Why so many flight time changes on LAX- SEA route in Jan?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Programs: AA plat, Hertz, gold , Bonvoy gold,IHGplat
Posts: 309
Why so many flight time changes on LAX- SEA route in Jan?
I was booked on a flight scheduled to depart LAX at 9 and arrive in SEA at 1140. This is in Jan . I then have a connecting flight on Icelandair to KEF at 1430. I figured I would have no problem with the connection. Then Alaska changed the departure to 945 with an arrival of 1245 making me very anxious about that connection. My feeling that less than 2 hours for an international flight is cutting it to close. When I called Alaska to change to an earlier flight...730(ouch) they wanted me to pay both the fare difference and a change fee. I complained enough that she waived the change fee. Does anyone have any information why all these flights are being changed and about having to pay the change fee because of their changes? Now that I have 4 hours what lounges are available to me. I have a Priority pass available to me.
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
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Schedule changes many months in advance are nothing new, and common with just about every airline. What is unusual is when an agent does not provide flexibility for rebooking if the new flight time is not satisfactory.
#3
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Denver
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#5
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#6
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Pacific Wonderland
Programs: ʙᴏɴᴠo̱ʏ Au, IHG Au, HH Dia, Nexus, Pilot FlyingJ Preferred
Posts: 5,336
Did you pay the fare difference? Call back and reference Rule 8, and ask for a refund. If the rep refuses, request an escalation to a supervisor. A delay of more than 60 minutes on arrival, among other conditions, constitutes a schedule change.
https://www.alaskaair.com/content/le...arriage/rule-8
https://www.alaskaair.com/content/le...arriage/rule-8
When a ticketed, confirmed Passenger will be delayed because of a change in Alaska's schedule as defined in Rule 1 (Schedule Change), Alaska will arrange to:
- Transport the Passenger to his/her destination or next ticketed Stopover point on another Alaska flight on which space is available in the same or higher class of service than reflected on the Passenger's Ticket at no additional charge;
#7
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: Alaska Airlines
Posts: 658
Sounds like OP was able to get them to waive the demand to pay the fee but I'm surprised he had to complain at all. Even if the full flight with the FI segment is not on a single itinerary, the change was created by AS. I always thought it was the policy that if they change your flight which results in a delayed arrival time, you could either get a full refund or a "free" change to an earlier flight - even if you don't have status.
#9
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Pacific Wonderland
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Sounds like OP was able to get them to waive the demand to pay the fee but I'm surprised he had to complain at all. Even if the full flight with the FI segment is not on a single itinerary, the change was created by AS. I always thought it was the policy that if they change your flight which results in a delayed arrival time, you could either get a full refund or a "free" change to an earlier flight - even if you don't have status.
Schedule Change means:
The cancellation of a scheduled flight where no Alaska flight of comparable routing is available within sixty (60) minutes of the original time of departure; or
A change in the scheduled departure time of an Alaska flight which exceeds sixty (60) minutes; or
A change in the routing of a scheduled Alaska flight which adds one (1) or more stops to the original itinerary; or
A change in the routing of an Alaska scheduled flight that results in a scheduled arrival time more than sixty (60) minutes later than the original scheduled arrival time; or
Any change in the arrival time of an Alaska flight that results in a misconnection to any flight shown in the same reservation and Ticket.
The cancellation of a scheduled flight where no Alaska flight of comparable routing is available within sixty (60) minutes of the original time of departure; or
A change in the scheduled departure time of an Alaska flight which exceeds sixty (60) minutes; or
A change in the routing of a scheduled Alaska flight which adds one (1) or more stops to the original itinerary; or
A change in the routing of an Alaska scheduled flight that results in a scheduled arrival time more than sixty (60) minutes later than the original scheduled arrival time; or
Any change in the arrival time of an Alaska flight that results in a misconnection to any flight shown in the same reservation and Ticket.
I totally understand the weariness of dealing with those situations, but if you feel up for it later, please do send a quick note to Customer Care va the Contact Us page and ask them to follow up with the rep. You shouldn't have to do that to get them to follow their own rules.
#10
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 539
I understand that with an international connection it's tough to take chances and wait, but I bet that's not the last change taking place with flight times this far out. I can easily see your original flight going back to its original time or something close to it and you'll be stuck with the 7:30 AM departure and a long connection. It's happened to me with flights moving up in time with AS, I change to the late flight as the only feasible option and then a couple of months later my original departure comes back and I'm stuck with the late flight, paying the fare difference or waiting for an SDC and praying I don't get stuck in a middle seat...
#11
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Location: SEA (the REAL Washington); occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
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I understand that with an international connection it's tough to take chances and wait, but I bet that's not the last change taking place with flight times this far out. I can easily see your original flight going back to its original time or something close to it and you'll be stuck with the 7:30 AM departure and a long connection. It's happened to me with flights moving up in time with AS, I change to the late flight as the only feasible option and then a couple of months later my original departure comes back and I'm stuck with the late flight, paying the fare difference or waiting for an SDC and praying I don't get stuck in a middle seat...
#12
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Pacific Wonderland
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And even if the new flight didn't reschedule but the old one did (and is again a legal connect and a schedule you're comfortable with), you could still ask if they would put you back on your originally purchased flight. After all, the reason for the first flight change was due to AS' schedule change not a customer driven request.
#13
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 539
And even if the new flight didn't reschedule but the old one did (and is again a legal connect and a schedule you're comfortable with), you could still ask if they would put you back on your originally purchased flight. After all, the reason for the first flight change was due to AS' schedule change not a customer driven request.
What I do now is that when I get a schedule change alert is I just wait it out since I can always change to the late flight for free, and those flights do not fill up as quickly. If it seems like the schedule is going to stick to the earlier departure about a month out I call and make the change to the late flight.