Originally Posted by CambridgeMA
I need some help.
I specifically booked flights for my family of 5 on American for next April because of their non-stop flights from Boston to Shannon. Now I see that they have cancelled those flights and are moving to a Chicago – Ireland routing. It was a quick 6.5 hour flight from SNN to Boston for us, which was perfect for my wife and 3 kids. Before American changes my reservation, I wanted to know what my rights are and how I should handle the change. Specifically,
1. If they offer me a routing that is significantly worse, can I just ask for my money back without paying a penalty? Most other AA routes look like they will be at least 6 hours longer. I really don't want to fly through Chicago.
2. Can I request that they put me on the Aer Lingus non-stop flight from Shannon? They appear to have a code share arrangement with them because one of the possible routings that comes up is SNN-NYC-BOS, with the Shannon- New York flight operated by Air Lingus.
3. Should I call reservations and be proactive, or wait for them to contact me with their proposed changes?
Any help is much appreciated.
1. If you get re-routed and it adds a lot of time to the travel time, you can request, and will receive a full refund.
2. You are wise to enter any conversation with AA with specific options in mind. The Aer Lingus option may not work since they are leaving OneWorld, making the AA code shares questionable in the future. I would ask and see what they say. Other options are AA to LHR connecting on BA to SNN.
3. Technically you will have to wait until the flight is officially pulled from the system causing the disruption to your reservation before any changes can be made without the penalty. But you might find a helpful agent who knows about the cancellation and is willing to deal now.