DIRECT FLIGHT NO MORE :( - now what?

[loman]

Guess i am naive as i only ever fly out of YYZ . Only direct flights to and from my destinations . And i live 15 minutes away from the airport.

I didnt realize so many people despise it . Live and learn i guess.

[Froufie]

11 minutes ago, loman said:

Guess i am naive as i only ever fly out of YYZ . Only direct flights to and from my destinations . And i live 15 minutes away from the airport.

I didnt realize so many people despise it . Live and learn i guess.

I don't think we would 'despise' it if we could access it for direct flights like you do!  🙂  Just going through it and having to go through customs, given the size and 'busyness' with so many people/flights does not make it a happy 'connection' place!  

 

...and yes here in Ottawa it's 'slim pickings' - I am still surprised that a direct flight from Canada to Florida in January would be cancelled - but I guess it's up to the airlines to decide?  As mentioned I am not confident our direct return will happen either - and hoping we can find something suitable as well, if and when that happens!

 

[1kaper]

33 minutes ago, loman said:

Guess i am naive as i only ever fly out of YYZ . Only direct flights to and from my destinations . And i live 15 minutes away from the airport.

I didnt realize so many people despise it . Live and learn i guess.

 

Yeah, the issue is connecting there.  Well, for me anyway.  

[loman]

1 hour ago, 1kaper said:

 

Yeah, the issue is connecting there.  Well, for me anyway.  

I have only had one connecting flight to Las Vegas many years ago when Jetsgo

went bankrupt and i had to rebook with Southwest . All other flights have been direct so i never experience the hassles that others do . It must be stressful .

[Fouremco]

1 hour ago, loman said:

I have only had one connecting flight to Las Vegas many years ago when Jetsgo

went bankrupt and i had to rebook with Southwest . All other flights have been direct so i never experience the hassles that others do . It must be stressful .

In my many years of flying internationally for business or pleasure, including flights to/from/through some of the busiest airports in the world, I've only once had a connection where my bags didn't make it to the onward leg. Yup, YYZ, on a business flight to Paris. Fortunately, my itinerary had me arriving at CDG on the Saturday, and the suitcase with my suits and other clothing for the international conference commencing Monday morning was delivered on the Sunday.

[broberts]

In my experience with connecting flights there is no good airport.

[loman]

3 hours ago, Fouremco said:

In my many years of flying internationally for business or pleasure, including flights to/from/through some of the busiest airports in the world, I've only once had a connection where my bags didn't make it to the onward leg. Yup, YYZ, on a business flight to Paris. Fortunately, my itinerary had me arriving at CDG on the Saturday, and the suitcase with my suits and other clothing for the international conference commencing Monday morning was delivered on the Sunday.

That must of been stressful . Sometimes you get lucky . Glad it worked out for you. Its exponentially worse when you get separated from your luggage on a business trip . You can wing it if you are on vacation with your credit card but getting business attire in a pinch is problematic.

[Kris75]

23 hours ago, Froufie said:

Wow - that is awesome news - thanks for sharing. Do you have NEXUS by the way?

 

Now let's hope it's not super duper expensive/extra $$ to switch to these flights.  Plan to call Flights by Celebrity tomorrow (and let's hope I get someone helpful - last call was a huge disappointment as it took forever dealing with someone who had very little experience it seems!)

Nope no Nexus. If memory serves there was no-one in the Nexus line.

[Sue from Canada]

15 hours ago, bebe08 said:

Could you take the train to Dorval the day before and spend the night at an airport hotel?  There is a Marriott attached to the airport.  We had planned to do this for a cruise last year that of course ended up being cancelled.  

 

Another option could be the new bus service...don't know anything about it since it is quite new but according to website goes from Ottawa to Dorval. https://www.orleansexpress.com/en/

 

Good luck and happy travels

Thanks for the Orleans Express bus idea.  Did not know about this but would consider.

[Sue from Canada]

13 hours ago, loman said:

Guess i am naive as i only ever fly out of YYZ . Only direct flights to and from my destinations . And i live 15 minutes away from the airport.

I didnt realize so many people despise it . Live and learn i guess.

We glad you don't live in Ottawa.  We have a lovely airport but crap for routes and direct flights.

[Sue from Canada]

9 hours ago, broberts said:

In my experience with connecting flights there is no good airport.

My favourite airports are:  Tampa, Sarasota, Detroit, Seattle.    Some of the worse ones I try to avoid:  Toronto, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Newark, Keflavik (Iceland), Barcelona.

Edited December 17, 2021 by Sue from Canada

[GeriatricNurse]

3 hours ago, Sue from Canada said:

We glad you don't live in Ottawa.  We have a lovely airport but crap for routes and direct flights.

Commencing mid-March, 2022, 'PASCAN' will have three direct flights; (Monday - Friday; two direct flights, Saturday & Sunday); to/from Kingston to Dorval, with connections to Air Canada, Air Transat, etc.; 95% of the destinations as Toronto Pearson; so, thankfully, I will not have to travel to Toronto Pearson, for connecting flights; (although I'll miss the Via Rail travel experience, Business Class; to/from Toronto)!

 

Btw, can anyone give me their opinion(s) of the the 'Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport' at Dorval, other than me having to 'bone-up' on my Conversational French?

[thon]

2 hours ago, GeriatricNurse said:

 

Btw, can anyone give me their opinion(s) of the the 'Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport' at Dorval, other than me having to 'bone-up' on my Conversational French?

Before retiring I travelled extensively, both domestically and internationally.  Living in Ottawa of course I didn’t have many direct international flights to anywhere.  Having experienced connecting flights through Toronto I would avoid it like the plague if possible.  Montreal was much, much better.  Now for any vacation travel, if I must opt for a connecting flight, I ALWAYS pick one going through YUL.  And I have often driven to Montreal to take a direct flight from there when heading south.  As for needing to speak French, this is not a requirement.  Montreal is a very bilingual city and although French is the predominant language I have never had any trouble speaking English to anyone working at the airport.

[1kaper]

6 hours ago, Sue from Canada said:

My favourite airports are:  Tampa, Sarasota, Detroit, Seattle.    Some of the worse ones I try to avoid:  Toronto, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Newark, Keflavik (Iceland), Barcelona.

 I haven't had any issues at FLL or MIA but Newark is definitely on there.  

I have been to Barcelona but I don't have any real memory of it so I guess my experience wasn't that bad. 

[Fouremco]

2 hours ago, thon said:

Before retiring I travelled extensively, both domestically and internationally.  Living in Ottawa of course I didn’t have many direct international flights to anywhere.  Having experienced connecting flights through Toronto I would avoid it like the plague if possible.  Montreal was much, much better.  Now for any vacation travel, if I must opt for a connecting flight, I ALWAYS pick one going through YUL.  And I have often driven to Montreal to take a direct flight from there when heading south.  As for needing to speak French, this is not a requirement.  Montreal is a very bilingual city and although French is the predominant language I have never had any trouble speaking English to anyone working at the airport.

Very much my experience too. With the exception of those years when Mirabel was operational, YUL has always been my preference over YYZ.

[Froufie]

ANOTHER NIGHTMARE PHONE CALL WITH FLIGHTS BY CELEBRITY

 

So as mentioned I was planning to switch my 'revised' flight from the Toronto connection to different flights via Montreal....  no hold time which was great but what a disaster.

 

I mentioned I ONLY wanted to switch the outbound...in fact I booked these flights separately and so have two different file locators and ticket numbers.....Agent insisted on treating it as a round trip ticket..... told him the 'new flight numbers' then off and on, on hold several times....then comes back telling me I have to pay $458?  HUH?  that doesn't make sent?  I already paid $358 pp per ticket (separately of course).  

 

Then all of a sudden he mentions some $567 credit I have and we can use that to pay for the flights?  No idea what he was talking about at all.  Then after several 'discussions' I was finally able to clarify that the change in flights would be $100 pp - meaning instead of $358 I would pay $458 pp for a total of only $200 owing, right?

 

That led to more confusion and hold time as he made the change - then came back to tell me I owed $740?  HUH?  How come?  Well the change is considered a cancellation (beyond final payment) so now I was being charged $270 pp to change the flight along with the additional $100 for the flight!

 

While I was willing to pay an extra $100 pp to fly through Montreal I was NOT willing to pay $370 pp - so asked him to switch me BACK to the ottawa/pearson/fll flights (which of course I was not charged for when the direct flight disappeared).

 

I am furious/fuming and more upset now than ever -and yes all of that took 45 minutes for nothing!

 

Wondering if I should call back again/later and see if I can the flights 'fixed' for the $100 pp?  I didn't think a change would be treated as a cancellation?  Maybe I was wrong to assume that?

 

Your thoughts?

[Fouremco]

4 minutes ago, Froufie said:

Your thoughts?

I've always avoided cruise line flight bookings, as I've read so many stories about experiences such as yours. While I may - or may not - pay a bit more for North American flights, I have complete control with no hidden surprises. There are many people who will respond saying that they love the pricing and the ability to withhold payment until FPD, and that they have experienced no problems, and I'm really happy for them. Just as I'm sad for people like you whose experiences are very different.

[TeaBag]

So sorry for all your troubles.  I rarely use Celebrity's air arrangements, preferring to book  my own airfare which is often cheaper.   I hope your cruise makes up for the precruise difficulties.

I love your rabbit!

Fouremco beat me to it!

Edited December 17, 2021 by TeaBag

[lots-of-km2]

2 hours ago, Froufie said:

Wondering if I should call back again/later and see if I can the flights 'fixed' for the $100 pp?  I didn't think a change would be treated as a cancellation?  Maybe I was wrong to assume that?

 

Your thoughts?

 

So sorry that you're having to endure this nonsense.   My instinct would be to try calling again to see if you can get another result.  Not all customer service agents are alike, that's for sure. 

 

On the topic of having to connect thru Toronto --  your original post said that you had a 2.5 hour layover.  That's actually a comfortable amount of time to connect to another flight at YYZ (even during the current craziness), and if the airline you're using will help move you through the system to get you to the next flight, even better.  If you happen to have a NEXUS card, that will also save some time off queueing at US Customs. 

 

Are you flying via Air Canada or Westjet? If you are, it would be worth contacting them now to ask about logistics, to allay your concerns. 

 

In any event, in the case of a missed connection due to slow processing at the airport, the airline has a responsibility to get you from YOW to FLL, so you're not out of luck. And you aren't flying on the day of the cruise, so you have that as a cushion. 

 

In case Celebrity still tries to gouge you for changing flights after you've called them again, flying through YYZ might not be as horrible as everyone seems to anticipate.   Just my opinion, and I've been through YYZ three times in the last three months.  

 

[#55worktoplay]

Who changed your flights the cruise air or the airline itself?  If it was the airline I don’t think you should pay anything. I would suggest just calling the airline and skip the cruise air people. It’s worth a shot.  
 

If the airline changed you from direct to connecting I think they will accommodate with no extra charges. 

[GeriatricNurse]

16 hours ago, Fouremco said:

I've always avoided cruise line flight bookings, as I've read so many stories about experiences such as yours. While I may - or may not - pay a bit more for North American flights, I have complete control with no hidden surprises. There are many people who will respond saying that they love the pricing and the ability to withhold payment until FPD, and that they have experienced no problems, and I'm really happy for them. Just as I'm sad for people like you whose experiences are very different.

I've always avoided cruise line flight bookings too!

 

I always choose my own (refundable) flights, with Air Canada!

 

And, I've NEVER had ANY issues with Air Canada related to lost/misdirected luggage, 'surley' staff, etc.!

 

It always helps to book 'Premium Economy' or 'Business Class' flights'

[Froufie]

On 12/17/2021 at 7:57 PM, #55worktoplay said:

Who changed your flights the cruise air or the airline itself?  If it was the airline I don’t think you should pay anything. I would suggest just calling the airline and skip the cruise air people. It’s worth a shot.  
 

If the airline changed you from direct to connecting I think they will accommodate with no extra charges. 

the airline cancelled the direct flight and rebooked me automatically on connecting flights - I was not happy with the switch so I am attempting to change it - and so it began.... LOL

 

I can't call the airline as I booked through a 'third party' - so have to work with Celebrity despite how crappy they are....in fact my return flight is now 'missing' when I try to enter that file locator number - and now my invoice online indicates $150 due (to be payable nov 20?  LOL) after I paid my full balance at the beginning of November - no idea what is going on but obviously calls to both Celebrity and Flights by Celebrity are in order - NOT IMPRESSED!!

 

[ALD18]

Feel for you Froufie on the flight issues.  We recently went through a similar reschedule and working with 3rd party booking agents, ours was FlighHub, is a challenge at best.  All the administrative costs for them to make changes are frustrating, but if you read the details before signing up it is right there, you just ignore it to save some $ and then it comes back to bite you.  We will be searching for the best pricing with the booking agents, but will then contact the carrier directly.  Price is usually the same.  Best up luck with your "negotiations". 

[isnowman]

A different experience.....We've just returned from an 11 day Celebrity Galapagos cruise ( flights included ) that had numerous flight changes after final payment. I'm a real type A guy, ask my wife, but took her advice ( threats ) and booked through a travel agent. To say it was the best decision I've ( she ) ever made is an understatement. The last airline flight change had numerous stops, not anything I was happy with. After spending only 10 minutes on the computer I found a return flight that I wanted. It was on a different airline than originally booked, but it was the best for us. I called my travel agent and told her to " make it work". She called flights by celebrity and did all the negotiating for us. Just under an hour later she called back to say it was done, new flight  booked, refund from original airline preselected seats processed and new airline seats purchased.  I know many feel that they want to control their entire booking by going directly through the cruise line, but I can honestly say this was the least stressful vacation I've had, even with ALL the Covid protocols in place. Food for thought!

[Northern Swan]

I totally agree with isnowman.  I realize everyone has their preference for booking on their own or with a travel agent, but we have always had a great experience with a travel agent.  There have been a few times where weather has made it impossible to leave our destination as planned, and while others around us were on their phones trying to find flights we simply connected with our travel agent and she took care of everything.  Each person has to use the services they are most comfortable with, but for us letting a professional manage our air and hotel details makes sense and helps us to have a less stressful vacation.  Our most recent experience is with a cruise we were supposed to take in 2020 and our TA has managed our rebooking in 2021 and 2022.  Given a choice, I will opt for using the services of a travel agent over doing the work myself,