LAN schedule changes create less than minimum connecting time in LIM
 

SUMMARY: I am posting this here as one of my two cross-referenced award km/miles tickets is issued by LAN and the other by BA, all flights are on LAN, and LAN has made several schedule changes to my BA ticket.

My original flights on Dec 29/30/31 were booked as:

Ticket 1 (using LANPASS miles – only the return of the R/T GPS rez shown below as Flight 1)
Flight 1: Dec 29 XL 1550 dep GPS 12:05 arr UIO 17:20 (3:20 connection)
Connecting to…
Ticket 2 (3 segments using BA miles on LAN)
Flight 2: Dec 29 LA 2589 dep UIO 20:40 arr LIM 22:55
Flight 3: Dec 30 LA 2639 dep LIM 00:35 arr SCL 05:10 (1:40 connection)
Flight 4: Dec 31 LA 297 dep SCL 01:25 arr PUQ 04:55

Schedules have changed to what currently shows:
Ticket 1
Flight 1: Dec 29 XL 1550 dep GPS 12:35 arr UIO 17:15 (same 3:20 connection)
Connecting to…
Ticket 2
Flight 2: Dec 29 LA 2589 dep UIO 20:35 arr LIM 22:50 (5 min early)
Flight 3: Dec 29 LA 643 dep LIM 23:35 arr SCL 05:10 (Different flight, 1hr early, only 45 min connection)
Flight 4: Dec 31 LA 097 dep SCL 01:50 arr PUQ 05:15

Obviously Flight 2 LIM-SCL has changed times (and apparently flight numbers also?!). The problem is that it only gives me a 45 min connection in Lima. I called BA and they said everything looks OK and the reservation was not flagging or error messaging this as a misconnect in LIM. However upon checking the system, the agent determined that the MCT was 55 min. Houston, we have a problem.

The BA agent said that with partner award seats, even if schedule changes were caused by that partner, BA does not have a liaison to go to for resolution. BA can only rebook on the next miles-available flight. My problem is that the next miles-available flight is on Dec 30 - LA 531 dep LIM 08:15 arr SCL 13:40. This is not acceptable to me for 2 reasons: (1) I’ve already booked a tour and everything for the day of Dec 30 in Santiago to go to Valparaiso and Vina del Mar – and (2) A crazy connection at the worst time in LIM. I will have to wait in the airport for 9 hours overnight – and lose the day in SCL.

Questions:

1) There appears to be a new flight LA 601 on Dec 30 dep LIM 00:25 arr SCL 05:45 which is 10 minutes earlier than LAN 2639 which I was originally booked on – BA does NOT show this as miles-available, but it is the only one which will let me connect acceptably and keep my SCL plans intact. How can I get on this flight? Normally if I had booked using AA miles, AA would have requested this through their AA-LAN liaison as the most reasonable alternative, since it is the closest in time to my original flight – which LAN changed in the first place. But BA says they do not have a liaison for these types of issues.

2) Since the new flight I am booked on is arriving in SCL at the same time as my old flight BUT leaves an hour earlier!!!, unless they’re running a different aircraft which adds a whole hour to the original time, I suspect this is some kind of Daylight Savings type time change. Can someone confirm?

3) Does this have anything to do with the airport shutdown in LIM from 1-7AM or something like that through January for repairs?

4) BA asked me to call LAN to check if they will even let me board the flight in UIO because of the MCT violation in LIM. LAN has already made 3 schedule changes to my flights - but can they reprotect me on LA 601? Or should BA be calling LAN?

5) What if I don’t do anything? At this time no record is being flagged, BA shows the reservation as OK on their systems, and no one is calling me to report a problem. Should I just leave the 45min connection as is and deal with it when I get to LIM if I misconnect? Will my boarding passes even print out in UIO? Because I obviously will need a BP before boarding in UIO so I can connect in LIM. Will they notice the 45 min connection and put me on the 00:25 flight in UIO?

Apologies for brainstorming multiple alternatives but I am in uncharted territory as usually it’s the ticketing carrier that does the back end work.

Thanks

Well, maybe a start at an answer for you. Yes, because of the construction. But I've been thru LIM a few times recently and they seem to be dealing with it pretty well, I think they clear the flights before shutting it down for the night.

Not sure I'd be too worried right now, the connect is pretty fast thru the sterile area, sometimes a bit of a line but they'd put you to the front if you asked, and you can print your boarding pass 48 hours before (when you are in Ecuador) for protection as well... maybe others have opinions

I think BA is full of crap. Your contract of carriage is with BA - and they are responsible from getting you from xxx to yyy. LA, in my experience this year, has been good with re-accommodations because of schedule changes (via my AS miles).

45 minutes @ LIM is doable (if on time). The earlier flight, I believe, is a 319.

I can only say that my experience says do nothing as with LAN there is the probability that the flight will either change back to the original time or they will make sure you make your connection. IME showing up at the airport with a printed, confirmed itinerary gives you more ammunition than trying to fix it on your own ahead of time which can cause more problems than you started with. :mad:

On the other hand, I agree that BA should be dealing with this. If you are not willing to let it ride, I would call back until you get an agent who is willing to do something proactive.

LA 601 is not a new flight - but the times have been tinkered with everything because of the runway closures. (It is LAX/LIM/SCL) I will actually be on it LIM/SCL.

You also have an option of
LA1441 UIO GYE 2100 2155
LA1447 GYE SCL 2225 0550

Looks like 1441/1447 are almost full - only full Y is available.

Success... and lessons from this heuristic experience
 

So I think the BA system finally caught up with the sked change. In a previous post I had mentioned that the BA system was not flagging the 45 min connection as an error. Well the system woke up today and sent me an e-mail with the 1st two flights. I nearly had a panic attack thinking the last segment was cancelled. So I logged on to ba.com and all segments were there but with the same invalid connection in LIM. So I called BA Exec Club and a really helpful agent noticed that this time, the system was indeed flagging the connection as invalid. Then she said the magic words... "If the system recognizes an invol sked change, it will allow us to use any revenue seat to rebook, not just mileage available ones". So I immediately gave her my LA 601 preference and voilà it was all done in minutes. Of course there were no change fees.

I then went to lan.com immediately, and sure enough the new ticket number and new flight was in the rez. I also called LAN and they confirmed the flights and seat assignment for the new flight. I'm lucky I was able to be rebooked because 601 is becoming very busy.

Important lesson learnt: If you spot a LAN sked change on a BA ticketed rez which causes an invalid connection or other problem and the system hasn't flagged it, you can change your flights for free but only to another mileage available flight, since there is no LAN liaison and the system will not allow an override. However, when and only when the system flags it, then the agent can change to any available revenue seat without penalty.

While BA doesn't have a liaison with LAN, they apparently do have to go through a liaison with CX sked changes.

See you on 601!

Learned from your post, thanks. Have a great trip! Surely Eastbay will buy you a pisco? (jeje).

A cool thread. Wish you a good journey.:D

Were you on the flight? How was it? Plenty of empty seats up front LIM/SCL.

Very good info. My folks just had a sked change on IPC-SCL-EZE that is now 25 mins. Of course, no C/J mileage seats exist for rebooking.

I really hate talking to BA, and assume they are going to say they can only offer Y. But you're thread gives me hope, and I will fight.

Just FYI I posted this in the BA forum with a similar issue:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/1295316-involuntary-award-schedule-change.html


I had called several times and was told each time my option was to re-book on flights with award space or cancel the reservation.

I pretty much hate BA, and have been round and round with them on issues like this in the past, so nothing surprises me.