KA changes flight Schedule -they say I must do the rebooking?
 

Is this normal - Dragonair called me at home yesterday and informed me that their flight to Hong Kong from Xiamen on Friday June 16th has a time change (from 7Pm to 12 noon). They want to rebook me for 12 noon. I said no way, because I must work that day. They said I could go the next day but I said no way again because I must connect onto the Cathay Pacific Toronto flight and their "new" flight would make me one day late to Canada.

I said that I want to endorse my ticket to the China Southern flight as it would connect me no problems on the CX YYZ flight. At first they said no way because it was a discount ticket (YB fare - hardly a discount ticket in my mind.) I reminded them that this was an operational change and it was not in my control therefore they have an obligation to get me to my connection. Finally the supervisor agreed and gave me the following instructions:

1) Go to China Southern office and make new reservation.
2) Go to Xiamen Dragonair office with original ticket and get it endorsed for new reservation.
3) return to China Southern Office and have my reservation "confirmed".

I am very unhappy because it seems I have to do all the leg work in Xiamen because of an operational service change. Is this normal??
Dragonair keeps telling me that this is the procedure! Has anybody had experiences with this scenario? It does not seem right to me.

My preferred scenario is this.
1)Dragonair informs me of change and rebooks me on China Southern Flight.
2) I drop by Dragonair Xiamen office and have tickets reissued.

What do you think?




[This message has been edited by davistev (edited 04-29-2000).]

Please remeber this is China. China is the only place where someone refused to sell me a ticket becuase they did not feel like it. I had to go to a different ticket office to get my ticket!!!!!

Why don't you confirm the reservation with China Southern and go to the airport an extra hour early and have your ticket changed their. If China Southern wants a ticket number to hold the reservation, give them your original ticket number.

You are so right about China being, well - China.
In Xiamen China, a seperate company handles all check-in procedures - not the individual airlines that fly the route.

I am in Hong Kong right now so I think I'll pay Dragonair a visit here and see if they can straighten it out.

Funny you mentioned weird things that go on in China Tango. I just flew into Shenzhen on Xiamen Airlines. My seat was 1B. In most parts of the world this would mean priority baggage right! Not here, Xiamen airlines placed a bag tag on my checkin luggage reading "last Bag". Now does this mean on or off? Being that chinglish is the norm I should be glad iyt didn't read "lost bag".
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Don't baggage follow LIFO (Last In First Out)? So, a last bag tag could me priority.

I wouldn't know what to say about consumer protection in China (if it even exist). http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif


[This message has been edited by seawolf (edited 04-29-2000).]

While at Chap Lep Kok this morning I dropped by the Dragonair counter and in 3 minutes they had me rebooked on China Southern, ticket endorsed and confirmed.

I guess its not always airline "procedure" but airline "employee" that counts the most.

I'm now set.

Good to hear that it worked out!