Anyone else getting constant flight cancellations before/after cruise???

[jspitz1]

We have a RCCL cruise September 2023 from Port Canaveral.  I booked flights with Qantas 12 months in advance and 3 days later our flights were cancelled and moved to flights we didn't want to do, so I got a refund on these flights.  Soon after, I booked all our flights on United, and now I get notified all four flights have been cancelled and moved to horrible times/connecting flights.  So I had four great times/direct flights from Melb to L.A. to Orlando and back.  Now I've been put on seven terrible times/non direct flights.  I'm so frustrated!!!!!  So I can cancel the United flights, but there isn't many alternatives.  Anyone else going through this, trying to fly from Australia, booking 9-12 months in advance???.  

[JeffroK]

Flight delays and cancellations are the norm now, if you have to get somewhere you have to take what it=s offered.

[Cruisers47]

3 hours ago, jspitz1 said:

We have a RCCL cruise September 2023 from Port Canaveral.  I booked flights with Qantas 12 months in advance and 3 days later our flights were cancelled and moved to flights we didn't want to do, so I got a refund on these flights.  Soon after, I booked all our flights on United, and now I get notified all four flights have been cancelled and moved to horrible times/connecting flights.  So I had four great times/direct flights from Melb to L.A. to Orlando and back.  Now I've been put on seven terrible times/non direct flights.  I'm so frustrated!!!!!  So I can cancel the United flights, but there isn't many alternatives.  Anyone else going through this, trying to fly from Australia, booking 9-12 months in advance???.  

Have you tried Air NZ .   My daughter always flys with them.. to the UK  has been very happy with them!

[jspitz1]

Yes, I might look at Air NZ again-had ruled them out as you had to go through Auckland both ways, but now United putting us on a flight through San Francisco, so Auckland might be better to break up the long flight.  

[Thunderbird19]

Another alternative that might give you better flight options is to go through Hawaii and stay there a night or two - breaks up the long flight as well.

[MMDown Under]

9 hours ago, jspitz1 said:

We have a RCCL cruise September 2023 from Port Canaveral.  I booked flights with Qantas 12 months in advance and 3 days later our flights were cancelled and moved to flights we didn't want to do, so I got a refund on these flights.  Soon after, I booked all our flights on United, and now I get notified all four flights have been cancelled and moved to horrible times/connecting flights.  So I had four great times/direct flights from Melb to L.A. to Orlando and back.  Now I've been put on seven terrible times/non direct flights.  I'm so frustrated!!!!!  So I can cancel the United flights, but there isn't many alternatives.  Anyone else going through this, trying to fly from Australia, booking 9-12 months in advance???.  

Seems like it is no longer a good idea to book flights in advance.  How frustrating!

[MicCanberra]

Flights are constantly being delayed or cancelled and put on a later flight.

Strange thing is a new flight will then appear around the same time as the first flight.

[buchhalm]

Some airlines, such as Qantas have the annoying habit of sending you 'your flight to xyz has changed' messages.

The new flight times are exactly like the booked ones. So where is the change?

It's usually a minor change of aircraft. The only impact that may have is that the seat you chose is now somewhere else.... 

[lyndarra]

7 hours ago, buchhalm said:

It's usually a minor change of aircraft. The only impact that may have is that the seat you chose is now somewhere else.... 

I'm always happy to score an inside seat,😄

[MMDown Under]

1 minute ago, lyndarra said:

I'm always happy to score an inside seat,😄

With passengers on each side?

[jspitz1]

Thanks for all your replies.  I looked at the Hawaii option, as you used to be able to fly direct from Hawaii to Orlando but that looks gone now.  We were only in Hawaii a few years ago and the kids really want to see the Hollywood sign and Walk of Fame (I haven't been to L.A. for over 20yrs either).  What's really frustrating is-why are they putting out these flights so far in advance and then cancelling them a few days later (has now happened with Qantas and United).  And then when you look for other flight options, they have already gone up from what you could have got them in the first place!  It's so painful to be doing connecting flights all over the place with kids, and especially when you're backtracking from San Francisco to Los Angeles-I'm so frustrated!!!!.  

[joejoe 59]

On 12/11/2022 at 4:39 PM, jspitz1 said:

We have a RCCL cruise September 2023 from Port Canaveral.  I booked flights with Qantas 12 months in advance and 3 days later our flights were cancelled and moved to flights we didn't want to do, so I got a refund on these flights.  Soon after, I booked all our flights on United, and now I get notified all four flights have been cancelled and moved to horrible times/connecting flights.  So I had four great times/direct flights from Melb to L.A. to Orlando and back.  Now I've been put on seven terrible times/non direct flights.  I'm so frustrated!!!!!  So I can cancel the United flights, but there isn't many alternatives.  Anyone else going through this, trying to fly from Australia, booking 9-12 months in advance???.  

That sounds beyond frustrating 😤 

It's for this reason we aren't flying anywhere even interstate. We have 3 cruises next year all sailing out of Brisbane, just a short 3hr drive away.

 

[christodan]

There was some story I think on ACA the other day about this. Looks like Qantas is cancelling and then putting on a similar flight with greatly inflated prices.