ExGateAgt

Booked in March NW ATL/MEM/IAH and return this coming weekend by Internet Tvl Agt...I checked the Internet this morning and they had my return re-scheduled Sat. 4 hours earlier, and never informed me fone or e-mail! Called res., asked for a Rule 240 as no more NW flights that day and was soon hung up on, called back and was given the "Customer Care" number. "Customer Care" could do no better. Now I am stuck in IAH at my own expense, and cannot get home till Sunday afternoon instead of Sat. nite! Any Suggestions?

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ExGateAgt
CO Gold
ATL

BoSoxFan45

Take your paper ticket to NWA, and if the flight was cancelled for anything within their control, you get on the next flight on any airline.

Also, you might want to try avoiding NWA.

Good luck-

ExGateAgt

...Got an E-Ticket though....Do you think it is worth going out to the Airport (I will be at an Apt. Hotel anyway!) and try to get a Rule 240, or do this at ATL before departure?

ernestb

Hey if you have printed your original flight info, i would show up on that flight and have them rebook you at that time! There is NO reason why they cant accomdate you!

ExGateAgt

...Problem is, I already know too much, I have been rebooked for Sunday......yes, perhaps I should have kept my mouth shut, even if I had not rebooked, it would show in my PNR that I had been informed of the Sched. change.

Should have played dummy and just showed up at IAH on Sat. nite!

AS Flyer

Just thought I would let you know that if the airlines cancel your flight they are nor necessarily required to book you on any other airline. They have, in the past, done this in the interest of customer service. Things being what they are today I would not look for them to spend this extra money unless you are a high level frequent traveler. Maybe not even then. I believe, contractually, they are required to provide you with an alternate flight within 4 hours of the scheduled flight. If they can not do that, then they are required to provide this accomodation on another carrier or refund your money.

Rule 240, as we use to know it, is a thing of the past. It was an old CAB rule, and the CAB doesn't exist any longer.

TravelLover

AS Flyer, you hit it on the head. I'm in a situation that is very similar to ExGateAgt and I also made the mistake of calling Northwest (I wanted some control over when I got scheduled). The agents are not allowed to reschedule people onto any aircraft than Northwest metal, even codeshare flights with Continental. That means a long, indirect route home at Thanksgiving. Rule 240 does not come into effect for changes that are made before the date of travel.

AS Flyer

Just wanted to say that I don't condone the way airlines have resorted to treating their passengers of late. As an airline employee I am saddened by the way that airlines are using the events of 9/11 as an excuse for doing whatever they want. I will say, in defense of my own airline, we have made great efforts to treat our passengers no different than we had in the past. In any case, I wish you the best of luck in your dealings with NWA. You may not get exactly what you wanted but keep pressing them. They need your business, perhaps you can get a free upgrade out of the whole mess.

TravelLover

Thanks, AS Flyer. I just got off the phone with Northwest -- the only seats Northwest has left on their planes the day I'm traveling are in First Class so I did get an upgrade (actually three upgrades). It's interesting - I'm a Platinum and it looks like I won't be able to upgrade on my outbound trip because the planes will be full. However I'm getting getting upgraded on the way back because they are the only seats left!

badgerfan

I had a non-refundable ticket on NWA for next weekend that I'd booked in early Aug. I noticed on their website that both my departure and return had been cancelled and the next available flights were each about 3 hours earlier. I called up NWA and said that I noticed my flights were no longer listed. She looked up my reservation and said yes, I'd been rescheduled. I said that the reschedule was not acceptable and asked for a full refund for both tickets (myself and my companion). She said she would do it... but it would take something like 8 weeks for the credit to appear back on my credit card.

I nextwent on my PC and booked a ticket, close to my original flight times on NWA, on TWA. It cost me about $30 total more for the 2 tix... but worth it to us.

I don't understand why NWA is not contacting passengers to let them know their flights have been rescheduled!?!

[This message has been edited by badgerfan (edited 10-16-2001).]

JS

Every airline has a Contract of Carriage. Most airlines have chosen to use the same terminology that the CAB used (AA is an exception). It's basically the same thing.

QuietLion

From NWA's Contract of Carriage http://www.nwa.com/contract2.pdf :

NickB

Is this a force majeure case? cancellations in the few days after Sept 11 were undoubtedly force majeure. I am not so sure that current cancellations are, notwithstanding the wide definition of force majeure in NW's conditions of carriage.

I have not read the rules in full, but it would look to me more like a schedule change, for which the rule would be:

D) SCHEDULE CHANGES
WHEN A PASSENGER WILL BE DELAYED BECAUSE OF A CHANGE IN NW'S SCHEDULE, NW WILL ARRANGE TO:
1) TRANSPORT THE PASSENGER OVER ITS OWN LINES TO THE DESTINATION, NEXT STOPOVER POINT OR TRANSFER POINT SHOWN ON ITS PORTION OF THE TICKET, WITH NO UNTICKETED STOPOVER BEING PERMITTED, AT NO ADDITIONAL COST TO THE PASSENGER, OR
EXCEPTION 1: WHEN A SCHEDULE CHANGE RESULTS IN THE CANCELLATION OF NW'S SINGLE-PLANE/CONNECTING SERVICE BETWEEN TWO CITIES AND NO ALTERNATIVE SERVICE ACCEPTABLE TO THE PASSENGER IS AVAILABLE OVER THE LINES OF NW, A PASSENGER HOLDING CONFIRMED RESERVATIONS AND VALID NW TICKETS WHO IS AFFECTED BY THE SCHEDULE CHANGE WILL BE REROUTED BY NW OVER THE LINES OF ONE OR MORE OTHER CARRIERS AT NO ADDITIONAL COST TO THE PASSENGER, PROVIDED THAT SUCH NEW ROUTING IS APPLICABLE VIA A PUBLISHED DIRECT LOCAL OR JOINT FARE OF ANY SUCH SCHEDULED CARRIER(S).
EXCEPTION 2: WHEN A SCHEDULE CHANGE RESULTS IN THE COMPLETE DISCONTINUATION OF ALL NW SERVICE AT A CITY, NW WILL ARRANGE TO REROUTE PASSENGERS HOLDING CONFIRMED RESERVATIONS AND VALID TICKETS ON NW TO/FROM SUCH CITY, OVER THE LINES OF ONE OR MORE OTHER CARRIERS, AT NO ADDITIONAL COST TO THE
PASSENGER.