Codeshare connecting flight cancellation advice

[minesapint]

Hi, hoping for some advice from the experience and knowledge of the AFF hive mind.

We are were booked on flights PER to EDI (PER-SIN (SQ214 dep 21/6 @1710), SIN-FRA (SQ26 dep 21/6 @ 2355), FRA-EDI (SQ2150 / LH962) departing 22/6 @1055)).

The FRA-EDI leg has been cancelled (LH are not operating this flight on a Thursday any more). SQ are willing to put us on a later flight that day which would involve a ~15 hour layover on SQ2044 / LH1526 (with 2 young kids ) or depart the day before, arriving a day early (requireing to cancel and rebook our accomodation at substantial additional expense due to it being peak tourist season in Edinburgh).

I spent some time on the phone with the SQ call center today to flush out some options. They were unwilling / unable to book me on an alternative routes with reasonable connections via CDG or MUC. Even though the CDG-EDI flight is a code share (AF1686 / SQ1874) they were unable to book it say it was "irregular" (couldnt get any sensible answer to what that means) and were unwilling to book MUC-EDI (LH2524) as it is operated by Lufthansa City Line. Not sure if Lufthansa City Line is in *A or not???

Can anyone see any other options I should be looking at before accepting wasting a day in Franfurt airport? Maybe re-route to LHR and pick up the bags to fly BA up to EDI using QF points? What have others experiece of rebooking on SQ due to a codeshare cancellation?

They are also willing to refund the whole ticket (not desireable as prices have risen, we can only get economy for the price we are paying for premium economy) or remove the FRA-EDI leg (with no money back for that portion )

 

[MEL_Traveller]

If you can leave a day earlier, do you need to cancel your existing accommodation in EDI? Can you buy one night anywhere and resume your pre-booked accommodation after that?

That might be something covered by travel insurance.

I think EU261 should apply here. Although LH has cancelled the flight more than 14 days prior and you aren’t entitled to compensation, you are still entitled to the other provisions of the legislation… a rerouting at the earliest convenience and the right to care. The right to care can include meals and accommodation.

If LH has canceled the flight on a Thursday, but is still operating it on a friday, perhaps LH will pay for accommodation. But that might still mean you’d be a no-show for your original accommodation, and you might need to rebook it at substantial increased cost.

You could go back to SQ and ask them to liaise with LH to find an alternative routing.

Otherwise, maybe go a day earlier and book a single night somewhere for your family and see if travel insurance will cover that.

 

[dajop]

A couple of other ideas:
1) Request they move you to SQ 326 on 22nd. This is a dayflight, and would connect to the revised EDI flight. You would then need to pay for accommodation in Singapore (preferably airside if you can get it), but you could ask if they would cover (I think the answer would be no - or cannot). I find these day flights better for adjusting to jetlag, as you get to your hotel and can go to sleep, but with 2 young children, not sure whether it would be better or not.
2) as per 1) but also request they move you to SQ 216 on 22nd departing PER at 01:10. I'd prefer 1) if paying for a night in Singapore is not an issue.
3) See if they would entertain re-routing you into Glasgow., which is of course 90 mins away by car or train. There is a LH FRA-GLA flight @ 11:00, on 22nd but unfortunately SQ don't seem to codeshare on it. LH caused the problem though, so maybe they can liaise with them to see if this is possible.

 

[IainBinnie]

I think EU261 should apply here. Although LH has cancelled the flight more than 14 days prior and you aren’t entitled to compensation, you are still entitled to the other provisions of the legislation… a rerouting at the earliest convenience and the right to care. The right to care can include meals and accommodation.

If LH has canceled the flight on a Thursday, but is still operating it on a friday, perhaps LH will pay for accommodation. But that might still mean you’d be a no-show for your original accommodation, and you might need to rebook it at substantial increased cost.

You could go back to SQ and ask them to liaise with LH to find an alternative

Thanks MEL, I hadn’t even considered EU261 in this situation as was only really familiar with the compensation portion. It certainly feels like SQ are not complying with what they are currently offering.

 

[IainBinnie]

A couple of other ideas:
1) Request they move you to SQ 326 on 22nd. This is a dayflight, and would connect to the revised EDI flight. You would then need to pay for accommodation in Singapore (preferably airside if you can get it), but you could ask if they would cover (I think the answer would be no - or cannot). I find these day flights better for adjusting to jetlag, as you get to your hotel and can go to sleep, but with 2 young children, not sure whether it would be better or not.
2) as per 1) but also request they move you to SQ 216 on 22nd departing PER at 01:10. I'd prefer 1) if paying for a night in Singapore is not an issue.
3) See if they would entertain re-routing you into Glasgow., which is of course 90 mins away by car or train. There is a LH FRA-GLA flight @ 11:00, on 22nd but unfortunately SQ don't seem to codeshare on it. LH caused the problem though, so maybe they can liaise with them to see if this is possible.

Cheers dajop, I’ll have a look into these ideas too. I like the 3rd option even if it means a taxi ride or drive.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thanks MEL, I hadn’t even considered EU261 in this situation as was only really familiar with the compensation portion. It certainly feels like SQ are not complying with what they are currently offering.

That may be the case, but it depends how long LH or SQ will take to deal with it.

Have you considered the single extra night and potential for travel insurance claim - if leaving a day earlier. It might be less stressful in the long run.

 

[minesapint]

Final update on the outcome, after multiple multiple calls (~5+ hours over the past 2 days, 6 if we include my wife's attempt 3 days ago) we are finally sorted and booked on the flight via MUC (SQ214->SQ328->LH2524).

I heard so many different stories as to why we coulndt be put on suitable alternative flights such as "zero availability". Hard to tell in some cases what the truth was but cerainly something fishy going on when I am told there is no availability for the leg I already have a reservation for. For other routing I was being told ZERO seats in any class when I can see availability on the SQ website and appear to be able to book.

Finally convinced them this afternoon that EU regs apply and they need to book me onto a flight to get me to my destination at the earliest opportunity. Agent said he needed some time to work on it and would call me back "within an hour". 4 hours go by and no call back, find out he had finished for the day....

In the end the SQ agent got me to call LH to modify the cancelled leg and change to LH2524. At this point I was willing to try anything... the extremly helpful LH agent (at least he was trying to be) couldnt do that due to the segments still being married. Call SQ back to get them to unmarry and then speak to a different person in the call center for LH when I call back who refused to modify (as the booking was sold through SQ). Called SQ back and asked them to call the LH tradeline support at the second LH's agents suggestion which they were willing to do and was able to ticket the itenerary.

Really unclear why they couldnt have done this on the first call, not sure if a lack of knowledge or being deliberately difficult to put us onto a flight in a lower fare bucket.

A bit of a waste of time for all concerned (me and the multiple call center reps) but is a better outcome than a 15 hour layover for 4 pax if we had accepted what was initially offered.

Thanks again @MEL_Traveller raveller and @dajop for your suggestions