spongenotbob

Does LH have a specific requirement for how large a schedule change must be, to qualify for a full refund? What if it's a codeshare (i.e. LH code, UA metal)?

Any other tricks to getting a refund on a ticket booked for many months in the future?

Thanks in advance ... $300/passenger change fee, really? ... Absurd ... (this is a US-Eastern Europe itinerary if it matters)

oliver2002

60-75 min change usually means they can make substantial changes/refunds without penalty. You are entitled for a complete refund when in line with EU261/04 rules.

Germanfflyer

If there is a schedule change you can ask for a refund - it all depends on circumstances but I am quite sure anything more than 1 hour is easy to argue....

If you are in GER you can always cancel and get 95% of the fare + taxes back....

http://unternehmen.focus.de/stornokosten-flug.html

spongenotbob

Thanks very much.

spongenotbob

One last question ... what would you estimate are the odds that there will be a material enough schedule change (SFO-FRA-LED R/T itinerary, UA metal for the TA, LH metal intra-europe) between now and April 2016 to trigger this? Just trying to decide whether to file a trip insurance claim now (and eat 25% of the ticket cost) or sit, and wait, and wait, for a possible schedule change...

Thanks again for your insight!

NewbieRunner

It seems highly unlikely that the schedule of a TATL flight will change as much as 60-75 minutes but then you are talking about a UA flight. I have seen many temporary schedule changes to TATL flights during the periods in March and late October/early November when European and US times get out of sync for a week or two.

When the schedule of my SFO-FRA flight on LH metal changed by 20 minutes I received an email with the following:

"Please note that a time change has arisen in your booking from SAN FRANCISCO CA to FRANKFURT DE which you can find out about from the updated itinerary. If you need to rebook, please contact us within the next 14 days and we will inform you about possible alternatives. Rebooking requests received later than 14 days after the timetable change do not count as 'involuntary' and will therefore be subject to the original fare conditions."

It does not mention anything about cancellation but there was no problem changing a connecting flight to a later one.

warakorn

Actually a schedule change is considered to be a cancellation in regards to EC261/2004, because the airline has abandoned its original flight plan.
If the schedule changes, the passenger must oblige to different check-in and boarding cut-off times.

Anyway, EC261/2004 would make virtually any long term booking refundable.
This case, however, has not been brought up to the higher courts, yet.

oliver2002

UA keeps updating and changing their flight schedules, and in the next few months you will see adjustments and flight number changes galore

spongenotbob

That's my hope!

yyy77

I have a summer 2016 trip from YYZ to NBO booked. I am on my 3rd schedule change. Original was:

YYZ-FRA-NBO
NBO-ZRH-YYZ

Our FRA-NBO was supposed to be operated by LH but they scratched the Monday flight. Rebooked (no penalty; and they actually let me cancel the original and re purchase as fare was lower):

YYZ-ZRH-NBO (YYZ-ZRH is AC; ZRH-NBO is LX)
NBO-ZRH-YYC (NBO-ZRH is LX; ZRH-YYZ is AC)

Second schedule change had ZRH-NBO flight pushed back 30 min. No big deal.

Third schedule change is; NBO-ZRH has become NBO-DAR-ZRH. Lengthening journey time by 3:45 min.

Fares are P class and tickets issued by LH - I know there are no LH operated flights but they originally operated the FRA-NBO that got cancelled.

I know I can more than likely cancel the tickets and rebook NBO-europe-YYZ with another carrier direct. I'm not stuck with Star Alliance as am giving up on bothering with status.

My question for the board is has anybody had any success in bumping up to F on a changed flight like this?

For what its worth both my wife and I are Star Alliance Gold (via AC Status) but hold no LX or LH status.

PetzLUX

You will probably stay in business.
LX is normally upgrading HON and SEN first.

cfischer

not on a P fare. You can get a refund or a re-route on *A carriers where on LH group they can likely override P-class availability. Upgrade to F might be available for a fee at check-in but a free upgrade on this route is unlikely.

GREAKLY

Is there a specific wording in EU 261 as to how long the schedule change HAS TO BE that the passenger is entitled to ticket cancellation and a full refund? If a schedule change is 30 min airline usually says "no big deal" and refuses to cancel the ticket. But if I show up at the counter 5 minutes AFTER the registration close all the sudden it's a different story.

SK AAR

There is nothing about schedule changes in EU Reg. 261/04. It deals with cancellations.

The practice of airlines varies a lot. Some carriers are quite generous in allowing rebooking or cancellations/refund whereas others are more strict and will refuse to cancel for (in)convenience of a schedule change. Some times it even depends on the agent you talk to.

thbe

And it may depends on your status at that airline as well.