wws_ques

If the first of my original flights is cancelled, can I ask to get a new schedule that is different from what NWA assigns to me? We had a very bad experience last Dec around the Xmas holiday. Our first flight was cancelled due to the mechanical reason so we could not catch the flight from Tokyo to Detroit. Then, we were put on a UA flight to Chicago, and the next flight which was AA was cancelled due to weather reason. Last, AA, UA, and NWA did not want to talk to us... If that happens again, Can I ask NWA to assign me to the next day flights with the same route? What suggestions do you have? As a customer, what right should I have? Thanks.
Will

MikeMpls

Northwest (or Delta) would probably be delighted to keep you on their metal instead of paying another carrier to fly you.

However, if you're talking about holiday travel (which your previous bad experiences involved), the delay might extend to days. I'd cross my fingers and take my chances with UA or AA again if things are too booked up.

3Cforme

If that DL/NW flight is the next day, they might even come up with a hotel or meal voucher, but you will probably need to ask. You can also ask for a refund on a non-refundable ticket.

These suggestions apply to delays under airline control, not weather or air traffic control delays.

wws_ques

Yes. the delay is caused by the airline. My question is that if I dont like the schedule I receive, can I refuse to accept it and ask NW to assign me to the next day flight? My previous experience still makes me feel ill. We arrived home more than 24 hours later...

3Cforme

If you don't like the alternative offered, ask for what you want. If it is on the same carrier as ticketed, that day or the next day, the agent will probably agree. If you can not agree to a solution acceptable to both parties, you may request a refund.

Stripe

If I do the research myself and present a reasonable option to the agent, they have always done what I asked. Also, even if the delay or cancellation is weather-related I have found that a gate agent seems to have more flexibility than a phone agent to rebook you away from NW/DL.

Examples from my personal experience:
- LGA-DTW was cancelled due to an ice storm. NW originally rebooked me on NW for the next morning. Not only was I skeptical that ops would clear up by then (they didn't) but I knew that if they rebooked me on CO it would be at a full Y fare, I would get 150% EQM and I could upgrade instantly. A little online research located a CO flight out of EWR the next afternoon that still had F space available and I got the GA to switch me. I executed the instant upgrade on continental.com before the GA could even print out the new ticket.

- After a medical diversion caused a missed connection in NRT, NW rebooked me on ANA to my final destination the next morning. After getting to the hotel (paid by NW) I found a JAL flight that had a lighter load and allowed me to sleep in a bit longer. I called and was rebooked without a problem. And got a nice chunk of AA miles, in addition to the NW miles for the original routing.

I have others, but the key to all of them was that I presented the agent with specifics. If you just say "I want to go the next day" and make them find you a flight, they may not work very hard to do so.

sbagdon

WARNING!!!

From past experience, once NW has released a ticket to an interline carrier, they can not just "take that ticket back". Speaking from personal experience, a NW ticket moved to UA because of cx/ir-ops was then requested to returned back to NW, for the next day's NW flight. We were told this could not be done, NW could not just "take back" the ticket. We did not approach UA to release the ticket back to NW, at that point it was a lost cause. More irony... the UA flight ir-op'ed, and UA interlined the flight to AA without engagement. The AA flight ir-op'ed to the next day. It was quite the weekend.

When you ir-op'ed, did you request/approve the release to UA? Or was this done without engagement?

cfischer

oh man ... sounds triple-dip to me