EZAir experience with significant schedule change before ticketing?

[DallasGuy75219]

United cut our evening nonstop to Washington Dulles so my departure from St. Louis got moved ~5 hours earlier, now with a ~6 hour layover in Dulles until my flight to Heathrow. 

 

United has evening departures with connections to Heathrow in Chicago, Newark, or even Houston, any of which I'd be willing to switch to.  I know United's schedule change policy but my concern is my flight isn't ticketed or paid for yet and the discounted Premium Economy fare I booked is sold out for the other three evening connections.

 

Anyone have a similar experience with EZAir in the past? I'm concerned that because the flight isn't ticketed or paid for yet either EZAir will tell me to pound sand or United will tell them to pound sand.

 

I know I have to work with EZAir, not United, but am trying to frame my initial call so I have a chance of getting rebooked on one of the later departures.

Edited February 6, 2023 by DallasGuy75219

[Shelly97060]

For this reply I am assuming you booked EZAir flexible and you are more than 45 days before flight so you can make changes or cancel without penalty. 
 

Because your air is not ticketed yet you can go into your booking and select new flights. If the new flights cost more you will pay any difference in price.  Your other option is to cancel the EZair flights and book directly with the airline if they have flights you prefer that aren’t offered by EZAir. 

[Steelers36]

I have read that at least some guests who post here have contacted EZ-Air in these situations (and perhaps a supervisor was engaged) and been able to have flights changed after a booked flight has been cancelled and not pay any additional fare cost for the change. 

 

I cannot say if this only works when the airline default will cause the guest to miss the ship, or whether also works in a situation like the OP where the new flight time creates a burdensome travel itinerary. 

 

It is certainly worth pounding sand with EZ-Air to see what they can do before either accepting the new itinerary or re-booking at a new fare cost.

[DallasGuy75219]

14 minutes ago, Shelly97060 said:

For this reply I am assuming you booked EZAir flexible and you are more than 45 days before flight so you can make changes or cancel without penalty. 
 

Because your air is not ticketed yet you can go into your booking and select new flights. If the new flights cost more you will pay any difference in price.  Your other option is to cancel the EZair flights and book directly with the airline if they have flights you prefer that aren’t offered by EZAir. 

That's my situation, but I'm trying to change the current booking rather than book completely new flights because I'm booked in premium economy and everything has gone up since I booked.  EZAir is currently more than $500 more than what I had booked and almost the same price as booking directly with the airlines because the discounted fare classes I booked are now sold out.

[PacnGoNow]

8 hours ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

That's my situation, but I'm trying to change the current booking rather than book completely new flights because I'm booked in premium economy and everything has gone up since I booked.  EZAir is currently more than $500 more than what I had booked and almost the same price as booking directly with the airlines because the discounted fare classes I booked are now sold out.

EZAir needs to rebook you.  They should protect your airfare due to a schedule change.  I would definitely call them and get through to a real EZAir agent to help. 

 

I would look at what is available first, if anything, and tell them what you would prefer.  So you are prepared.

 

Good luck.

 

 

 

[JoRoy218]

Yes, agree totally! I would contact EZAir directly and be prepared to spend some time on the phone. Recently we had an Alaskan cruise planned and booked with EZAir. United made multiple changes in the flights, last straw was delaying the initial flight so severely that  had we taken it, we would’ve totally missed our connection. As soon as it was discovered I got on the line with EZAir and after speaking to three different people and well over an hour on the phone they agreed to the flights that I found on United with no change in fare. Good luck, stand your ground.

[Times Prince]

If the booking was made through EZAir, then they are the source to change the flights.

While several have mentioned United, we had the experience where Delta cancelled a flight and attempted to give us alternate flights that would not work for us to make the ship - and notified me at 2 AM the morning of the cruise.  EZAir and the Princess delayed travel people worked with us and got flights that would make the cruise.

[DallasGuy75219]

2 minutes ago, Times Prince said:

If the booking was made through EZAir, then they are the source to change the flights.

I understand that and said that from the beginning.  However United does have to open up inventory that is now sold out for EZAir to rebook me, and I'm not sure they'll be willing to do that for the deep discount consolidator fare I got through EZAir.

[PacnGoNow]

2 minutes ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

I understand that and said that from the beginning.  However United does have to open up inventory that is now sold out for EZAir to rebook me, and I'm not sure they'll be willing to do that for the deep discount consolidator fare I got through EZAir.

If it’s sold out, no.  Do you show premium coach seats available on one of the long haul flights?  In other words, the domestic flight in coach and the TA flight premium coach?  

EZAir should be able to work with them if they have any availability.  They won’t oversell the flight for that, but they may increase the inventory that EZAir is allowed?  IDK, just a possibility.

 

Did you get through to EZAir yet?  

 

 

[DallasGuy75219]

9 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

If it’s sold out, no.  Do you show premium coach seats available on one of the long haul flights?  In other words, the domestic flight in coach and the TA flight premium coach?  

EZAir should be able to work with them if they have any availability.  They won’t oversell the flight for that, but they may increase the inventory that EZAir is allowed?  IDK, just a possibility.

 

Did you get through to EZAir yet?  

Premium Economy isn't sold out but the discounted fare class I booked into is.

 

I tried calling today and chose the option of them calling me back when it's my turn instead of waiting on hold.  Except they never called me back.  I'll call back tomorrow and wait on hold for someone to answer.

[PacnGoNow]

9 minutes ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

Premium Economy isn't sold out but the discounted fare class I booked into is.

 

I tried calling today and chose the option of them calling me back when it's my turn instead of waiting on hold.  Except they never called me back.  I'll call back tomorrow and wait on hold for someone to answer.

Okay, good luck tmrw.  I hope they make an exception for you.

[DallasGuy75219]

On 2/6/2023 at 7:20 PM, PacnGoNow said:

Okay, good luck tmrw.  I hope they make an exception for you.

So after 2+ hours on the phone, mostly waiting for someone to pick up then being put on hold repeatedly, I'm rebooked on a connection in Newark with a St. Louis departure much closer to my original flight.

 

United shows me booked in a higher fare class than my original flight, and my new invoice shows a credit for the $565 difference between the airfare I booked and the current price.  I can't tell whether EZAir ate that difference (which I kinda doubt) or United will give them some kinda credit on the back end after I'm ticketed, but in any event I now have an itinerary that works for me.

[Jeter02]

I actually had this happen the other day like 2 days ago. And it was the day to finalize payment on the flight for the EZair. It wasn't thrilled about the hour and a half flight changed discrepancy as I'm flying in day of. I always like a bigger window for cushion. That's when I took matters into my own hands and just booked my flight independently for much cheaper and found an arrival so much earlier in the morning. Normally I don't mind paying a a little extra to book through easy air just to have that safety net. But we were talking about $150 discrepancy and now with the later flight arrival with that flight change initially made me a little hesitant. All in all it worked out in the end for me.

[PacnGoNow]

4 hours ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

So after 2+ hours on the phone, mostly waiting for someone to pick up then being put on hold repeatedly, I'm rebooked on a connection in Newark with a St. Louis departure much closer to my original flight.

 

United shows me booked in a higher fare class than my original flight, and my new invoice shows a credit for the $565 difference between the airfare I booked and the current price.  I can't tell whether EZAir ate that difference (which I kinda doubt) or United will give them some kinda credit on the back end after I'm ticketed, but in any event I now have an itinerary that works for me.

That’s good to hear, that you’re rebooked now.  Make sure to go into UA app/website and get your seats.

 

 

[palolake]

This happens on almost all of our booked flights.  The last two cruises, the flights they switched us to were just unacceptable. Both times we found cheaper and better flights on the airline websites.  We called Princess to ask why they wouldn't have booked us on those flights.  They told us those flights weren't available through EZ air and wouldn't change us.  We tried the airlines but knew in advance that it wouldn't work.  Both times we ended up paying more and booking with the airline who WILL switch you for free if it's enough of a change.  So now we'll book with EZair and just keep checking the airlines and probably switch over to them when the cruise is getting closer.

[malba2366]

Seems like  lots of headaches with EZ air and schedule changes.  Seems like it is only worth using if you can get direct flights to the location.

[DallasGuy75219]

6 minutes ago, malba2366 said:

Seems like  lots of headaches with EZ air and schedule changes.  Seems like it is only worth using if you can get direct flights to the location.

In my experience EZAir is only useful for international flights where they sometimes have access to discounted seats not available to the general public.  For domestic flights I've always seen the same prices available directly from the airlines. 

[donswife]

One thing that I think is a factor,  at least for myself,  is that I tend to book EZair flights much further ahead of the travel date than if I book directly and have to pay immediately.  The longer the interim, the more opportunity for the schedule to be changed.  Yes, I am aware that sometimes there are fatally flawed last minute changes as well. The flights for my Sapphire cruise last October were changed 3 or 4 times. 

[DallasGuy75219]

11 minutes ago, donswife said:

One thing that I think is a factor,  at least for myself,  is that I tend to book EZair flights much further ahead of the travel date than if I book directly and have to pay immediately.  The longer the interim, the more opportunity for the schedule to be changed.  Yes, I am aware that sometimes there are fatally flawed last minute changes as well. The flights for my Sapphire cruise last October were changed 3 or 4 times. 

The discounted airfares on EZAir also disappear closer in, in my case between booking in December and last weekend's schedule change, for a June/July cruise.  EZAir saved me ~$600 vs. booking anywhere else.  Their discounted airfares allowed me to book premium economy, whereas I would have only booked economy at other available rates. 

[gerig]

20 hours ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

In my experience EZAir is only useful for international flights where they sometimes have access to discounted seats not available to the general public.  For domestic flights I've always seen the same prices available directly from the airlines. 

Currently my flight from JFK to Heathrow in premium seats on Virgin Atlantic was 50% of the Virgin Atlantic cost.  Of course I jumped on it.