netflyer

I have already completed the onward journey from DEL - PEK - SFO on Air China Biz class and was scheduled to fly back later this month from SFO - PEK - DEL. Now Air China has cancelled SFO-PEK flight and only option they are offering is refund without any penalty. It would have been an easier choice for unused ticket but not the case for partially used ticket. It is kinda a double whammy as not only the refund amount will be tiny but also purchasing a one way Biz class ticket at this time will be rather expensive.


Usually airlines provide alternate routes and such when flights are cancelled. I was wondering what are the legal obligations of Airlines in such events? Can they simply offer refunds for partially used tickets and wash their hands off any obligations?


Thanks in advance.

ual744777sta

Their legal obligations are listed in their Contract of Carriage.You can call them and see if they can route you on UA's nonstop DEL-SFO or through another carrier.

hur88

I think many airlines are taking the stance that since the coronavirus is beyond the control of the airline, rebooking on another carrier is beyond their responsibilty.

Often1

Forget about what CA is "offering". Have you actually called and asked CA to rebook you on another carrier and provided the specific reroute you want? If not, then do so immediately.

CA has no obligation to reroute on other carriers and as it is not currently flying between the US and China, a refund is the only option if it will not rebook as noted above.

If CA will not rebook, you should look to your travel insurance to cover the difference between the refund you will receive and the cost of a new ticket.

moondog

Note: This clause is one of several options CA has at its disposal, and I certainly wouldn't count on it working, but it wouldn't hurt for the OP to reference it during his phone call to CA.

brunos

The option is for the pax to choose, not CA.
But the current situation is catastrophic in Northern Asia and it will be hard to reroute going west. US airlines have even cancelled their flights to HK.
Air China has nearly closed its international flights, so rerouting can only be on another carrier, preferably a *A one.
The air travel situation is chaotic in Asia with country restrictions changing by the day and light flight loads leading to a lot of flight cancellations.. Good luck
.

moondog

It's not hard for me to imagine CA simply saying "no".

_nate

I am in a similar situation. They said no on the phone so I have emailed quoting the terms and requesting another carrier. Will post back the result.

netflyer

Thanks for all suggestions. CA has repeatedly said NO to rebooking on other carriers and that refund is the only option they can offer.

netflyer

Thanks. Please do update when you hear from them.

moondog

It probably won't work, but if you reference that one paragraph from their COC that I quoted upthread in authoritative manner, this should at least get your call escalated to a supervisor. The problem is that clause doesn't seem to have a especially sharp teeth; maybe you can present it like it does though.

SK AAR

Guys, referring to COC, regulation, etc will get you nowhere. The fact is that CA is not going to rebook you to another carrier. Period.

This Q has been discussed over and over again in various threads, and I have yet to see a single poster who have accomplished it. The policy of CA is a loud "No" to rerouting or rebooking to other carrier so you need to act accordingly rather than wasting time pursuing something that is impossible.

davistev

Your best bet is to rebook the return flight at a later date so you can at least rescue some of the value later and book a one way economy ticket back to India on Turkish Airways for around $500 or something. Avoid flying any other Asian airline just in case India bans fights from other Asian countries.

moondog

If he can't swing the reroute (which, seems very unlikely), I think the second best bet is to take the money as long as the amount is more than a pittance.