I looked into the cost. Of just canceling the Hkg to BKK segment and then paying cash for the tickets. Looks like it'll cost over $1500 to do that (not including any change fee from AA, which I guess should be 0). And that's for economy - I booked business for the award tickets. It's frustrating because there were other award options when I booked these tickets, but now all are gone and I'm left with either a 14 hour layover or spending $1500.
I looked into the cost. Of just canceling the Hkg to BKK segment and then paying cash for the tickets. Looks like it'll cost over $1500 to do that (not including any change fee from AA, which I guess should be 0). And that's for economy - I booked business for the award tickets. It's frustrating because there were other award options when I booked these tickets, but now all are gone and I'm left with either a 14 hour layover or spending $1500.
#17
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: DL PM; IHG PlatAmb; Hilton Dia; Marriott Plat; Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,273
Airline changed my award ticket schedule
do not complain to DOT, as there has been no violation of the law here.
a schedule change with 6 months notice is perfectly legal.
DOT does not regulate Cathay Pacific's schedule.
a schedule change with 6 months notice is perfectly legal.
DOT does not regulate Cathay Pacific's schedule.
#18
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Matre-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
You have six months for an earlier flight to open up for your BKK flight (or find other accommodations, perhaps from LAX or perhaps connecting from LAX) CX rescheduled your original flight, and IMO it's not so likely Cathay will take four seats out of the revenue stream to accommodate four AA awardees.
See what transpires, and maybe even request a review to the Liaison again later.
See what transpires, and maybe even request a review to the Liaison again later.
#19
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 940
And worse case, consider paying for a night's stay at the airport hotel to break up the travel. Assuming 1 night @ $200/room x 2 rooms (if you even need 2 rooms), it is still only $400.
It's unfortunate that they changed tickets, but this one is not AA's fault. Schedule changes happen all the time, and this one is 6 months out.
I have encountered interruptions/schedule changes, and you just either find other alternatives (or roll with it) especially since you're still only paying a fraction of the cost for the seats. You can think of it that way.
And agreed with what someone posted, CX tends to open up more seats closer to departure date, so keep an eye out there too.
Good luck.
It's unfortunate that they changed tickets, but this one is not AA's fault. Schedule changes happen all the time, and this one is 6 months out.
I have encountered interruptions/schedule changes, and you just either find other alternatives (or roll with it) especially since you're still only paying a fraction of the cost for the seats. You can think of it that way.
And agreed with what someone posted, CX tends to open up more seats closer to departure date, so keep an eye out there too.
Good luck.
#20
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 724
I recently had a similar situation with booking an AA award with a biz leg on Royal Jordanian. The RJ flight got discontinued so they automatically gave me a date 1 day earlier (without asking me, or telling me...fortunately i recheck my reservation every so often and caught it), but the departure on that segment was before my initial departure from my first city so it was impossible for me to make that flight.
I called AA and they said they would request from RJ to open up space on a flight at a different time. (there was no award space available when they requested it, only paid ticket space) I gave it 24 hours and rechecked online to see the word waitlisted next to my segment. I checked back another 24 hours later and it said confirmed. It worked out for me.
I called AA and they said they would request from RJ to open up space on a flight at a different time. (there was no award space available when they requested it, only paid ticket space) I gave it 24 hours and rechecked online to see the word waitlisted next to my segment. I checked back another 24 hours later and it said confirmed. It worked out for me.
#21
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,452
You've been given great advice on your options for an earlier flight. Let me give you another perspective. While space will almost certainly open up in the next six months for this route, haven a 15-hour layover in Hong Kong is not such a bad thing. It's a decent way to break up the travel, especially with young children. I'm not sure what your timings are, but you could get a day room at a hotel and have a snooze (briefly, though you'll likely have slept on the flight over) and then venture into Central to get your body clocks adjusted. Have brunch, go up to the Peak, take a swim at at the beach in Stanley, and then back to the airport. There are bigger problems.
#22
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: NYC
Posts: 9,089
I was in a similar situation, complained to the DOT and the flights were changed to my satisfaction. CX is supposed to provide you with reasonable accommodation in case of cancellation and they did not.
You may have success as a more senior person at CX will be made aware of your case.
Again, before complaining first go back to AA asking for a specific flight number.
DOT has an online form.
You may have success as a more senior person at CX will be made aware of your case.
Again, before complaining first go back to AA asking for a specific flight number.
DOT has an online form.
#23
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: DL PM; IHG PlatAmb; Hilton Dia; Marriott Plat; Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,273
I was in a similar situation, complained to the DOT and the flights were changed to my satisfaction. CX is supposed to provide you with reasonable accommodation in case of cancellation and they did not.
You may have success as a more senior person at CX will be made aware of your case.
Again, before complaining first go back to AA asking for a specific flight number.
DOT has an online form.
You may have success as a more senior person at CX will be made aware of your case.
Again, before complaining first go back to AA asking for a specific flight number.
DOT has an online form.
Curious where you get the idea that the US DOT can force Cathay to do anything on a HKG-BKK flight.
Last edited by Adam1222; Sep 5, 2015 at 10:14 am
#24
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: NYC
Posts: 9,089
From CX's CoC:
"If, after you purchase your Ticket, we make a significant change to the scheduled flight time, which is not acceptable to you, and we are unable to book you on an alternate flight which is acceptable to you, you will be entitled to a refund in accordance with Article 11.
From the DOT:
"If, for any reason, your flight is canceled, substantially delayed, or rescheduled, you have the right to reroute at no extra cost or to receive a full refund"
#25
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: DL PM; IHG PlatAmb; Hilton Dia; Marriott Plat; Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,273
From CX's CoC:
"If, after you purchase your Ticket, we make a significant change to the scheduled flight time, which is not acceptable to you, and we are unable to book you on an alternate flight which is acceptable to you, you will be entitled to a refund in accordance with Article 11.
From the DOT:
"If, for any reason, your flight is canceled, substantially delayed, or rescheduled, you have the right to reroute at no extra cost or to receive a full refund"
2) No one is disputing OP can cancel the whole trip and get a refund. The OP doesn't want that.
3) Not sure what you're citing from the DOT (I only found that text on Airfare Watchdog, which as far as I know is not a regulatory body and does not carry the force of law), but that does not say that a foreign airline is required to open up award availability.
#26
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 529
CX is not so "foreign" as it conducts lots of business within the US with US residents. The mere fact that the flight in question is outside the US does not necessarily preclude US-DOT jurisdiction, by consent as part of CX's operating authorization within the US or by regulation, federal law, or international agreement.
#27
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: DL PM; IHG PlatAmb; Hilton Dia; Marriott Plat; Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,273
CX is not so "foreign" as it conducts lots of business within the US with US residents. The mere fact that the flight in question is outside the US does not necessarily preclude US-DOT jurisdiction, by consent as part of CX's operating authorization within the US or by regulation, federal law, or international agreement.
#29
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 10
Yeah, I'm sure I could cancel the flight, but we don't want to do that. I will keep checking for Cathay award availability on earlier flights from HKG to BKK and I'm hopeful something will open up.
#30
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: DL PM; IHG PlatAmb; Hilton Dia; Marriott Plat; Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,273
The US is a country of positive regulations. If there is no regulation that applies, I can't prove that nothingness to you. But i guess my source would be the CFR (Code of federal Regulations), which contains no applicable regulation.
Also there's something called the presumption against extraterritoriality.
But if you don't believe me, you can check out DOT's FAQs about its regulations, available at http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/rules/rules.htm
You can also review the regulation itself on schedule changes, which applies to "Each covered carrier for its scheduled flights to, from or within the U.S." https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/14/259.8 (and doesn't even say what folks here assume (i.e., that it requires you to be rebooked on a flight of your choosing)).
Should you desire support for the notion that DOT's consumer pricing rules only apply to "advertisements of foreign carriers, among others, that are marketed to United States consumers for air transportation within, to, or from the United States", you can check out this order involving Tarom https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/eo-2014-4-18.
So, if you have any support for the notion that some DOT regulation applies to air transportation wholly outside the United States (i.e., not "within, to, or from the United States"), please enlighten me.
Also there's something called the presumption against extraterritoriality.
But if you don't believe me, you can check out DOT's FAQs about its regulations, available at http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/rules/rules.htm
You can also review the regulation itself on schedule changes, which applies to "Each covered carrier for its scheduled flights to, from or within the U.S." https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/14/259.8 (and doesn't even say what folks here assume (i.e., that it requires you to be rebooked on a flight of your choosing)).
Should you desire support for the notion that DOT's consumer pricing rules only apply to "advertisements of foreign carriers, among others, that are marketed to United States consumers for air transportation within, to, or from the United States", you can check out this order involving Tarom https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/eo-2014-4-18.
So, if you have any support for the notion that some DOT regulation applies to air transportation wholly outside the United States (i.e., not "within, to, or from the United States"), please enlighten me.
Last edited by Adam1222; Sep 7, 2015 at 8:58 pm