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OBSOLETE COVID THREAD October Porto flight cancelled

OBSOLETE COVID THREAD
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auburnfive

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Received notice today that my flight from Porto to Toronto in October has been cancelled due to “Government Restrictions”. ( They did offer to substitute a flight from Frankfurt) Not surprised it was cancelled, but surprised so far out. Guess that takes any uncertainty out of our plans. Credit for 2 years which is fine with me.
 
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Received notice today that my flight from Porto to Toronto in October has been cancelled due to “Government Restrictions”. ( They did offer to substitute a flight from Frankfurt) Not surprised it was cancelled, but surprised so far out. Guess that takes any uncertainty out of our plans. Credit for 2 years which is fine with me.

What airline was that?
 
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My wife and booked a flight with American Airlines in mid September. We were flying through Charlotte, NC. We selected this flight since we preferred having a connecting flight in a smaller airport. Our return flight in late October was also through Charlotte (from Madrid). Last weekend I received an email saying we will now fly through Philadelphia, same days and similar times. The message said we have new ticket numbers but we were not charged! I’m guessing they no longer have the volume on the flight through Charlotte . I won’t be surprised if the new flight is eventually canceled and then we will ask for a full refund. Bob
 
My wife and booked a flight with American Airlines in mid September. We were flying through Charlotte, NC. We selected this flight since we preferred having a connecting flight in a smaller airport. Our return flight in late October was also through Charlotte (from Madrid). Last weekend I received an email saying we will now fly through Philadelphia, same days and similar times. The message said we have new ticket numbers but we were not charged! I’m guessing they no longer have the volume on the flight through Charlotte . I won’t be surprised if the new flight is eventually canceled and then we will ask for a full refund. Bob
We are booked on American Airlines for October RDU - Philadelphia - Madrid. Our is Santiago - Madrid,- Charlotte- Raleigh. We have not received any information yet. Still planning on going if we can fly and Spain is open. Tks
 
Air Canada has announced "full summer suspension" on a number of seasonal routes, including Toronto to Porto: that's why they were able to let you know so far in advance.
 
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Air Canada has announced "full summer suspension" on a number of seasonal routes, including Toronto to Porto: that's why they were able to let you know so far in advance.

I was scheduled to fly Minneapolis - Toronto-Porto August 28th on AirCanada, and they’ve re-routed me from Toronto to Frankfurt and left me there!

Trying to figure out next steps. Try to get them to book me through to Porto on a different route and cross my fingers? Just cancel? Or cross my fingers, do nothing, and wait and see?

Anyone have logistical input? (Please don’t post about whether I should go. I will, of course, respect all guidelines that are in place when the time comes. I’m trying to figure out the best way to set myself up for successful travel in case I am able to travel on my original dates.)

Thanks!
 
I was scheduled to fly Minneapolis - Toronto-Porto August 28th on AirCanada, and they’ve re-routed me from Toronto to Frankfurt and left me there!

It should be possible to connect in Brussels (BRU) where the second leg would be on TAP Portugal. I don't know why the AC rebooking algorithm is leaving people stranded in this way, but my guess is that it is booking AC legs only because AC has no way of knowing if partner flights will operate.

Next steps ... that's tricky. If I were going to book a different route to Porto, I would want to be sure that AC would allow me to cancel if that became necessary. My AC booking has also been changed, and I've chosen the "do nothing for now" option. The whole situation for the summer is clear as mud at the moment.
 
My wife and booked a flight with American Airlines in mid September. We were flying through Charlotte, NC. We selected this flight since we preferred having a connecting flight in a smaller airport. Our return flight in late October was also through Charlotte (from Madrid). Last weekend I received an email saying we will now fly through Philadelphia, same days and similar times. The message said we have new ticket numbers but we were not charged! I’m guessing they no longer have the volume on the flight through Charlotte . I won’t be surprised if the new flight is eventually canceled and then we will ask for a full refund. Bob]

I'm in a similar situation. I'm flying from the west coast to Madrid in mid-September on American as well. I received notice that my departing flight has changed but return flight (late October) remains the same. I too will wait for the next step. Refund or reschedule in future -- either is fine with me.
Andrea
 
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I was scheduled to fly Minneapolis - Toronto-Porto August 28th on AirCanada, and they’ve re-routed me from Toronto to Frankfurt and left me there!

Trying to figure out next steps. Try to get them to book me through to Porto on a different route and cross my fingers? Just cancel? Or cross my fingers, do nothing, and wait and see?

Anyone have logistical input? (Please don’t post about whether I should go. I will, of course, respect all guidelines that are in place when the time comes. I’m trying to figure out the best way to set myself up for successful travel in case I am able to travel on my original dates.)

Thanks!

From Frankfurt, I don't believe there are direct flights to Porto. Madrid is the likely hub that most airlines will use from Frankfurt before continuing on to Porto. . so Madrid will be a layover point before flying to the A Coruna airport.

Jill and I decided to stay over in Madrid, and catch an early flight to A Coruna. So our schedule was: Depart Seattle on October 18 and arrived in Frankfurt 13 hours later on the 19th (the time zone change).

Four hours after arriving at Frankfurt, we had a cheap, regional flight to Madrid. We spend the late afternoon and evening in Madrid, in a community near the airport. We walked around and had some wonderful tapas. Then had a good rest at the hotel.

The next day, October 20, we caught a 0830 flight to A Coruna. By 1030 we were checked into our lodgings. We spent the rest of the morning, afternoon, and evening exploring the town, organizing gear, resting, eating, exploring, getting sellos in the Credencials, eating, . . . .

We started the Ingles after breakfast on October 21.
 
Hmmmm I have a flight from Boston to Madrid on June 28. I'm holding out to see if the airline would cancel the flight so I would be eligible for a refund as I had a trip this month within the US that has been horrible to try to cancel because the airline itself didn't cancel. I feel really selfish thinking about my own needs when so many people are suffering, but how to handle this is an issue I need to deal with eventually.
 
I was scheduled to fly Minneapolis - Toronto-Porto August 28th on AirCanada, and they’ve re-routed me from Toronto to Frankfurt and left me there!

Trying to figure out next steps. Try to get them to book me through to Porto on a different route and cross my fingers? Just cancel? Or cross my fingers, do nothing, and wait and see?

Anyone have logistical input? (Please don’t post about whether I should go. I will, of course, respect all guidelines that are in place when the time comes. I’m trying to figure out the best way to set myself up for successful travel in case I am able to travel on my original dates.)

Thanks!
I had a flight scheduled 21 June Chicago-Toronto-Porto and it was changed to arrive in Frankfurt instead of Porto. Air Canada is saying since it was a schedule change so far in advance that they will not refund my money. This is not just a schedule change but a LOCATION change 2,000 km away from Porto. The flight credit is not really an option for me. They argue that since covid19 is a situation outside of their control that even though they are cancelling my original flight and destination, they will not refund.
 
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My wife and booked a flight with American Airlines in mid September. We were flying through Charlotte, NC. We selected this flight since we preferred having a connecting flight in a smaller airport. Our return flight in late October was also through Charlotte (from Madrid). Last weekend I received an email saying we will now fly through Philadelphia, same days and similar times. The message said we have new ticket numbers but we were not charged! I’m guessing they no longer have the volume on the flight through Charlotte . I won’t be surprised if the new flight is eventually canceled and then we will ask for a full refund. Bob
There are several airports in the US that have the special screening set up for folks flying from countries considered "dangerous," such as coming from Asi, Europe, etc. So Philadelphia, JKF, Chicago, Dallas, L.A. are the ones I remember reading about. Hence they are routing you to Philadelphia. My understanding is it's a US government thing for COVID screening, not particularly something the airlines are forcing on us.
 
I had a flight scheduled 21 June Chicago-Toronto-Porto and it was changed to arrive in Frankfurt instead of Porto. Air Canada is saying since it was a schedule change so far in advance that they will not refund my money. This is not just a schedule change but a LOCATION change 2,000 km away from Porto. The flight credit is not really an option for me. They argue that since covid19 is a situation outside of their control that even though they are cancelling my original flight and destination, they will not refund.
This sounds a bit like my situation, brambles. I am scheduled to fly ABQ, DFW, AMS, TLV in May. About a month ago American chopped off the flight from Amsterdam to Tel Aviv, but on the return in June, still have me leaving from TLV. How they think I can get to Israel from Amsterdam is a mystery. Two weeks ago they whittled away the Dallas to Amsterdam leg. I suppose since there are still flights within the US, American thinks it can keep that part of my trip. Since I am not allowed to land in Israel (per their government), I don't see how American can keep my trip listed or expect to fly me out of Israel to return home, but they are. I am sure it is because they hope I will panic and hit the button on the aa.com website to cancel, which as others have said will only get me a voucher and not a refund. I suppose at the end of April they will have whittled away another leg or two. But the kicker is American has not bothered to notify me at all of any of these changes.
 
This sounds a bit like my situation, brambles. I am scheduled to fly ABQ, DFW, AMS, TLV in May. About a month ago American chopped off the flight from Amsterdam to Tel Aviv, but on the return in June, still have me leaving from TLV. How they think I can get to Israel from Amsterdam is a mystery. Two weeks ago they whittled away the Dallas to Amsterdam leg. I suppose since there are still flights within the US, American thinks it can keep that part of my trip. Since I am not allowed to land in Israel (per their government), I don't see how American can keep my trip listed or expect to fly me out of Israel to return home, but they are. I am sure it is because they hope I will panic and hit the button on the aa.com website to cancel, which as others have said will only get me a voucher and not a refund. I suppose at the end of April they will have whittled away another leg or two. But the kicker is American has not bothered to notify me at all of any of these changes.
We had a similar thing happen for our ABQ to DFW to MAD flight scheduled to leave April 15 on American Airlines. (They cancelled the DFW to MAD part but left the rest and did not notify us.) We finally called them about 2 weeks before the flight. The woman we talked to cancelled the entire reservation for us and told us then to go to the website and request a refund. We finally got our refund a couple of days ago.
 
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My plan right now is to try to file a complaint with DOT and also my credit card company to see if that might help with a refund.
 
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Air Canada is applying Canadian rules: Airlines no longer have to provide passengers with refunds.
See https://onemileatatime.com/canada-refund-flight-cancelled/
Let us know how you get on with DOT and the credit card company.

In this case, the fly in Air Canada's ointment is that if the flight either arrives or departs from an American airport, they are subject to - and must follow - DOT/FAA rules. If an American passenger traveled to a Canadian airport to catch an Air Canada flight, then Canadian regulations are the only ones that apply.

It is possible that USDOT will put complaints about foreign airlines, who use American airports, on the back burner for a later follow-up. That could be frustrating to passengers who want a quick resolution.
 
Thanks @davebogg This gives me a little more hope. I think my strategy now is just to wait until the flight is cancelled in total, which I think it will be, and then, I assume I will be more likely to get a refund. We will see.
 
It would be really useful for brother and I if Lufthansa would be a bit more forthcoming with such advice. At the moment all they are doing is advising flight cancellations on a two week basis. I think the current dates are now to the middle of May. But given that both Spain and Portugal are both in stage 4 lockdown not flights into Porto are permitted. One thing I can say is that I will not voluntarily travel with them again.
 
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I had a flight scheduled 21 June Chicago-Toronto-Porto and it was changed to arrive in Frankfurt instead of Porto. Air Canada is saying since it was a schedule change so far in advance that they will not refund my money. This is not just a schedule change but a LOCATION change 2,000 km away from Porto. The flight credit is not really an option for me. They argue that since covid19 is a situation outside of their control that even though they are cancelling my original flight and destination, they will not refund.

This is my exact same scenario, but for August 28th. (Although now they aren't even getting me to Frankfurt; just Toronto!)
 
I expect you'd need to check with your airline. Different airlines will have different rules. When you say transfer to another person, do you mean that you would book the flight for another person or you could give the credit to someone else?
I think booking for another person might be possible but I doubt you could just give the credit to someone else.
Does anyone know if credits can be transferred to another person?
 
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This is part of what I received from as a response to my complaint to USDOT about Air Canada changing my flight to land in Frankfurt, Germany instead of Porto, Portugal and not allowing a refund.

"A passenger is entitled to a refund if an airline cancels a flight and the passenger chooses not to accept an alternative flight on that airline. A passenger is also entitled to a refund if the airline makes a significant schedule change or significantly delays a flight and the passenger chooses not to travel due to the significant change or delay. Based on the information you have provided, it appears that you purchased a nonrefundable ticket and the airline did not cancel or significantly change the schedule for the flight."

I guess they are trying to be so tricky here. The schedule of the flight is almost the same, but to a location that is completely different 2,000 km away! lol Perhaps a flight to a different continent and not just another country would be necessary for the change to be significant? Somehow I think they would find a way around that too.
 
This is part of what I received from as a response to my complaint to USDOT about Air Canada changing my flight to land in Frankfurt, Germany instead of Porto, Portugal and not allowing a refund.

"A passenger is entitled to a refund if an airline cancels a flight and the passenger chooses not to accept an alternative flight on that airline. A passenger is also entitled to a refund if the airline makes a significant schedule change or significantly delays a flight and the passenger chooses not to travel due to the significant change or delay. Based on the information you have provided, it appears that you purchased a nonrefundable ticket and the airline did not cancel or significantly change the schedule for the flight."

I guess they are trying to be so tricky here. The schedule of the flight is almost the same, but to a location that is completely different 2,000 km away! lol Perhaps a flight to a different continent and not just another country would be necessary for the change to be significant? Somehow I think they would find a way around that too.
I guess the operative question is "Is it the same flight with a different schedule if the starting point or destination is completely different, or is it an alternative flight they are offering you?".
 
Either way it appears a refund is due, no?
I guess the operative question is "Is it the same flight with a different schedule if the starting point or destination is completely different, or is it an alternative flight they are offering you?".
 
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This is part of what I received from as a response to my complaint to USDOT about Air Canada changing my flight to land in Frankfurt, Germany instead of Porto, Portugal and not allowing a refund.

"A passenger is entitled to a refund if an airline cancels a flight and the passenger chooses not to accept an alternative flight on that airline. A passenger is also entitled to a refund if the airline makes a significant schedule change or significantly delays a flight and the passenger chooses not to travel due to the significant change or delay. Based on the information you have provided, it appears that you purchased a nonrefundable ticket and the airline did not cancel or significantly change the schedule for the flight."

I guess they are trying to be so tricky here. The schedule of the flight is almost the same, but to a location that is completely different 2,000 km away! lol Perhaps a flight to a different continent and not just another country would be necessary for the change to be significant? Somehow I think they would find a way around that too.
Am I reading this correctly? Did the USDOT say that Air Canada’s change of your arrival point from Porto to Frankfurt did NOT constitute a “significant change”???????
 
Am I reading this correctly? Did the USDOT say that Air Canada’s change of your arrival point from Porto to Frankfurt did NOT constitute a “significant change”???????
Yes. That was the response from USDOT.
 
This is my exact same scenario, but for August 28th. (Although now they aren't even getting me to Frankfurt; just Toronto!)
UPDATE: Now they have also cut off the Toronto to Frankfurt portion of our flights (21 June). Maybe now I can get a refund? The saga continues! Lol! :)
 
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I guess that as far as USDOT is concerned, the key distinction is domestic vs international, and all international flights are essentially the same.

Or is it that once the plane is up in the air, all flights are the same flight?
 
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