Adam Smith

Hi everyone,

My girlfriend and I are going to the World Juniors in Helsinki next year.

A few weeks ago, we booked YYC-FRA-HEL on Aeroplan. Nice itinerary, arrive FRA 0820, depart for HEL at 0950.

Unfortunately, in the interim, AC has changed AC844 from DEP 1545 ARR 0820 to DEP 1735 ARR 1110. Obviously no way to make that connection. This is a problem because of course we happen to be in FRA the only day that LH is only running one flight to HEL (December 24). Arrive the day before or day after and there are two flights later in the day we could take.

I'd like the FT community's advice as to what to do.

1. Neither AC nor Aeroplan has yet formally notified us of the change. I found out when I went to Manage Bookings to select our seats. Anyone familiar with AC 844? Looks like it's still at that 0820 arrival through late October, then switches over. Any chance it will change back and I won't need to do anything?

2. Am I better to be proactive in trying to change this to something I want or wait for AC/Aeroplan to solve it? (I think I know the answer on this one).

3. If I make a change, I have three options. Arrive the day before or the day after and take one of the later direct flights. Or rebook on the original date but with a different routing, e.g. YYC-YYZ-FRA-HEL or YYC-FRA-MUC-HEL. Anyone have any thoughts on the alternate routings?

4. Anyone have experience dealing with AE on situations like this? We're flying in J and I want to make sure it stays that way, but concerned that they might try to tell me there isn't availability on certain flights or something. As far as I'm concerned, they should be going out of their way to accommodate me since it's AC's time change that has thrown this whole thing out of whack. But we all know they don't work that way. I also feel like I'll have to fight them not to charge me the $90 change fee.

Any thoughts/insights would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Adam

mountaingrl

Not sure if you are as new as your sign up date to FT indicates, but this is a common problem. It is an involutary change to your itinerary (so you hold some power here), so find a flight that works for you, preferably on *A, and call AE and tell them the changes to your ticket do not work, and you would like them to book you on another flights in J (do your homework and tell them what flight, doesn't have to be award space open and likely won't be as Christmas season).

No charge, if any fees go up on tickets because of new carriers no charge, do it now, this always happens, nothing new here with AE and their notification process.

Try to get YYC-FRA-MUC-HEL as the short TATL flights suck (ie. YYZ-FRA) as you can't really enjoy your meal and get any sleep in J. We always do express meal regardless YYC-FRA to get some sleep. Or stick to YYC-FRA-HEL and arrive day before as will be easiest likely to get and longest flight (see if AE will pay for accommodation that night! - try it!).

Adam Smith

Recently signed up, had been lurking occasionally for a year or so.

I'm aware the changes happen frequently and it's not the first time I've had something like this happen, but it has never really caused much of an issue, since I always just got moved to an earlier or later flight, never had to alter my routing.

Appreciate the advice to be proactive and tell them what I want, which is what I had figured.

If anyone has any thoughts as to where I'd be better to connect through (here's the list of options on *A that Google Flights throws up: https://www.google.ca/flights/#searc...=STAR_ALLIANCE), I'm open to suggestions.

No 3-stop itineraries though, 2 is already more than enough!

DNAwizard

Hi,

You shoulf be contacting Aeroplan. it is a change on their part (or AC but this is an Aeroplan/AC rewerd ticket).

As suggested by mountaingirl, you must be proactive and spoon feed Aeroplan when you phone (you really do and that is the sad part...)

Have a nice trip

Stranger

I would get them to change to the same itinerary either the previous day or the day after, whatever suits you.

Connecting in Eastern Canada is a pain, much longer and as mountaingirl says, too short flights.

I don't think going YYC-LHR, which might otherwise be a good option, there will be a good Star alliance connection ot Helsinki.

However I would check that there is LH award inventory on the LH flight before I call. I would not particularly wait for notification to call Aeroplan.

gcashin

With an AC initiated schedule change, Aeroplan can usually get AC to open up reward seats on AC metal flights if there aren't other reward flights that meet your needs. As others had mentioned, call up Aeroplan, and tell them what flights you want that will make your connection. If it requires opening up award inventory on AC metal, they'll have to send it off to the schedule change department, and you should hear back within a week or so.

Stranger

And if they don't call again.

Indeed in the meantime, if the ticket was not issued, any reservation they might have made with other airlines (LH in your case) might lapse.

Personal experience...

iamaho

December 23
YYC-YVR (AC211) 11:00-11:29
YVR-FRA (LH493) 13:25-08:20+1
FRA-HEL (LH848) 09:50-13:15

mountaingrl

Yeah but problem is LH493 is 747 and only 1 retro-fitted plane - so J slanted seats pretty much guaranteed.

iamaho

Might not be so bad... OP is traveling at the end of 2015...

http://lufthansaflyer.boardingarea.c...ofit-timeline/

mountaingrl

Ah right! He's flying December! Flying west first is always good to get an extra hour or so on the long haul TATL! And if that 747 is the version with J on the upper deck it is a sweet place to be!

vroom

No J award availability on LH493 on 23Dec, unfortunately. Aeroplan can get AC to open up seats for award availability, but not LH.

iamaho

December 23
YYC-LHR (AC850) 18:05-10:10+1
LHR-MUC (LH2475) 13:50-16:40
MUC-HEL (LH2466) 19:05-22:35

not that this is any better than YYC-FRA-MUC-HEL...

UA1K_no_more

If you choose to keep your AC844 flight, this is available Dec 24:
FRA-MUC (LH104 or LH106) - 12:15-13:15 or 13:15-14:15 (business award seat)
MUC-HEL (LH2464) - 15:20-18:50 (economy award seat only)

pewpew

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (BB10; Touch) AppleWebKit/537.35+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/10.2.1.3442 Mobile Safari/537.35+)

I'm flying that on Monday