Originally Posted by
infrequently
Air China has changed my PEK connection from 5 hours to 29 hours! I was originally booked on a dirt-cheap Y ticket arriving at PEK around 8 AM on 11 June, then departing to IAD at 13.25 (CA817). Apparently CA817 no longer flies on 11 June, so CA rebooked me on CA817 on 12 June. So... am I now entitled to a hotel room? Or can they rebook me on their codeshare operated by UA (UA808) later in the day on 11 June? I actually don't mind spending a day in Beijing IF CA gives me a free hotel room.
EDIT: One more question: will CA still be able to check my luggage through to IAD, or will I need to retrieve them at PEK and re-check them in?
Air China MIGHT offer a hotel room in that situation, but if you actually don't mind spending a day in PEK on a layover (June is very good weather-wise for PEK) then I'd really not mind spending some 20-30€ for what a hotel is worth in the price class that CA offers - in fact, for a stay of your length, I'd probably book a city hotel myself, even if CA pays for a free airport hotel (I can book the Ibis PEK airport for 150-200 RMB pretty much every day, and that's about what you'd get from the quality CA provides)
Luggage will probably not be checked through (usually only works for <24hrs stops) - so you'll have to pick up and either store at the airport, or bring with you to the hotel.
Alternatively, you can of course ask them to rebook you onto another connection, best chance here would probably be by visiting a local Air China city office, alternatively an airport with a decent CA agent. Of course if both those options aren't available, calling in might work too (I suppose you didn't booked via a TA/OTA but directly with CA? If not booked directly, then TA/OTA will be your (only) choice to contact)