Illegal Connection Flight XXLD - 3 months prior to travel date
 

Hi,

I have just joined flyertalk and shall request for suggestions on this one:

I am booked with family (4 persons) on an international Itinerary issued by Cathay Pacific Airways for travel in September 2014. The routing on a single ticket is as follows:

BOM-HKG-SFO (on CX)
OAK-PHX-FLG (on AA flight Number - Codeshare - Operated by US Aiways)
LAS-MIA (on AA flight Number - Codeshare - Operated by US Aiways)
JFK-HKG-BOM

The AA bookings are on a OneWorld Alliance basis.

My Second sector was booked on original ticket as follows:
OAK 19.15 PHX 21.10 >> PHX 22:45 FLG 23.30

Now the second flight (PHX-FLG) has been cancelled, leaving me in trouble.

Can you please advise which of the following changes I am entitled to. The Cathay Pacific office does not seem too keen on assisting me, so I have to propose something which looks reasonable.

A. SFO 17.05 PHX 19.10 >> PHX 19.45 FLG 20.40 (Pls note change of departure airport. I have been confirmed on phone by US Airways that they consider SFO/OAK/SJC as co-terminals although their website lists only SFO/SJC as co-terminals

B. SFO 20.18 PHX 22.20 >> Overnight layover at PHX >> PHX 10.35 am (next morning) FLG 11.30 am (Again change of airport and an overnight layover)

I seem to prefer 'B' more. This is because I get more time at SFO and also I dont want to risk connections.

Also just in case I choose 'B', can I request the airline to provide accomodation as well.

Thanks very much.

1. As a practical matter, I would not bother flying PHX-FLG. It's on a horrible 50-seater CRJ. Only a 2-hour drive from PHX and, with a family, a whole lot nicer. By the time you get yourself from OAK to SFO and also inconvenience yourself as to PHX-FLG, flying makes even less sense.

2. It is always better to propose something than to ask for proposals. If you really do want to fly this segment, you can ask CX to rebook you. Just have the specific information handy. I presume that these are revenue, not redemption tickets. If CX has any questions, their rate desk can speak with AA about the co-terminal issue.

3. Neither CX nor any carrier is under any obligation to house & feed you if you choose the overnight routing.

Thanks Often1, for your advice.

I shall be travelling to Grand Canyon National Park and have a night booked there. My original idea was to arrive at FLG the night before for an overnight stay at FLG and transfer to GCNP next morning by Taxi (I'd not like to drive in the USA as you drive on the other side of the road, which I am not used to).

I will be putting up at downtown San Francisco before travel and travel times to OAK and SFO being quite similar, I preferred a flight out of OAK to avoid fog related delays which SFO often experiences.

I see a point in your suggestion about the drive from PHX-FLG being beautiful... In fact, I shall need to take a taxi from PHX-GCNP (4 hours). But there is a problem here at this juncture. The local CX office issued my ticket only after manually calculating the fare (which they said is very painful) and then going through a series of approvals. Now, requesting them to drop PHX-FLG from OAK/SFO-PHX-FLG leg, would be difficult and they have charged very little for OAK-FLG anyway, so refundable amount for PHX-FLG portion will be negligible.

What would you suggest?

Also if I consider option 'A' as per my original post, there is 20% Chance of missing connecting flight PHX-FLG. If that happens and there is no availability on next day morning flights, I might decide to take a taxi next morning from PHX to GCNP as the next best option. In such case, will the rest of my itinerary stand good for travel, as I shall not be availing PHX-FLG leg of the travel?

There are a number of better options than taxi to get from Phoenix to Grand Canyon National Park! https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q...+national+park

1. If you do not fly a segment of a ticket, the remainder of your ticket will auto-cancel and have no value. You run the risk that it will not be reinstated and that you are required to purchase the onward/return segments back to BOM. Thus, if you do not fly the segment due to the change or a cancellation or delay, make certain that the segment is cancelled and that you confirm, after the fact, that the remainder of your itinerary is still intact.

2. If you still wish to fly, your options are to fly earlier or later and CX, as the ticketing carrier, will have to make all of this happen. As noted, you are not entitled to and are extraordinarily unlikely to be issued vouchers or a reimbursement for the hotel rooms should you choose to fly in the night before.

3. Lots of travel options xPHX. I can't conceive of a taxi.

Thanks BarbiJKM, the only other option for PHX-FLG and actually PHX-Grand Canyon for that matter, other than flight option, self-drive option appears to be shuttle which would cost $70 per person. So it would be $280 for the four of us. A taxi costs $440 from GCNP-LV, so I would expect Phoenix to GCNP transfer to cost $350-400 with flexibility of time and shall save around 2 hours time.

Thanks Often1, for pointing out this technicality of missing one flight segment. But please see the following. 44 minutes of connection time and 17% chance of delay of first flight. So there could be possibility of missing onward connection. With a 50 seater CRJ, chances would be that the two morning flights on the next day go full. So what choice is a passenger left with? Either wait indefinitely for US to accommodate you on an available flight or make alternative arrangements for transfer with the hassle of contacting CX to cancel the segment. Here unsure whether the CX call centre in USA shall help on a ticket issued in India (It appears from your post that AA/US shall not be able to do anything)... Is airline travel so complicated really ? :confused:

Thanks

454
5:05 PM SFO 7:13 PM PHX 2h8m -- A321 Coach (V)
80% 17% 0%
Stop: Change plane
2940
7:57 PM PHX 8:40 PM FLG 0h43m -- CRJ Coach (V)
77% 10% 7%

OP - Several thoughts and a caution:

1. You need to make some decisions. Soon. Time is your enemy. With the cancellation of your scheduled flight, other pax on that flight will be rebooking onto the earlier / later flights and soon enough (if not already), there won't be 4 seats to be had. You will then be stuck somewhere for some period of time.

2. The PHX conenction is legal. If you misconnect, US will rebook you next available. That is because it is "day of" and US will be the late-delivering carrier. Right now, CX is the ticketing carrier and it is CX which needs to deal with US. The unknown here is what "next available" means.

You are simply going to have to do an analysis, including determining what your travel insurance will cover here, and come to a decision.

Thanks, I will work this out soon. Just one query here. If I miss my connection and the "next available" is not until next afternoon, I will not sacrifice my next day, probably my one and only in my lifetime in Grand Canyon National Park... So I will definitely make alternative arrangements for ground transfer... Will US have the power then to remove this flight from the itinerary or report it as Flown (I shall seek no refund for PHX-FLG).. So that the rest of my itinerary remains intact or shall I have to contact CX at the that point of time. Interestingly the flight shown on my ticket shall be AA (Codeshare flight number).

Thanks a lot for all the technical help...

Yes. US will be able to cancel the segment. No, US will not credit it as flown. When you get back home at the end of your trip, you can request a refund for the value of your segment.

Excellent. This should take care of all worries. I might bother you and this forum if any further questions arise.