Urgent-Reconfirm your International Airline tickets

[ddoc]

Wow! I'm really upset. I booked my tickets last September for flights August 12, 2008. At that time I printed the US Air confirmations. All was well. Something told me to check today 5 1/2 months later. Boy am I glad I did. What a mess. I was booked for the 8th of August from Phila to Frankfurt and 9th of August Frankfurt to Rome and the 13th of August Frankfurt to Rome. I was told it was corrected and that I should call Luftthansa to make sure their end was correct. Lufthansa laughed at me and told me it was ludicrous for me to call them. I then called US Air back and spoke to a supervisor who was rude. What a run around. I then spoke to the Dividend Miles department and she told me everything was correct and that I wouldn't be able to check their site , it would just say that changes had been made to my flight (booking). After 2 trries she emailed me confirmations. I will keep calling once a month to make sure it is correct but a warning to all that you could miss your cruise if you don't check.

[pms4104]

For any air itinerary, domestic or international, it's an excellent idea to check one's flights on a routine basis, particularly if they're booked many months out. I've seen people at ORD who print their itinerary when they book air and apparently never visit their itinerary again, even though many months may have elapsed and ... the flight is now leaving earlier and they miss the flight.

[paul929207]

Camp is right. You must check your flights regularly. Airlines are always changing their schedules. Usually, the changes are minor, but some times they are significant. You can wind up with flights that just don't work, ie flight 2 leaves 4 hours before flight 1 arrives.

[whale-watcher]

We had NWA change our flights last year...to a new itinerary with our flight from MSP to DTW arriving one hour AFTER our flight from DTW to FRA was scheduled to depart! I recheck at least every week or two, so we were able to rebook to a different itinerary (but lost our bulkhead seating...)

[NMCruzzin]

Just this morning I was checking our AA flights to Scotland - UGH!

They've changed our departing flight time - we now fly into Heathrow instead of Gatwick - and it doesn't even show that we make it into Scotland!!!:( Here we go.....:mad: at least we don't leave until May!

[ddoc]

from missing their cruise because of airline mixups. Not

everyone knows to check the flights regularly. i'm just trying to pass the information on.

[calmac]

Just this morning I was checking our AA flights to Scotland - UGH!

They've changed our departing flight time - we now fly into Heathrow instead of Gatwick - and it doesn't even show that we make it into Scotland!!!:( Here we go.....:mad: at least we don't leave until May!

 

Not sure who you were flying with from Gatwick to Scotland (or to which airport) but there are more flights to Scotland from Heathrow than there are from Gatwick. I think the change in your AA flight is due to Terminal 5 at Heathrow opening.

[Globaliser]

I think the change in your AA flight is due to Terminal 5 at Heathrow opening.

Actually, it's more to do with Open Skies.

 

AA currently has three flights a day to/from Gatwick: Raleigh-Durham once a day, and Dallas Fort Worth twice a day.

 

When Open Skies was concluded, AA announced (on 5 July 2007) that the RDU and one of the DFWs were moving to Heathrow from the start date of Open Skies (ie schedule change day on 30 March).

 

But AA had no slots to operate the last "orphan" DFW from Heathrow. Very recently, AA has been able to pick up another slot pair at Heathrow, allowing it to move the last flight to Heathrow (wef 13 April) and therefore to shut down the Gatwick operation.

 

But there are certainly far more flights to Scotland from LHR, so this should be a benefit for NMCruzzin, as you say.

[lilybug]

Always a good practice to check and keep checking airline reservations. hey ofen change times, etc. Booked Christmas flights Phl to Ft. Myers last July. They changed our flights twice - in both directions. Actually, we were to leave Phl at 8:30 pm, which meant I could work that day. Our fligh was changed to early afternoon (I happened to just check one day). I called US Air and was told that the 8:30 flight was being discontinued. This meant I had to rearrange vacation time, etc. Good thing I checked and even at that, the times were changed again!

 

I will keep an eye on our flights for cruise in mid-July.

[NMCruzzin]

Yes, as you say - AA has stopped using Gatwick and it looks now that we will fly into Heathrow - then catch British Airways on to Scotland, and also for our return back to London.

We are now working on flights that leave much earlier - or an hour earlier on their schedule . The problem with the change for us is that we were hoping to squeeze a graduation in on that early afternoon - before leaving for our trip. Oh well....guess not this time. I'm now wondering about the possibility of being able to see some of London if we have a long enough lay over between flights? hmmm:rolleyes:

[Crusin6]

We had a similiar situation, too long to go into here, but for me I am NOT checking my flights weekly or monthly, I am checking my flights, DAILY:p

[wrp96]

I am checking my flights, DAILY:p

 

Me too!

[ItaliaAmerCruzLady]

OH MY! This is something I never thought to do, but I will now, thanks to you great posters. I tell ya, its live and learn. Glad I happened along to this site,

We are flying Alitalia out of JFK to Rome, and I have heard so much stuff regarding this airline, getting a little nervous.:(

[odblnt]

I discovered this problem with United. Right now they seem to be doing some "adjusting" to a bunch of their flights which did impact us for our river cruise. We were supposed to go from Honolulu to San Fran & San Fran to Frankfurt. Coming back was from the reverse with 2hrs 10 minutes in San Fran (enough time for customs/immigration.

 

Well, a few weeks ago I got a call with a message to call United about a schedule change. Before I called, I looked up the change online and instead of 2 hrs 10 min in San Fran, we now had 11 minutes! And to top things off, these tickets were "purchased" using FF miles. After I worked my way through the phone system and got a person, we both agreed that 11 minutes was not enough time in San Fran and she took a while to find alternate routing. I was hoping she would change the class of tickets, but she had to stay with the FF code and we end up coming back a day later going Frankfurt to Dulles, staying overnight, and then Dulles to Chicago, Chicago to Honolulu. At least we're retired so it isn't like we HAD to be somewhere. I couldn't get them to pay for lodging in Dulles, though, but did get a couple of travel vouchers out of them.

 

Then TODAY I got online and saw another warning about schedule change and to call United. Fortunately, one flight slipped 30 minutes with no problems on connections.

 

I guess for "small changes" they just post it on-line but for big ones they give you a call (at least my experience).

 

You bet I'll be checking that itinerary page every week for the next month.

[Sequim88]

When I book with an online service (Travelocity, Expedia, Priceline, Orbitz, etc...) I always get email updates with changes. Usually just a couple minutes or so change in the scehdules but nice to know their systems are looking at it for me. Still, I will be double checking both before the cruise and then calling from London for the return flights since I will be away from email and my cell phone won't work there.

[ddoc]

flight from Frankfurt to Philadelphia. Ugh! Dh's was the one that was messed up. His was fixed on 3/7 but they managed to take my correct one and make that one wrong. This is going to be a long, long waiting period if

I have to check these flights every day. At least Lufthansa's portion of the booking was correct.

[NMCruzzin]

Well, we are now leaving 2 hours earlier - going through Chicago - onto Heathrow - onto Edinburgh, arriving 1 hour earlier. It's not to bad, this time, as we have a bit of flexibility, but our layovers in London aren't long enough to do much then play a few games of cards, and wait.....better buy a new deck before we go!:rolleyes:

I'm just glad I checked last week and will continue to do so until we leave!

Best of Luck to all of you finding that there are changes in your flights:mad: and are having to re-schedule!!:(

[Jade13]

It is a good idea to check but it does not always help. I used FFmiles last year with US Airways and was flying Luftansa home from Rome (through Frankfurt). Even though I was on a US Airways club prior to departure and was phoned at the club by the Divdend miles department to confirm who confirmed my return (it was through Detroit when I originally booked and took months to get the Flight to my home town). I was told I was on the flight that I had changed to going home and had paper tickets (at the time Luftansa only had paper but that has changed). We went to the Rome airport and were checking in our luggage when we were asked if we lived in Detroit as that was (still) in their system. I had to leave DH and go to another counter and fortunately they had two seats together that day on the flight we wanted, although we booked a year in advance we ended up in the last section...

 

We are taking Luftansa to Rome this year and stuck with paper tickets again because our return is on SWISS and they only have paper award tickets right now.

[tcocktail]

It is a good idea to check but it does not always help. I used FFmiles last year with US Airways and was flying Luftansa home from Rome (through Frankfurt). Even though I was on a US Airways club prior to departure and was phoned at the club by the Divdend miles department to confirm who confirmed my return (it was through Detroit when I originally booked and took months to get the Flight to my home town). I was told I was on the flight that I had changed to going home and had paper tickets (at the time Luftansa only had paper but that has changed). We went to the Rome airport and were checking in our luggage when we were asked if we lived in Detroit as that was (still) in their system. I had to leave DH and go to another counter and fortunately they had two seats together that day on the flight we wanted, although we booked a year in advance we ended up in the last section...

 

We are taking Luftansa to Rome this year and stuck with paper tickets again because our return is on SWISS and they only have paper award tickets right now.

 

Why did you say "stuck" with paper tickets. I am flying Aerlingus and purchased my tickets through cheaptickets and I have paper tickets. Should I be concerned or are there any issues I need to be concerned?

[Globaliser]

Why did you say "stuck" with paper tickets. I am flying Aerlingus and purchased my tickets through cheaptickets and I have paper tickets. Should I be concerned or are there any issues I need to be concerned?

Just don't lose the paper tickets. That's their main disadvantage.

[tcocktail]

Just don't lose the paper tickets. That's their main disadvantage.

 

Globaliser, thanks I was hoping it wasn't anything else. What does happen if they are lost?

[Globaliser]

Depends on the airline. Many will issue replacements against an indemnity that you will reimburse the airline against any frauduent use of the lost tickets. But some will make you buy a new ticket.

 

I love e-tickets. I love not having to take anything to the airport except my passport.

[CruisenOne]

For any air itinerary, domestic or international, it's an excellent idea to check one's flights on a routine basis, particularly if they're booked many months out. I've seen people at ORD who print their itinerary when they book air and apparently never visit their itinerary again, even though many months may have elapsed and ... the flight is now leaving earlier and they miss the flight.

 

Sage advice !!!!

 

Yesterday I decided to check our July (International) and December (Domestic) Flights:mad:

 

Flight from Gatwick was changed: Both aircaraft and departure time.

Seats were a tad messed up; however, was able to get decent seats.

 

Flight from LAX - PIT was (and still is) messed up.

Lost our one stop Flight and now have a two stop Flight:eek:

Will keep on checking to see if USA changes their Flights later in the year.

(Will be returning from Aukland/LAX) Too late to catch the direct Flight.

 

Interesting that neither United, nor USA bothered to notify us on the changes.

Flight time (United) AUK/LAX was changed; no biggie.

Aircraft change (USA) LGW/PHL was changed; biggie.

LAX/PIT Flight (USA) connections were changed; biggie

[ddoc]

Flight time from Lufthansa changed again-only 10 minutes earlier but it make the connection in Frankfurt only 60 minutes. I hope they don't move it any earlier.

[ddoc]

I just spent 45 minutes on the phone because I checked our flights today. DH's are fine. Mine did not list Frankfurt to Rome and Rome to Frankfurt. On the call the initial customer service person said that my flights had changed. Go call the "foreign airline" to make sure their flights correct. Hey, I've already been down that road. Last time "foreign airline" laughed and said it's the job of our partner airline to take care of this.

I had to go the supervisor route and insist all 4 of my flights be listed. I told them I don't speak German or Italian how am I going to prove I'm scheduled since they only use E tickets? I'm so frustrated!!!!!!