Fiji Airways cancelled my flight and gave me a terrible reroute, advice?
#16
Ambassador, New England
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Maineiac, USA
Programs: Amtrak, WN RR, Choice
Posts: 2,655
I guess the lesson learned here is that the "service" you bought is not a specific routing (despite what your ticket says), it is only to get you safely from where you are to where you want to be. The routing is not guaranteed and can change absolutely any time until you actually get to your intended destination! I guess be thankful they told you in advance and not while you're at the airport or worse, when you're in the air!
Also remember that if you book the flight directly with the airline (instead of Priceline like this case), you might have more leverage for them to either give you what you want or at least compensate you for your trouble (usually not a refund, but more like extra perks, upgrades, miles, etc.). Removing the middle man OTA gives you a much better platform to ask for such things.
Also remember that if you book the flight directly with the airline (instead of Priceline like this case), you might have more leverage for them to either give you what you want or at least compensate you for your trouble (usually not a refund, but more like extra perks, upgrades, miles, etc.). Removing the middle man OTA gives you a much better platform to ask for such things.
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denmark
Programs: TK Elite
Posts: 11,780
#19
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Economy, mostly :(
Programs: Skywards Gold
Posts: 7,801
I'm the OP. The carrier cancelled the flight they sold me a ticket on for operational purposes and rerouted me with a significantly shittier route - "take it or suck it"
If I did that in my day job, I'd be sued to oblivion.
I.e. they couldn't sell the tickets or know how to run that flight with profit and I get to be the sucker
If I did that in my day job, I'd be sued to oblivion.
I.e. they couldn't sell the tickets or know how to run that flight with profit and I get to be the sucker
Unfortunately you're wrong. You purchased a ticket for travel between X and Y, and had a reservation for a flight which has now been cancelled. Your "contract" relates to the ticket, not the reservation. The carrier's contractual obligation is to transport you from X to Y, which they are still offering to do. Furthermore, you have admitted that there is no better option or alternative that you prefer, thus you're seemingly just fishing for compensation. Cancel and book elsewhere, or just live with it.
#20
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 1999
Programs: FB Silver going for Gold
Posts: 21,794
And if you think FJ is screwing you over, you should take a look at cruise lines (which can really screw you over, e.g., dumping you if they find someone that will pay more to charter the whole ship on the same itinerary) or even travel by freighter. The latter has very little protection as the ship can pick you up and dump you (or rather, you have to go board and disembark) where and when the owners/captain dictate. And if there's a delay, you have to pay for each extra day. And if it gets there earlier than scheduled, no refund.
A few years ago, my wife and I were supposed to get on a ship in Malta. The closest the ship got to Malta was either an ocean (Atlantic) or the length of a continent (Africa) away. And I wasn't even informed - I only knew because I noticed the ships.on the route rotation were going nowhere near Malta. If I wanted to get on that ship (we didn't because we wanted a Suez transit), we'd have to fly to the SE U.S. and pay for an extra week of sailing
A few years ago, my wife and I were supposed to get on a ship in Malta. The closest the ship got to Malta was either an ocean (Atlantic) or the length of a continent (Africa) away. And I wasn't even informed - I only knew because I noticed the ships.on the route rotation were going nowhere near Malta. If I wanted to get on that ship (we didn't because we wanted a Suez transit), we'd have to fly to the SE U.S. and pay for an extra week of sailing
#21
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: DTW
Programs: Alaska, Delta, Southwest
Posts: 1,663
Unfortunately you're wrong. You purchased a ticket for travel between X and Y, and had a reservation for a flight which has now been cancelled. Your "contract" relates to the ticket, not the reservation. The carrier's contractual obligation is to transport you from X to Y, which they are still offering to do. Furthermore, you have admitted that there is no better option or alternative that you prefer, thus you're seemingly just fishing for compensation. Cancel and book elsewhere, or just live with it.
#22
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Economy, mostly :(
Programs: Skywards Gold
Posts: 7,801
It’s funny how they can charge us extra for certain dates or nonstops over connections, but unilaterally change it without compensation? Sounds like that’s what the OP was getting at when he said he’d be sued into oblivion if he tried that in his line of work. Just because this is SOP for airlines doesn’t make it ethical.
#23
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: DTW
Programs: Alaska, Delta, Southwest
Posts: 1,663
I didn’t actually see the OP confirm they’re offering a full refund, but even so, they’ve presumably had his/her money for weeks or months now, and (perhaps not in this case, but hypothetically) whatever options were available at the time of initial booking no longer are. The actual damages sustained by this change could easily exceed the price of the ticket, so it doesn’t seem right that that’s all the airline is liable for.
#24
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Economy, mostly :(
Programs: Skywards Gold
Posts: 7,801
I didn’t actually see the OP confirm they’re offering a full refund, but even so, they’ve presumably had his/her money for weeks or months now, and (perhaps not in this case, but hypothetically) whatever options were available at the time of initial booking no longer are. The actual damages sustained by this change could easily exceed the price of the ticket, so it doesn’t seem right that that’s all the airline is liable for.
#25
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: DTW
Programs: Alaska, Delta, Southwest
Posts: 1,663
#26
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
Easier solution is for people to determine their own risk tolerance and insure the risk to the extent they want to. But, the premium is paid by the passenger who wants it and the rest of us get the benefit of the fare.
#27
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: DTW
Programs: Alaska, Delta, Southwest
Posts: 1,663
Easy to say until you are asked to pay the kind of fares which the kind of liability you want to offload would require.
Easier solution is for people to determine their own risk tolerance and insure the risk to the extent they want to. But, the premium is paid by the passenger who wants it and the rest of us get the benefit of the fare.
Easier solution is for people to determine their own risk tolerance and insure the risk to the extent they want to. But, the premium is paid by the passenger who wants it and the rest of us get the benefit of the fare.
#28
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Economy, mostly :(
Programs: Skywards Gold
Posts: 7,801
I don’t think extreme cases like this happen often enough that fairly compensating customers in such cases would make a huge difference to the bottom line. I still maintain airlines’ policies in these situations are pretty egregious and wouldn’t be tolerated in any industry that had actual competition.
You have different interpretations of fair
#29
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: DTW
Programs: Alaska, Delta, Southwest
Posts: 1,663
That’s not at all comparable because all the other options would still be available, and they don’t increase in price as time goes on. The issue with an airline ticket is that, when your reservation is canceled and you get a refund, all the options that were available originally are now gone or cost twice as much.
#30
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
None of it matters. What matters is the contract between OP and his carrier. It's a business transaction. Nothing more or less.