Airline cancels flight and refuses to re-book to your destination

[Berlin]

Hi everyone, not sure if that's the right forum but I think this is a weird case, at least I've never had it before.

We had booked a JAL Business class flight over half a year back, routing SYD-HND-FJK and back LAX-HND-SYD to catch a Panama canal cruise so our dates are pretty much set in stone. Decent deal for J class, all good- happy days.

Yesterday I suddenly receive a phone call from our travel agent which unfortunately is American Express travel. The flight HND-JFK has been canceled and the alternative booked is a connection that doesn't work (i.e. we are meant to depart Tokyo 8 hours before we even arrive there). I’ve had idiotic auto rebooks like that from Qantas a mass in the pass so obviously the agent is now trying to find an alternative but JAL has been not very helpful. Best direct rebooking to get an alternative JAL flight out of HND would be on Qantas as they have a night time departure out of Sydney. JAL refuses to book on another airline, even though it's One World even and there are flights available. All other alternative JAL flights SYD-HND are booked to the brim, probably due to the fact that JAL has canceled a bunch of connections.

This has caused me a sleepless night now as any alternative flights would be around 10k in total more expensive at such late notice (flight is in the week past Easter, so about 6 weeks from now). Travel insurance (also Amex/ Chubb) won't pay as they push the blame onto the airline which honestly, I also always thought was the case. I had many cases like this before with Qantas and they always either re-booked me on a different QF flight or, in quite a few other cases, re-booked me onto a suitable flight with a competitor even (sometimes OW, sometimes not even).

The best JAL is currently offering us is to leave Sydney three days earlier than originally booked (and we would have to ask additional leave for this) which is just unreasonable in my eyes (and my boss would never approve a leave extension, it's already a 3 weeks leave, no way in hell). Or they offer to generously send us Premium Economy to which I say hell, no way, we booked early enough exactly to avoid any such mess. Who's fault is this? I would think JAL- am I wrong here? Is my travel agent too slack (which would not surprise me in the slightest)? What's the best outcome I can even hope for, JAL seems to be entirely "Your loss, not our problem" which I find outrageous? Fully paid Business class ticket, Emerald status in One World, all that jazz but no budge.

Just interested in other experiences/ opinions on this. Do I always have to book two different flights in parallel now, just in case the airline suddenly turns around and goes "Too bad for you!"? I book many months ahead (and fork out the cash) so that I can lock in a half-way affordable deal which is hard enough these days. I don't expect the airline to then cancel and not offer any suitable alternative. Is JAL just being ultra coughty?

 

[RooFlyer]

Just interested in other experiences/ opinions on this. Do I always have to book two different flights in parallel now, just in case the airline suddenly turns around and goes "Too bad for you!"?

I'm with you 100% and JAL needs to come to the party - probably with some professional prodding from your TA.

But as to opinions on this - yes, the risk these days of scheduling/cancellations is high, so unfortunately, I believe we do need to spend more $ and pad the timetables, especially for something like a cruise. For my Antarctica cruise next December, I'm arriving in Santiago five, count 'em, five days prior to assembly. Of course, there are things to do and see but I've been to Chile lots of times and I don't need the extra time. But as it's December, if my paid, not points, flight goes pear-shaped, I'm giving myself the best shot to get there.

I haven't been able to get a points plight, but I'm watching and will grab a one-way if it comes up, as insurance.

 

[drron]

Well if you have to book a new flight SQ would be a fair bit cheaper than QF. I priced Saturday 15th April and QF is 7800 per person and SQ 4617.
And that is leaving at 1235 and arriving the next morning into HND at 0645.
But use a good TA. We have been in this situation a couple of times and our TA was on top of it. One was the infamous QF lockdown. We were in Sydney to catch up with family. having dinner with them on the Saturday and flying out on the Tuesday. Got back to the hotel and heard the news so went to email our TA and there was her email with our new booking on BA.

 

[Berlin]

Well if you have to book a new flight SQ would be a fair bit cheaper than QF. I priced Saturday 15th April and QF is 7800 per person and SQ 4617.
And that is leaving at 1235 and arriving the next morning into HND at 0645.
But use a good TA. We have been in this situation a couple of times and our TA was on top of it. One was the infamous QF lockdown. We were in Sydney to catch up with family. having dinner with them on the Saturday and flying out on the Tuesday. Got back to the hotel and heard the news so went to email our TA and there was her email with our new booking on BA.

Well- for this one, I’m stuck with Amex travel and that’s the opposite of a good travel agent.

But I still mostly blame JAL and will never touch them again. They are the ones who cancelled the flight and are not offering any alternative. Easy One World flight is available (Qantas) and they’re refusing to let us re-book to it (while it’s all THEIR fault). Had so many similar cases with QF, EK and BA in the paar and they all easily re-booked onto simply interlining carriers that aren’t even in the same alliance, as long as you get there. Not JAL though, they just say “meh”. So much about JAL being a decent airline.

Never ever again.

 

[clifford]

So much about JAL being a decent airline.

My experience on JAL suggests I would never call them great. Procedure bound, maybe (but that's Japan).

 

[Berlin]

So Amex has now explored several different routes and was trying the best by offering alternatives that might work but JAL just responds “No can do” to all requests, even if there’s seats on those flights with alternative OW airlines. JAL’s official “option” was a connection that doesn’t work which makes me furious.

In the end, we now lose a day of our stay in New York so we’ll pretty much sleep and then move on. And we have to fork out money for the hotel at Haneda as we now have a 14 hour layover as opposed to the 2 hour one we had booked. Again, Amex asked JAL if we at least can get accommodation given this is an airline cancellation and even to that they responded “No, eat grass” which is just pathetic.

So, yea, Amex is not great either and they should have informed us earlier. But that doesn’t change the fact that JAL is stingy and super inflexible after it was THEM cancelling the original flight. And that is really bad customer service in my eyes and makes me never book them again. I’ve had several airlines reacting to those circumstances much more generously in the past so I know it can be done much better.

 

[drron]

Though flying to JFK via NRT on JAl in J with 75 minutes on the ground in NRT meant a couple of missed connections and JAL then put you up in a hotel for the night. Yes slightly different but what airlines did in the past is frequently not what they do now.

 

[docjames]

Pretty disappointing from JAL. Note to self dont rush to use them.

I’d have thought (perhaps naïvely) that JAL would be better than that.

Have you scoped a rebooking of the entire itinerary (or the JAL component) and seek refund from JAL (may be easier in some respects - often clearer policies around “not suitable“ so can cancel)?

If the price was roughly similar, I’d take my money elsewhere.

 

[Berlin]

Pretty disappointing from JAL. Note to self dont rush to use them.

I’d have thought (perhaps naïvely) that JAL would be better than that.

Have you scoped a rebooking of the entire itinerary (or the JAL component) and seek refund from JAL (may be easier in some respects - often clearer policies around “not suitable“ so can cancel)?

If the price was roughly similar, I’d take my money elsewhere.

Oh yes- I’ve done that but we’re pretty late to the party now so it would cost about 2k each to start a new booking on Cathay instead.

We’ve now begrudgingly agreed to leave at the same time as originally booked and to arrive almost a day later in JFK (hence losing a whole day of exploring New York). Have booked the airside hotel in HND for almost AUD 300 but that’s still better than 4k or worse, missing our cruise.

But JAL is definitely earmarked as never again. Even LATAM had handled flight changes better in the past! But the price differential has been quite large back when we booked in August last year. Prices seem to narrow again slowly now and I’d always chose Cathay or Qantas over JAL in the future if it’s not much more than $1000 difference per person. We always self fund these holiday trips in J class so the price does matter but not at all cost.

 

[Mr Bill]

Personally I would bite the bullet and explain the situation (in detail) to my boss in the hope that some sympathy may be shown. You never know unless you ask! The offer to take some extra leave, possibly without pay (if available) could be a an easier fix.

 

[Berlin]

Personally I would bite the bullet and explain the situation (in detail) to my boss in the hope that some sympathy may be shown. You never know unless you ask! The offer to take some extra leave, possibly without pay (if available) could be a an easier fix.

Oh, you don’t know my boss!

I’ve bitten the bullet and have rather paid the airport hotel in Haneda, way easier. And of course I will name and shame JAL till all eternity

 

[Mr Bill]

Good, but don't carry the "baggage" of this experience with you on what appears to be a great holiday. ENJOY

 

[Berlin]

Good, but don't carry the "baggage" of this experience with you on what appears to be a great holiday. ENJOY

Good advice, it tends to not be my strength

I will do my best- and from previous experience, the onboard service on JAL tends to be really good so I’m still looking forward to it!

 

[Mr Bill]

The best steak in the air I have ever had was with JL between NRT and LAX