tmac100

In the last several months I am noticing EK making changes to my booked flight times. Today a flight EK852 on April 13th has been advanced by 10 minutes. Before Christmas I got caught with such a change and had to pay a penalty to catch a later flight. In that case, I arrived at the airport (DXB) with my printout and was told - "Sorry it has been changed and you should have received an SMS." Mobile was turned off as I was outside of the UAE and ... Grrr. Lesson learned. Now I get my alerts with emails.

In addition, my flights 106 and 881 on April 21st and 22nd have also been changed.

Anyone else have such changes? Ten or 15 minutes can make a BIG difference in my travel plans when others are depending on me leaving at a certain time and NOT earlier.

Comments? Is there a way to change this flight to a later one and NOT pay the EK "change fees"? Flying later would be better than flying sooner.

skywardhunter

I don't really see how 10 minutes makes that much of a difference. With air travel having flexibility of 30-60 minutes built into one's schedule is pretty much required.

Free changes are generally permitted with significant schedule changes (not sure how EK defines this, but it'd be >60 minutes most likely)

tmac100

I am expected to be at a meeting until a certain time. Period! I get good money to follow the Boss' schedule. My Boss gives diddly squat about what EK is doing with my travel plans. Hence the question about changing to a later flight.

skywardhunter

Yes but if your schedule doesn't allow for a 10-minute delay it's a bit tight to begin with I'd say, what if there's a traffic jam? Do you plan to arrive at the airport at exactly T-60 to check-in?

eternaltransit

In the same way that your boss does not care about what EK does with its scheduling, EK does not care about your schedule with your boss.

For small time changes such as this, it is unlikely you will be offered free rebooking regardless of ticket type.

You will likely be liable to any change fees and fare differences if you want to change flight.

I agree with skywardhunter that if 10-15 minutes is enough to make you a no-show, then your itinerary probably needs more time to allow for unforeseen issues (which could even be long queues at security or immigration).

tmac100

Traffic is not an issue mid-day. I may either ask my Boss if I can leave early, or (more likely) drop my bags off before the meeting .....

No one is commenting on whether these schedule changes are common with EK. I have had 4 already since Dec 2016 and I don't fly EK that often (10 times since Sept 2016).

skywardhunter

I don't think they're that frequent, but more likely that an occasional overall schedule review causes multiple flight schedules to be adapted slightly. Also adjustment for change in winds/average flight times etc. I've noticed one of my regular flights now arrives 10 minutes later than it used to.

Luckily this hasn't resulted in me missing a meeting yet!

tmac100

Your first sentence seems to indicate you don't work for someone else or else your boss is carefree wrt your work schedule. When a schedule is posted and a booking made (based on the assumption that the stated schedule will remain as printed), what consequence is there for changes? You say none for the customer. When does a change become important? 10 minutes, 30 seconds, 40 minutes?

Just wondering, because it seems the customer is left holding the bag with changes?

As far as your comment about EK not caring, I suppose I can always fly Qatar next time. Their schedules have never been changed (after booking) in the past 3 years of flying with them. Besides, they have more available flights - but they cost more

eternaltransit

I fail to see how pointing out that EK does not care about the schedules of its passengers has to do with my working arrangements.

The point is, EK is not liable for consequential losses - of which you missing a flight because of your personal commitments would be.

Yes - customers are left holding the bag, that is nature of air travel.

Emirates' conditions of travel makes the threshold for changes being "reasonable":

https://www.emirates.com/english/ima...233-431995.pdf

Specifically in the main contract, Article 9.1.1:

https://cdn.ek.aero/english/images/c...233-194795.pdf

There are remedies of course, if:

Of course, what is reasonable would be up to a court to decide, but I think 10 minutes is not going to pass that test. An hour, potentially, potentially not. I think it would also depend on the notice given.

If it was held that they failed to operate the flight reasonably then:

- you can be rerouted
- you can have a refund reflecting carriage not taken

skywardhunter

I would wager that most EK pax` schedules include over 12 hours of travel time, sometimes more than double that. A 10 minute (less than 2% of total travel time) change is truly, by no standard, significant.

tmac100

No matter now. The EK changes are what they are. I have now made my next booking with QR and their more frequent flights will not make things "so tight for me" - even if they make a 10 or even 30 minute schedule change

I expect no changes to their schedule (as I also do expect with any airline when I book with them). But you never know.

Thanks to all for the input. I will see if my Boss is understanding and will let me leave the meeting early... Fingers crossed.

RichL

Maybe it's time to get a new boss

Unless it's the Boss meaning Bruce Springsteen.

Don't make him / her anymore important by giving them a capital b!!! If they aren't going to let you leave ten mins early they sound like an arse.

Unless of course you work in a nuclear reactor or your boss is a heart surgeon

Kiwi Flyer

All airlines have schedule changes, and generally do not provide for free flight changes for minor schedule changes (10 minutes is minor). I think you've been lucky with QR (and/or have not flown with them often enough to experience this).

Sometimes they will provide more flexibility - if it suits them (e.g. your original flight is oversold but the other flight option is lightly loaded), or as a goodwill gesture to high status/high value customer. However, this is never guaranteed. It doesn't hurt to ask EK but don't expect a free flight change for such a minor schedule change.

tmac100

This BOSS is the best one I have worked for in a veeeerrrrry long time. Hence my attitude to following his directions. Nope, Brucie is not a Boss that I recognize - he depends of fans for his income. I don't contribute to that sort of media hype That said, Brucie is a very good singer/songwriter ^

No matter, the deed is done with EK. My Boss is happy too with my "unscheduled" early departure. Maybe I should bring him some Turkish locum when in the Greece-Turkey area flying a connection with EK.

DYKWIA

Strangely enough, my MAN-DOH on QR flight time was changed from 08:00 to 07:50 a couple of months back. Fortunately, I'm not important enough that it made any difference