pkr529

My wife and I are flying to Zurich in a few weeks and coming back from Venice on July 3. I originate in DCA and fly over through PHL and I come back to PHL to get to DCA. Late last week I called US Airways about a matter and I was given some bad news. My 3:15 pm flight from DCA to Philly was cancelled and I will now have to take a 1:45 flight causing me a 3 hours and 35 minute wait for the flight to Zurich (I was also told that my wife and I would not be sitting together in envoy due to a plane configuration change). But even worse, my 5:15 pm flight from PHL to DCA was cancelled and I now have to wait until 8 pm for my connection (a 5 hour wait). I spent about 1/2 hour with an agent trying to devise a better way to get back earlier to no avail. At this time, I can only hope that US Airways makes another schedule change for July 3 although that is very unlikely at this late date.

Often1

OP - Schedule changes happen and there really aren't any solutions on US. So the question to you is to ask, what do you want?

I would as a general matter never, ever, never start an international journey xDCA on one of those micro-hops to PHL. You are traveling through the most congested airspace in the country, if not the world, on the first type of flight to be delayed/canceled. For this reason, see the extra connection time as a blessing. You may well need it.

If you look at the time it will take you door-to-door (or maybe door-to-gate), it is likely far faster, more convenient and pleasant to take AMTRAK and then either a cab/Uber or SEPTA out to PHL from 30th St. Station.

The schedule change will likely allow you a fee-free cancellation of the DCA-PHL-DCA segments and even a refund of the value of those segments (which won't likely be much at all).

There is always a chance that US will change the DCA-PHL-DCA segments again, but at this point, not likely.

RMINIONE

Agreed - leaving DCA to PHL for an international flight is a strategic nightmare. These flights are usually late, cancelled, or as you now have a long layover in PHL to connect to DCA. A 5 hour layover in PHL is crazy. Use Amtrak, or ever look for a cheap one-way rental and drive. It is a 2.5 hours (without traffic).

Often1

Allowing 30 minutes from exiting CBP at PHL to 30th Street Station and presuming that you have just missed a train to WAS, the total from CBP to WAS will still be approx. 3:15. That is 1:45 less than the wait time at PHL, let alone the flight to DCA, retrieving luggage at DCA and so on.

pkr529

I live about 5 minutes from DCA. I have flown to and from Europe through PHL many times and have only missed one international flight. The thought of bagging the last leg has crossed my mind but I can still earn 500 elite miles and be very close to home when I land.

chris4096

I also don't understand the piling on the OP about doing DCA-PHL-Europe since I've done this several times myself too. The flights from DCA-PHL don't get cancelled that often at all and clearly OP will have enough time on the way out.

On the return, you have 3 options - take the flight they gave you, bag the flight and take Amtrak, or fly to or via a third city.

The first option is pretty rough with that long of a wait. I just did Amtrak to 30th street and the SEPTA down to PHL on my last Europe flight because of a huge price discount for the direct (go figure) and it was not a horrible option, but I am closer to Union Station than DCA.

If you want a different flight, I would have a specific flight route that you'd prefer them to give you on US/AA. Unfortunately, PHL is the only destination out of VCE so you are stuck looking at an alternative to BWI, which may not be much easier than just Amtrak from Philly depending on your destination.

If your flight was on miles you might be able to rebook on BA VCE-LHR-IAD but that's going to be a long shot for availability and a small fortune (x2) in fuel surcharges.

Bagging the flight and booking a train ticket isn't looking so bad.

pkr529

VCE to PHL is on my last Chairman's upgrade certificate (for me and my wife) so I do not want to lose that. Although the last leg is only 500 elite miles, it may become crucial to either me or my wife or both when we get towards the end of the year and see what elite level we are sitting at. I am checking everyday to see if there is a schedule change.

taxicabnumber

You could try to switch the outbound to AA metal, DCA-JFK-ZRH, and see if they can preserve the upgrades (if you upgraded them)? For the return, it does seem like you're SOL unless you want to double connect -- they might be willing to book you on BA/AA codeshares but I doubt they'd put you up front on BA. You could try (e.g.) VCE-(MAD|LHR)-PHL-DCA and have them preserve the upgrade on (MAD|LHR)-PHL?