Schedule changes/cancellation
 

I'm booked Z class YVR-YWG rt non-stop this november, and two weeks ago they pushed forward my return flight by 35 min. Ok whatever.

Today I learned that they pushed forward my outbound flight by 7 hours from 7 am to 2 pm (there are no more direct am flights). My original flight was supposed to arrive in YWG at 1 pm which was good timing for my 5 pm meeting. Now the flight has to go through YYC, YEG, or YQR, and the earliest arrival time is 5:30 pm, or take the 6 am flight via YQR arriving at 12 pm.

Now, 6 am is too early for me. I don't live near the airport. I can't go mid-previous-day because I have other things I have to do. I was thinking of getting them to route me red eye via YYZ, and connect to YWG that way. Would they (or do they have to) let me do this since they changed their schedule on me? Is there some way I can convince them to do it? Thanks.

Cic*77
 

In this thread take a look at my post #3.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=17335

Although my post was in reference to an Aeroplan booking it is also applicable to revenue tickets.

I must admit, when you call AC and indicate you want them to change the ticket for no fee since AC changed their schedule, I kinda curious to know what they would/will say -- whether they would make the change to fit your schedule or tell you no way -- pay up!

In any event, if they say no, CIC*77 puts your in the driver seat to allow for any routing, any flight you want.

Let us know what happens.

Cheers

I will bring CIC*77 up and see what they say. Thanks again.

in the past, I've always been able to get whatever flight I wanted when Air Canada initiated a flight change... even if the price was higher or the award seat wasn't available.

I called, the agent said it was a time change not a cancellation (the flight number went from 294 to 296) and that it'd be an "illegal routing" and suggested I get a refund and "go with Westjet". She ended up leaving it on her manager's desk.

I called again and the agent recognized that it was a cancellation, and made the changes I wanted, no questions asked. And no need to mention CIC*77.

No need to keep posting about CIC here, the use of this tool has mostly been discontinued and replaced with another internal tool.

I see this in the ticket now...

Hi Andrew,

Thanks for the update. Very much appreciated. Can you let us know which rules or internal tool AC pax should reference if/when AC res agents do not allow for a more appropraite routing due to a schedule change/cancellation initiated by AC?

As you and others are aware I have probably posted the reference to CIC*77 about 4 times very recently as flights have been cancelled to already ticketed reservations as AC, and other airlines, consolidate their schedules due to their announced schedule reductions.

As guessaaa noted in his post (4th prior to this post), he was first told by AC it can't/won't do anything and that he should "go with Westjet"

If you could let us know what rule/internal tool to mention, I'm sure it will be benefical to all of us.

Is the reference in guessaaa's post the rule to mention (CIC*38 PG38 and PG39)?

Thanks in advance.

Cheers

Hi Andrew,

Just wanted to bump this thread and follow up with Andrew. You mentioned that CICs have been replaced with another tool. Is it possible you could let us know where the rule CIC*77 is now referenced in the "new tool".

yyz-kin just started another thread that his flight has been rescheduled and since it is not a daily flight I can just imagine AC res will tell him that AC has no respsonbility, just like in this thread guessaaa was told he should get a refund and fly with Westjet (post #5 this thread).

Thanking you in advance.
Cheers

Hi Everyone,

I'm just following up earliler on this thread and CIC*77. As noted by Andrew, CIC*77 is beinig less used with another tool. That tool being ACpedia (ACP). As many have referenced CIC*77 when AC has told them to fly with other carriers or pay for any out of pocket costs to get to your desired destination, I thought I post this to assist those still flying AC.

If someone at AC is not aware of CIC*77 details can be found in ACpedia (ACP) under "Schedule Change (SKCH) General Policy and Handling Guidelines".

One interesting piece to this section has to do with AC sked changes on tickets issued by other airlines (OAL).

There was a post here on FT in which someone had a ticket issued by another airline however an AC Sked change resulted in a mis-connect. If I remember correctly he/she called AC and they said they could not do anything because it was not issued on 014 stock. (I must admit, I believe that was the outcome in part because past experiences and posts by other FTers indicate AC usually abdicates their legal responsibilities to ticketed passengers when it comes to sked changes)

There is a schedule titled "AC schedule change (SKCH) / OAL codeshares"

It states:

• Air Canada sends schedule change message to the OAL.
• The customer must call the other airline for handling
• If a misconnection, the other airline will call AC to rebook an alternate flight
• The other airline will reissue the ticket
• The airline with schedule change pays the hotel expense regardless of the ticket stock

As far as changes impacting Aeroplan bookings ... it states

• Recommend that customer call Aeroplan first for reprotection, due to Aeroplan's more complex rebooking process
• (my bolding) If the customer prefers that we reprotect immediately, proceed with reprotection and add remarks to the file. Then refer customer to Aeroplan.

In today's Globe it mentions more flight reductions due to the $1B loss, which will mean more changes to ticketed reservations.

I hope this post provides assistance to you.

Cheers

With AP reward tickets--even when other Airlines changed the routings AP did not charge me any fees as the changes were not from my end. They even opened up space on AC, rerouted and did not ask for any payment.^

Looking for advice... or perhaps just to vent... Quotes are from my post in the Nagoya SKCH thread. Anyone have an idea where to go next???

I would call them again and tell them what you were originally booked for, what it was changed to, and what it is now. Tell them that you have important meetings in TO the day of the flight, and important meetings in the UK the day before, and that the flights you were changed to via FRA were perfect for you and your schedule after the previous flight was cancelled.

Sometimes it's just a matter of getting an agent that knows what they are doing. I have heard them say that it's on a manager's desk before, but I never heard back from this manager. So try calling in again.

According to the agent I last spoke to, my file has been documented that I CANNOT travel back via FRA as was agreed to on 16FEB. If that's true, I don't know who I'll find to override that.