A3 unilateraly change MCT
Apr 3, 2024, 4:32 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 33
A3 unilateraly change MCT
Months ago I bought several tickets from LRS to FCO with a 50' layover in ATH. After a few months there has been a little (welcomed) schedule change that increased the connection time to 55'.
Today I received several schedule change emails informing me that I have been moved to the morning flight with a 4h connection time. I called the M+G gold customer service and they told me that due to summer being very busy they can't no longer honor the connection. They would change the reservations to two different tickets with non guarantee if I insisted to keep the original schedule.
Do I have any right to force them to keep up the original itinerary if no schedule change happened? I am really peaced off by this behaviour
Today I received several schedule change emails informing me that I have been moved to the morning flight with a 4h connection time. I called the M+G gold customer service and they told me that due to summer being very busy they can't no longer honor the connection. They would change the reservations to two different tickets with non guarantee if I insisted to keep the original schedule.
Do I have any right to force them to keep up the original itinerary if no schedule change happened? I am really peaced off by this behaviour
Apr 3, 2024, 4:37 am
#2
Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: PRG
Programs: A3 Gold, *A Gold
Posts: 49
There isnt mandatory for them to “retain” you on original reservation - from operation reason they can move you as they need and want.
But because of this change, you can cancel the trip and get full refund. And this is all what you can do, as it is more than 14 days before trip.
But because of this change, you can cancel the trip and get full refund. And this is all what you can do, as it is more than 14 days before trip.
Apr 3, 2024, 9:25 am
#3
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Rhineland-Palatinate
Programs: *A Gold (A3), HHonor Gold
Posts: 5,682
Months ago I bought several tickets from LRS to FCO with a 50' layover in ATH. After a few months there has been a little (welcomed) schedule change that increased the connection time to 55'.
Today I received several schedule change emails informing me that I have been moved to the morning flight with a 4h connection time. I called the M+G gold customer service and they told me that due to summer being very busy they can't no longer honor the connection. They would change the reservations to two different tickets with non guarantee if I insisted to keep the original schedule.
Do I have any right to force them to keep up the original itinerary if no schedule change happened? I am really peaced off by this behaviour
Today I received several schedule change emails informing me that I have been moved to the morning flight with a 4h connection time. I called the M+G gold customer service and they told me that due to summer being very busy they can't no longer honor the connection. They would change the reservations to two different tickets with non guarantee if I insisted to keep the original schedule.
Do I have any right to force them to keep up the original itinerary if no schedule change happened? I am really peaced off by this behaviour
Otherwise no, you can not keep the original itinerary, for very obvious reasons.
Apr 3, 2024, 9:26 am
#4
Moderator: Aegean Miles+Bonus
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: AMS / ATH
Programs: AFKL Plat, A3 Gold
Posts: 7,333
Interesting. The MCT at ATH for Domestic > International is 45 minutes. However specifically for Aegean that has been set to 60 minutes this summer... with the exception of some flights it looks like.
This is the rule for SkyExpress for instance:
Unfortunately there is little you can do in this case. Either accept what they offer, or, ask for a full refund and re-book something else. If this was within 14 days of departure you have, maybe, a case for compensation as this increased MCT seems to apply to Aegean only/specifically.
Code:
Minimum Connect Times: Connecting at ATH Incoming airline A3 Outgoing airline A3 Flight type Domestic to International STANDARD.D/D...D/I...I/D...I/I. ONLINE .45 .45 .55 .45 OFFLINE .45 .45 .55 .45 ** OR * ARE ALL A3-A3 DI 1.00 CDS ** - ** ALL - REGION SCH 01JUN24 - 31OCT24 A3-A3 DI .45 FLT 7059 - 7059 - ALL CDS ** - ** 31MAR24 - INF A3-A3 DI .45 FLT 7061 - 7061 - ALL CDS ** - ** 31MAR24 - INF A3-A3 DI 1.05 CDS ** - ** 01JUN24 - 31OCT24 A3-A3 DI 1.00 CDS N/A - ** ALL - REGION SCH 01JUN24 - 31OCT24 A3-A3 DI .45 FLT 59 - 59 - ALL CDS N/A - ** 31MAR24 - INF A3-A3 DI .45 FLT 61 - 61 - ALL CDS N/A - ** 31MAR24 - INF A3-A3 DI .45 FLT 101 - 101 - ALL CDS N/A - ** 31MAR24 - INF A3-A3 DI .45 FLT 201 - 201 - ALL CDS N/A - ** 31MAR24 - INF A3-A3 DI .45 FLT 221 - 221 - ALL CDS N/A - ** 31MAR24 - INF A3-A3 DI .45 FLT 233 - 233 - ALL CDS N/A - ** 31MAR24 - INF A3-A3 DI .45 FLT 301 - 301 - ALL CDS N/A - ** 31MAR24 - INF A3-A3 DI .45 FLT 303 - 303 - ALL CDS N/A - ** 31MAR24 - INF A3-A3 DI .45 FLT 331 - 331 - ALL CDS N/A - ** 31MAR24 - INF A3-A3 DI .45 FLT 351 - 351 - ALL CDS N/A - ** 31MAR24 - INF A3-A3 DI .45 FLT 371 - 371 - ALL CDS N/A - ** 31MAR24 - INF A3-A3 DI .45 FLT 901 - 901 - ALL CDS N/A - ** 31MAR24 - INF A3-A3 DI 1.05 CDS N/A - ** 01JUN24 - 31OCT24 A3-A3 DI 1.00 CDS ** - N/A ALL - REGION SCH 01JUN24 - 31OCT24 A3-A3 DI .45 FLT 7059 - 7059 - ALL CDS ** - N/A 31MAR24 - INF A3-A3 DI .45 FLT 7061 - 7061 - ALL CDS ** - N/A 31MAR24 - INF A3-A3 DI 1.05 CDS ** - N/A 01JUN24 - 31OCT24 A3-A3 DI 1.00 ALL - REGION SCH 01JUN24 - 31OCT24 A3-A3 DI .45 FLT 59 - 59 - ALL 31MAR24 - INF A3-A3 DI .45 FLT 61 - 61 - ALL 31MAR24 - INF A3-A3 DI .45 FLT 101 - 101 - ALL 31MAR24 - INF A3-A3 DI .45 FLT 201 - 201 - ALL 31MAR24 - INF A3-A3 DI .45 FLT 221 - 221 - ALL 31MAR24 - INF A3-A3 DI .45 FLT 233 - 233 - ALL 31MAR24 - INF A3-A3 DI .45 FLT 301 - 301 - ALL 31MAR24 - INF A3-A3 DI .45 FLT 303 - 303 - ALL 31MAR24 - INF A3-A3 DI .45 FLT 331 - 331 - ALL 31MAR24 - INF A3-A3 DI .45 FLT 351 - 351 - ALL 31MAR24 - INF A3-A3 DI .45 FLT 371 - 371 - ALL 31MAR24 - INF A3-A3 DI .45 FLT 901 - 901 - ALL 31MAR24 - INF A3-A3 DI 1.05 01JUN24 - 31OCT24 .
This is the rule for SkyExpress for instance:
Code:
Minimum Connect Times: Connecting at ATH Incoming airline GQ Outgoing airline GQ Flight type Domestic to International STANDARD.D/D...D/I...I/D...I/I. ONLINE .45 .45 .55 .45 OFFLINE .45 .45 .55 .45 ** OR * ARE ALL GQ-GQ DI .55 PAS - ALL GQ-GQ DI .45 REGION SCH - REGION SCH GQ-GQ DI .45 ALL - REGION SCH GQ-GQ DI .45 REGION SCH - ALL **-GQ DI 1.00 REGION SCH - REGION SCH **-GQ DI 1.00 ALL - REGION SCH **-GQ DI 1.00 REGION SCH - ALL GQ-** DI 1.00 REGION SCH - REGION SCH GQ-** DI 1.00 ALL - REGION SCH GQ-** DI 1.00 REGION SCH - ALL .
Apr 3, 2024, 12:53 pm
#5
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: BRU
Programs: A3 *G & FB G
Posts: 639
In theory you could ask for a rebooking on a different airline but good luck convincing Aegean to follow EC261 rules and probably minimal options available from LRS.
I once had an A3 agent who preferred to offer me A3 metal with overnight as rebooking option incl. hotel + taxi compensation over rebooking on a different airline.
You could ask for that if you're fine with that.
I once had an A3 agent who preferred to offer me A3 metal with overnight as rebooking option incl. hotel + taxi compensation over rebooking on a different airline.
You could ask for that if you're fine with that.
Apr 5, 2024, 6:47 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Netherlands
Programs: KL Platinum; A3 Gold
Posts: 28,694
The "unilaterally" in the title seems a bit hyperbolic; it's not as if any airline first enters into discussions with the affected pax before taking a decision regarding their ability to stand-over connections in light of changing circumstances.
If you're not in the travel trade and threfore don't get to see the memos, you don't tend to notice these things until you're personally affected, but the past few summers (in particular - after the rebound in travel post-Covid where many airports and airlines were struggling to find enough staff) have seen lots of tweaks and changes to MCTs at lots of airports.
If you're not in the travel trade and threfore don't get to see the memos, you don't tend to notice these things until you're personally affected, but the past few summers (in particular - after the rebound in travel post-Covid where many airports and airlines were struggling to find enough staff) have seen lots of tweaks and changes to MCTs at lots of airports.
Last edited by irishguy28; Apr 5, 2024 at 6:53 am