When airlines change your travel schedule, it can be frustrating. You worry if your connections will be too short or too long. You get concerned you may arrive at your destination late in the evening or have to take off before the sun is up. Knowing why airlines change schedules – and what you can do about it – can help remove the anxiety you may feel when you get that e-mail alerting you about a “change in your reservation.”
Why do airline schedule changes occur?
Airlines can make changes to their flight times and routing for a variety of reasons. Minor changes might occur because the airline has switched the aircraft used for that flight to a newer or faster plane. A major change might occur if the airline has added or removed flights to their schedules. So while airlines are allowed to make these changes, you do have some options if the new schedule creates a major conflict.
What are the airlines required to offer me as a passenger?
The rules for what an airline will offer during a forced schedule change vary depending on the airline. They are required to offer a “suitable alternative,” but the exact parameters of this are defined by the airline. If a similar schedule is not available, an airline will often offer to reprotect a traveler on another schedule in the same class of service or issue a refund. The airline will not put you on another carrier due to a schedule change.
What if a change causes a missed connection?
An airline is required to keep all connecting flights on one ticket within legal connection times. They are not required to make sure your clients’ new schedule coincides with flights booked on a separate ticket. This is why it’s important to book everything on one ticket where possible. This is impossible, of course, if you are booking airlines that don’t have a ticketing agreement. In that case, it is important to leave plenty of connection time in case the first flight is delayed or changed to a later time.