comp hotel when no same-day connection possible?
 

CX's schedule cuts make a variety of connecting routes impossible. Anyone know whether CX is providing overnight hotel accomodations for affected passengers?

It seems to me that if you were already booked and a change by CX results in a particularly long connection, you would have a legitimate argument.

But if it is a new booking, or an alternative connection that you selected, you would be on your own.

I agree that that policy sounds fair. Too bad for me -- with my itinerary planned but not booked -- but understandable.

JL provides a room at NRT for an overnight connection on a paid F fare; I would imagine CX would do so also in HKG, for new bookings as well as changed connections. Probably it would extend to non-consolidator J fares too. Providing a hotel room used to be standard practice years ago when same-day connections were a rarity on some routes (and it was done for Y fares as well as F -- J didn't exist then).

Great. I'll call CX and see. Will report back to this forum with their answer...

ben, going to do another cnn interview? you might re qualify for exp this year with all your premium cx flights !

i should be so lucky as to get to go on cnn every time i pass through hong kong (which of course isn't all that often). but i will manage to requalify for exp, by the skin of my teeth, thanks to this rtw trip. may have to throw in a dfw-anc-dfw to get the last few thousand miles though!!! ;-(

I can't speak for current CX policy, but in the past CX has always comped rooms based on scheduling. Operating out of ICN, most of CX's schedule to SWP requires an overnight in Hong Kong. Since I have reasons to spend time in Hong Kong, I enjoy this, but on any normal ticket (non-group, non-consolidator)CX provides a voucher for a hotel room, transfer, and breakfast without asking, even in Y. Not a great hotel room, but....

Mark

Ben, in the past CX provided hotel accommodations for forced overnight connections for F, J and Y fares only. Last year I was on a forced overnight MEL-HKG-BKK and CX refused to provide accommodation because I was on an A fare (RTW). Took the matter up with customer service and they said the policy was firm, ONLY full-fare passengers are accommodated. Seemed a little odd they would accommodate a coach passeneger (Y) but not First Class (A). Don't know what the current policy is considering the massively altered schedule.

I had an AA mileage award ticket to SYD in business class where schedule changes forced me to overnight in HKG on the return.

Despite repeated attempts by the EXP desk, CX would not give a clear reponse on whether hotel accomodation would be provided. The answers ranged from "no" to "maybe, but it's up to the airport staff" to "I really don't know". Not a single instance of "yes".

Plato

I had the same problem with my upcoming trip to SYD. AA tried to get me a hotel room due to a forced overnight. CX responded no! I then called CX directly and spoke to a supervisor - 4 minutes later I had a choice of hotels in central or the airport.

Give calling CX directly a try.

BTW when are you passing through HKG fom/to SYD? I will be there June 6 &9

Too late...

I've already decided to cancel because it was a choice of reducing my vacation by one day or taking an extra day off. The initial indecision by CX was just the final straw.

That, and I was afraid that there may be further schedule changes between now and May 23rd, when I was scheduled to depart.

I called CX USA Reservations and got the same answer as jrussell -- hotel provided on full fares F, J, and Y but not on discount fares including round-the-world.

If only I could get MikeFly's supervisor on the line! Could call repeatedly until I get an answer I like, then try to lock it in via some kind of written confirmation, but that sounds time-consuming and might not be successful in any case. (Plus, what if CX doesn't have so many reservation staff working, and I get the same person for a second time?!)

Mike, how did you manage to get the supervisor? Just ask the person who answered for a supervisor?

Do you know of any written documentation of this benefit? You'd surely need to arrange your own overnight accomodations -- in advance! -- were CX not to provide this accomodation.

This is a benefit that should be of value to most folks flying your routing. So I would think CX would need and want to tell customers about this feature -- so they understand the money this saves them, etc. -- and would want to tell customers about this before they purchase the tickets at issue.

As to CX announcing the rules concerning for hotel vouchers and the like, I'm not sure that CX in Korea KNOWS the rules.

I love the airline, but the ground staff in Korea are very much dedicated to the cheap package tour market. Flying in Y HKG-ICN will leave you surrounded by Koreans coming back from shopping trips. It makes op-ups a matter of course (I pulled it on 11 of my last 12 runs, pre-SARS) but it makes finding information about what you can do almost impossible. MarcoPolo membership does wonders, and has earned me a few hotel rooms in Seoul when my return trip was delayed. (The last domestic flight to Pusan leaves at 7:30, so any delay leaves you stranded for the night)

Since I work with an off-line ticket office, they seem to know even less of what the airline offers. I have that rare find, a good travel agent, who has good reason to keep me happy, so if there is a possible benefit, I seem to get it without asking.

Mark