SCtrojan

Wondering if any experts can help me here.

I originally booked business class LAX-KIX-BKK for 2 adults using AS miles. I added 2 infants to the reservation by calling JAL and paying for an infant fare.

I just received notification from AS that my flight was cancelled and they needed to rebook. The option provided was LAX-KIX (3 days layover) KIX-BKK (unclear if the last leg is nonstop as I cannot seem to find it online). Under "normal times" I may be able to work with that and do a stopover in a great city. Right now it is VERY unclear that would even be feasible given Japan not allowing foreigners to enter. I asked about another option of LAX-NRT-BKK and they said they would have to request it via JAL and "no guarantees".

Question for the experts:

1. Can I press Alaska that they have to give me a suitable business class routing? The routing they offered me is really not even feasible and my personal view is they need to come up with a business class routing on or around the original dates.
2. I'm not sure how to coordinate between JAL and AS on the infant booking. I asked AS and they said everything will just move no problem, but I don't want to make a change then have some big issue with the infant booking to deal with.

Thanks in advance for the help!

azepine00

Get them to request space from JL - the most likely scenario would be to shift KIX-BKK to realigh back with your new LAX-KIX date without routing changes. It appears JL automatically moved the first segment already. Remember that your KIX-BKK departs after midnight so it should be the next day after KIX landing but that flight is daily iirc...
AS will have to reticket whatever new itinerary you will get and that should include new ticket# for infant.

regiobaden

In a similar boat, JL reduced SAN-NRT to less than daily.
If I don't want to travel on a different date, any experience if AS/JL would be willing to change origin to LAX/another airport in the US, or would they require the OD to remain the same to open up new award space?

eponymous_coward

You can press AS but almost 3 years into COVID people should probably learn that a bunch of cheap FF miles used for a redemption, "hey! I've found a hack that gets me a discounted J ticket" doesn't actually give them the same options as a paid-for-with-cash J/F ticket once the inevitable schedule change comes round the bend that destroys your tightly planned itinerary through a country you don't have entry rights into. Lots of FT threads where people have been hung out to dry with schedule changes on Asian airlines on AS awards.

AS has no ability to reroute you on their own metal to connect with a JL Japan-BKK flight, which would be the case if you were using, well, a different FF program for the redemption, and would be a completely logical thing to ask for if you were redeeming JL or AA or (insert actual airline flying over the Pacific here). They are well within program terms to just refund you your miles and fees and say "sorry, those are the breaks". JL's schedule changes are not, in the end, their problem.

That being said JL's been pretty helpful in fixing broken itineraries at AS's request. But it is indeed 100% up to the grace and favor of JL.

SCtrojan

Thanks for the replies. I asked AS to try for the JAL LAX-NRT-BKK flight. We will see. If not I will ask them about just moving the KIX-BKK flight up, per the suggestion. I was not sure what were the "rules" here so thanks for clarifying they can just cancel and refund me my miles. I would probably just bet on Japan opening up and having a 2 day layover as my flight is not until November and supposedly they are going to reopen in October (but I admit things are supposed to happen all the time during Covid).

What still is odd to me is I cannot find the KIX-BKK flight anywhere I look for Nov 16. I cannot find it on the JAL website or Google flights. ITA Matrix shows it if you "uncheck" the "only show flights with seats" which suggests it won't actually fly. If you check the JAL flight schedule it does say daily flight. Any way to confirm whether that flight is also cancelled?

SanDiego1K

My ears perked up on reading this. I've got NRT-SAN booked later this year. I just checked my booking and it appears ok. What days of the week is it currently scheduled?

EDIT: It appears to be operating 4 days/week, not flying Monday/Thursday/Saturday.

TravelBrighter

I hope the rest of you have better experiences, but booking J on the nonstop SAN/NRT using AS miles turned into one of the worst travel experiences of my life, and that was before the pandemic….

Edited to be less of a rant, but in a nutshell, do not book JAL awards with AS miles and expect exemplary service or any flexibility during IROPS.

olouie

Well looks like I got hit with similar cancellation. AS is asking JAL to open up space but rep said it was may be hard based upon what she has seen lately because even when JAL will open space they are doing so many changes that it all goes to pieces a few weeks later.

olouie

Usually if you have OWE status JAL will take decent care of things. But like all things Japanese they are extremely by the book. So if its an AS ticket they will pretty much always make you to deal with AS, who obviously has little power to help with JL issues. So it becomes a lot of back and forth with very long times to fix things.

azepine00

you are at mercy of operating carrier when the one you book with has no presence in the area whatsoever.. this pretty much applies to any international AS award so use common sense and realistic expectations.. that being said JL (and CX in the past for me) already proactively rebooked ppl at least on US-Japan segment we'll see soon how they handle intra asia misconnects.. i doubt ppl will get routing changes flexibility but i'll be happy to be wrong

olouie

In my case they did auto rebook, but to days before my flight when I wouldnt even have arrived in KIX yet (also on a JL flight from LAX). Kind of funny how that happens.

SCtrojan

I saw the original "rant" version. Definitely sorry to hear. I cannot believe they turned off the IFE...

I once booked my wife on a JAL flight SFO-HND using AA miles. There was an issue that caused a cancellation (new 787 issues) and basically there was no follow up. My wife claimed they were speaking to all the Japanese passengers but not the US ones, but I was not there. This was a 1 week trip and their solution was for her to fly 3 days later, so it would have been like a 2-3 day trip after that. I pressed hard on AA and they actually got her a same day ticket on UA (don't as me how) which was SFO-NRT. This was all in economy class, but nonetheless that's why I figured to ask on pressing AS.

Seems like the best course of action is to try to rebook a more preferred routing. The other thing is I HOPE Japan is reopening and then it's more of a 2 day layover in Osaka, which is not the worst thing in the world (looks like the hotels are actually way cheaper than LA due to FX rate and fewer tourists!). If it really hits the fan I can try to book a backup economy class ticket as there are no more biz class seats available basically and maybe get lucky on a close-in award availability.

azepine00

Looks like our lax-kix-bkk got rebooked via nrt

olouie

Same. Seems like lax-kix isn’t operating much anymore (if at all?)

azepine00

a couple further notes - it shows as "coach D" in my trips (desktop) but D is business and it allows business seat selection on JL site (finger crossed for carrying D-fare properties into my MP earning )
godawful sloping seat featured on KIX-BKK is on NRT-BKK as well (i think the past NRT-BKK had more current product but i may be wrong)..