BLG

Given the number of times that I've had to re-route or layover in the last few months, I find myself planning day-early arrivals for important meetings or critical connections (for leisure travel). I also spend more time studying the alternative connections that I might need to jump on before I ever head to the airport. Wondering if others also allowing extra days (to say nothing of extra hours) for critical meetings/connections?

Right now I've got my fingers crossed for 1308 LAX-AUS on Friday. Don't like any of the workarounds!

KNRG

I've learned to avoid being the last flight of the night, even avoiding it for the connection, and to study a flight via one of the trackers for a few days to see how often it is late.

Also, avoid planes coming from cities like Chicago, it usually means your plane will be late or canceled.

I don't book extras or anything, but a fully refundable ticket or heck even a cheapie like a WN ticket could be kept as a backup. If you don't fly the WN flight it'll put the money in a bank under the reservation number which you can apply to your next backup flight.

For that particular flight, WN has 3 departures afterward. You'll get there late that night, but it's probably the cheapest option. Frontier and US also have flights for about the same price, but WN is the one who wont ding you for not flying and reusing the money.

(Edit: The assumption above is that getting there is more important then staying on AA.)

BLG

The WNs are indeed my backups. Just not much of a fan of the 5 hour/2 stop marathon I would likely end up with, or the shorter 1 stop that gets me in at midnight. But such are the times we fly in.

ty97

I guess I have much better luck than mosts, because all of these cancellations and re-routes aren't occurring to me.

That said, I normally avoid taking the last flight of the day, opting for (at most) the next-to-last so there is at least one more in case of delay/cancellation, etc.

nrr

Sometimes indirect routes can work; the aa computer is "supposed" to find these, but doesn't always. I arrived in dfw and found that my flight to las was (just) cancelled. At the admirals club they wanted to put me standby (with no guarantee of getting on) on the next flight; when i suggested dfw-lax-las, the agent noted that the computer was not showing this routing, but manually the aangel was able to book this and i got to las only a little later than my original routing.

JDiver

Off the top of my head:

Try to avoid the last day's flight at all costs.

Have alternate route familiarity.

Be flexible.

Don't check anything in.

Don't wait - call while the iron is hot, before queues or even Admirals Club; you can walk there while you are on hold or speaking to an agent.

Be prepared - if they are 240/80ing you to an ineligible flight, e.g. UA or US, or BA transat, be sure they append the involuntary reroute into your PNR.

This has all worked very well for me over the years, and a number of delays, cancellations, IRROPS, etc.

bdemaria

This isn't a contingency plan, it is common sense.

brp

Of all the suggestions that JDiver gave, I'd consider this one paramount. I've found it much easier to get rerouted when I knew the route. Recently had a FCO-ORD canceled for a mechanical. While an extra day in Rome would have been nice, we had to get back to work. Their suggestion: FCO-JFK...SJC the next day. My suggestion: reroute through LHR the same day. They went with my suggestion

Cheers.

BLG

More and more I try to live by your excellent "rules." Checking anything obviously makes quick changes impossible. Unfortunately, certain vacations do require checked baggage. Those are the ones -- when timing is critical -- that I'm now planning with extra-day buffers.

You're absolutely right about getting on the phone immediately. I've managed to get myself re-booked a few times while others are rushing into the club! Poured myself a drink and relaxed!

I now print out every option that I might need before heading to the airport!

ty97

I would love not to check a bag, but I go on the road 3-8 weeks at a clip. (sometimes to both a warm climate, and a cold climate on the same trip, just to make things fun!) I just can't imagine doing that via carry-on.

BLG

Exactly. We do 1/2 such trips/yr. Can't be done without checked luggage. I have considered using freight-forwarding services, but every time I look into it the price seems excessive. Anyone out there shipping their luggage -- any great deals?

daggett24

Although it hasn't been said directly, it all depends on the importance of the trip.

I will travel the day before if really important, although that adds a slight cost.

But more important (to me) than avoiding the last flight of the day, I tend to make reservations for the FIRST flight of the day, that way you have all day to get fixed in the event of an issue. Not all routes are flown multiple times a day, with some routs only being 2-3 times a day, avoiding only the last flight really isn't a big help. Being on the first one gives you more options.

Also, AC membership, and AA status always tends to help. Do MR's this year to set you up for next year.

3Cforme

MD-80 wire looms aside, I don't see how AA is significantly different from other carriers in delays and cancellations. Fly through LaGuardia or O'Hare often and there's a fair chance you'll experience delays, but the same is true of Newark and Atlanta. Anybody has data: bring them.

I was flying through ORD last Friday and my connection was cancelled, nominally due to weather. Three good things happened:

1. I got rebooked, w/o even having to ask.
2. AA left messages on cell phone and home phone with specifics of re-route.
3. They comped me to first class.

The overriding bad thing is their re-route would have left me stuck in STL for even longer than I got stuck in ORD, but a helpful gate agent quickly saw my point and confirmed me on the next n/s flight to my destination.

makfan

My first two trips after AADER started were 4 segments each. On the first trip, the outbound connection canceled while I was waiting in the AC before initial departure. A confirmed seat and upgrade were available one hour later, so not a big deal.

The second trip, I was still at the hotel packing to come back when the phone rang and my connection in ORD was canceled. They rerouted me through DFW but no upgrades available. The new arrival was about 30 minutes later.

As it turned out, the BOS-ORD segment also canceled--but not until after departure time--so I lucked out getting rerouted early. I also ran into a pilot I know, who flew captain for my DFW-SFO segment (so I was treated quite well in Y). At any rate, that was 3 cancellations out of 8 segments, but the net delay cost to me was about 1.5 hours. It was also a treat being flown home by a friend.

makfan

I agree. I try to keep a PDF schedule on my laptop and keep abreast of the schedules in and out of the Bay Area airports. I'm also nearly always willing to take a reroute into OAK or SJC to avoid being stranded on the way home. (Yes, I know, OAK is not going to be an option much longer)