Schedule change and partial refund of the ticket
 

Dear FTs,

I have a single ticket CDG-MIA//FDF-ORY (one ticket number) for December 2018. CDG-MIA flight has been re-timed and now departs three hours earlier than originally booked. A call center agent told me that the only option I have is ti rebook on another AF flight within +/- 30 days (not even a full refund as this is possible only if there is a time change of 5+hours).

I would like to cancel the CDG-MIA segment, keep the FDF-ORY and receive the refund of the CDG-MIA segment. In your experience, is this realistic to push for? Thank you.

I would ring again and hope for a better agent.

Removing the outbound entirely from your ticket is a very weird change to wish to make. I wouldn't like to think what that will imply for the cost of the ticket.

Yes, I would expect if they even agreed to cancel the outbound, then they would re-price the return at a one-way fare which is likely to cost more than the entire round-trip originally paid for.

The full refund for a "delay" over 5 hours is the EC 261 regulation. It's not clear to me whether that's relevant for an advance schedule change. I also don't see anything specific in AF's Conditions of Transport / Contract of Carriage (at least not on the US site) about this. (e.g., see Articles 11-12 here: https://www.airfrance.us/US/en/commo..._airfrance.htm)

The big US airlines will generally refund for a schedule change of 2 hours or more. A 5 hour requirement seems wholly unreasonable, and I would continue to push AF (if that's what you want) but I'm not sure what resources are available to push this if they refuse, for a ticket purchased in the EU.

Indeed, being warned 5 months in advance your CDG-MIA flight will depart 3 hours earlier as expected should not be a big deal for most travellers. One arrives 3 hours early at the destination so any business planned there will be fine. The only problem can be appointments in Paris before the flight leaves, but with 5 months in advance at least in my (busy) job adjustments in my schedule are no big deal. And as all others already indicated, reducing a return flight to a one-way flight usually does not give any cost advantage but can double the ticket price or worse, certainly if you fly economy. So sticking to the ticket seems the simplest option. Or do you fly business? Like Goldorak indicates, it really would be helpful to understand why asked to be at the airport 3 hours earlier as initially expected with a 5 month notice is such a problem.

OP - EC 261/2004 would entitle you to cancel your ticket for a full refund. You may then purchase whatever else you want or not, as you choose. But the Regulation does not require AF to cancel specific segments and refund those. Additionally, as others point out, even if AF did so, it is entirely possible that FDF-ORY as a single costs more than your current open jaw and thus you would see a net add/collect due by you to AF and you would still need to get yourself to MIA or FDF as the case may be.

It would be helpful to understand what you are trying to accomplish here, what flexibility you have, and how you are traveling MIA-FDF.

I don't see why EC261 would entitle you to a refund.
trying to transform your return ticket from CDG into a one-way FDF-ORY is probably going to cost you money.