Was originally going to post in “Made any travel mistakes lately” after my experience getting a loved one home using reward redemptions for the recent Xmas holidays. A one way trip from YYZ to SYD using points redemptions ended up involving four airlines with two late flight cancellations and a no show.
I decided a new thread covering last minute reward ticketing cancellations may assist others as I have been pleasantly surprised with the outcome. Thankfully having no previous experience in these unfortunate matters, I had not given the issue much thought to my (if any) reward ticketing rights thinking you get what you pay for like other ticket categories. I therefore ignorantly assumed I would have negligible rights involving a last minute cancellation of a reward ticket let alone a no show scenario.
Our family adventures began when we wrongly assumed 6 hours would be sufficient leeway to cover winter weather for a Delta flight from YYZ to JFK to connect with SQ home. This turned out to be 1.5 hours too short with bad weather at both airports a week before Xmas meant nearly all flights were delayed except of course SQ25.
With SQ unable to book my daughter on the Sunday evening JFK departure, we went with Plan B staying in Toronto being able to secure a CX Tier 2 J Award seats YYZ-HKG-SYD departing the following late evening/early morning flight thus removing the dreaded US transit getting her into Sydney the following evening.
I phoned SQ less than two hours before departure time advising my daughter would no longer be taking the flight due to the weather delaying her connection. The cancellation fee ended up being US$105 with full refund of the sizeable points redemption. I think from memory the advices were if had we been a no show, the SQ fee would have increased slightly by US$30 again with full points refund of the Standard reward ticket.
Plan B quickly headed south when I was awaken at 3 in the morning by a rather distraught and extremely apologetic daughter ringing from YYZ when she should have been getting close to landing at HKG. Having spent all the previous day at YYZ airport when temperatures never getting close to zero, she had caught a massive cold and got confused thinking the CX flight departed 1:20 in the afternoon and not earlier that morning so had been a no show.
Whilst remaining at the airport, we were extremely fortunate to come up with a Plan C able to secure an SQ F/R reward booking on SQ1 departing SFO 5 minutes after midnight getting around the airlines same day online booking hitch. An Air Canada ticket purchased at YYZ got her into SFO with a 2.5 hour transit time which we took the risk on with weather fine at both locations. Our worry that this was tempting fate proved unfounded or it was just a case of third time lucky as she ended up spending almost an hour at the SFO lounge getting into Sydney on SQ221 Thursday morning before Xmas, some 60 hours later than her original bookings.
I had not given the CX booking and no show much thought over the holiday period thinking it was probably now a dud with the original charges involved less than $200. I was very much nicely surprised to find out last week that the ticket remains open for use up to 12 months after the original flight time with only an online rebooking fee of US$25 and 1,000 points. If deciding up to 18 December this year that we are unable to use the reward booking, it is fully refundable subject to a fee of US$120 and 12,000 points, considerably worth it with the Tier 2 booking.
The reward ticket for the delayed Delta flight from YYZ-JFK remains unresolved as have found with previous cancellations made months out, Delta charged US$150 making in this case any refund close to worthless. I phoned the local DL contact number being advised that my daughter was listed as a no show for the flight despite having the baggage checked in and a rather hectic time ensuring her bags were removed from the flight once we decided it was no point taking the flight. I have made an online request for a refund and will advise of any outcome in due course.
Whilst the issues I experienced fortunately appear to be a rare occurrence amongst us, a new general posting covering reward ticket cancellations and no show situations might assist others as ignorant as me. Whilst the airlines involved have behaved better than I imagined, we may uncover other airlines nowhere near as generous.
I decided a new thread covering last minute reward ticketing cancellations may assist others as I have been pleasantly surprised with the outcome. Thankfully having no previous experience in these unfortunate matters, I had not given the issue much thought to my (if any) reward ticketing rights thinking you get what you pay for like other ticket categories. I therefore ignorantly assumed I would have negligible rights involving a last minute cancellation of a reward ticket let alone a no show scenario.
Our family adventures began when we wrongly assumed 6 hours would be sufficient leeway to cover winter weather for a Delta flight from YYZ to JFK to connect with SQ home. This turned out to be 1.5 hours too short with bad weather at both airports a week before Xmas meant nearly all flights were delayed except of course SQ25.
With SQ unable to book my daughter on the Sunday evening JFK departure, we went with Plan B staying in Toronto being able to secure a CX Tier 2 J Award seats YYZ-HKG-SYD departing the following late evening/early morning flight thus removing the dreaded US transit getting her into Sydney the following evening.
I phoned SQ less than two hours before departure time advising my daughter would no longer be taking the flight due to the weather delaying her connection. The cancellation fee ended up being US$105 with full refund of the sizeable points redemption. I think from memory the advices were if had we been a no show, the SQ fee would have increased slightly by US$30 again with full points refund of the Standard reward ticket.
Plan B quickly headed south when I was awaken at 3 in the morning by a rather distraught and extremely apologetic daughter ringing from YYZ when she should have been getting close to landing at HKG. Having spent all the previous day at YYZ airport when temperatures never getting close to zero, she had caught a massive cold and got confused thinking the CX flight departed 1:20 in the afternoon and not earlier that morning so had been a no show.
Whilst remaining at the airport, we were extremely fortunate to come up with a Plan C able to secure an SQ F/R reward booking on SQ1 departing SFO 5 minutes after midnight getting around the airlines same day online booking hitch. An Air Canada ticket purchased at YYZ got her into SFO with a 2.5 hour transit time which we took the risk on with weather fine at both locations. Our worry that this was tempting fate proved unfounded or it was just a case of third time lucky as she ended up spending almost an hour at the SFO lounge getting into Sydney on SQ221 Thursday morning before Xmas, some 60 hours later than her original bookings.
I had not given the CX booking and no show much thought over the holiday period thinking it was probably now a dud with the original charges involved less than $200. I was very much nicely surprised to find out last week that the ticket remains open for use up to 12 months after the original flight time with only an online rebooking fee of US$25 and 1,000 points. If deciding up to 18 December this year that we are unable to use the reward booking, it is fully refundable subject to a fee of US$120 and 12,000 points, considerably worth it with the Tier 2 booking.
The reward ticket for the delayed Delta flight from YYZ-JFK remains unresolved as have found with previous cancellations made months out, Delta charged US$150 making in this case any refund close to worthless. I phoned the local DL contact number being advised that my daughter was listed as a no show for the flight despite having the baggage checked in and a rather hectic time ensuring her bags were removed from the flight once we decided it was no point taking the flight. I have made an online request for a refund and will advise of any outcome in due course.
Whilst the issues I experienced fortunately appear to be a rare occurrence amongst us, a new general posting covering reward ticket cancellations and no show situations might assist others as ignorant as me. Whilst the airlines involved have behaved better than I imagined, we may uncover other airlines nowhere near as generous.
