Re-scheduled flight means I miss connection

msauk

Looking for some advice, following an unexpected phone call from British Airways office today.

A couple of months ago, I paid with avios for a single flight from Tokyo Haneda to Leeds, via Heathrow - booking on the ba.com website. The flight is on the first friday in May next year. There are two of us travelling.

BA called me today to say that they have changed the departure time for the Tokyo to Heathrow leg. It means that I miss my connecting flight from Heathrow to Leeds.

Their current remedy is to suggest I stick it out at heathrow and catch the next available flight to Leeds departing at 1930 hrs. This means arriving in Leeds well over 5 hours after the originally booked time.

I said I needed to think about it. Obviously am disappointed. I checked their general conditions webpage:
9a) Schedules9a1) The flight times shown in our timetables may change between the date of publication and the date you actually travel. We do not guarantee these flight times to you and they do not form part of your contract of carriage with us.


9b3) If we:

• cancel a flight;
• delay a flight by five hours or more;
• fail to stop at your place of stopover or destination; or
• cause you to miss a connecting flight on which you hold a confirmed reservation;

you can choose one of the three remedies set out immediately below.
Remedy 1
We will carry you as soon as we can to the destination shown on your ticket on another of our scheduled services on which a seat is available in the class of service for which you have paid the fare. If we do this, we will not charge you extra and where necessary, will extend the validity period of your ticket.
Remedy 2
We will carry you to the destination shown on your ticket in the class of service for which you have paid the fare at a later date at your convenience and within the validity period of your ticket on another of our scheduled services on which a seat is available. If we do this, we will not charge you extra.
Remedy 3
We will give or obtain for you an involuntary fare refund.
We will give you additional assistance, such as compensation, refreshments and other care and reimbursement, if required to do so by any law which may apply. We will have no further liability to you.

Do you think there's any scope for negotiating with BA to put us on a slightly later departure from Tokyo on the same day, e.g. leaving from tokyo Narita:

BA0006 NRT to LHR10:50 15:20
BA4601 NRT to LHR11:45 16:20
Or should I just accept defeat and wait 6 hours at Heathrow... ?
I suppose the alternative is catch the train!

Thanks for any advice. I don't fly often at all, so not really sure if I can bargain.
msauk

gem75

There is definitely no harm in calling them and asking nicely. They probably don't have to but a similar thing happened to us with BA and they changed the flights without any extra charges.
We weren't using Avios though, we paid cash for our flights so I not sure if that makes a difference but still no harm in trying.

jpsartre

msauk wrote: »

Do you think there's any scope for negotiating with BA to put us on a slightly later departure from Tokyo on the same day

That shouldn't be a problem, I've made similar requests several times in the past and they've always been honoured. Only potential issue is if there is no reward availability on your new flight although I know they can override that if they really want. Note though that BA4601 is operated by Japan Airlines, not BA. Having never flown the former I can't tell you of that's good or bad but maybe worth looking into, especially if you're in a premium cabin (I doubt there's much difference in economy). You will arrive at T3 in Heathrow and will have to make your way to T5.

thegirlintheattic

Just don't be surprised if they change it back - I had three changes on one BA flight until it went back to the original time.

becominganobsessivesaver

In my one experience of asking BA to change flights for me due to a schedule change they were nothing but helpful. I had booked club europe reward flights from ncl to heathrow, and the 2 days later from gatwick to nice. We were spending 2 nights at Legoland Windsor before our holiday. Obviously we would have preferred a heathrow flight, but no reward availability. Anyway our evening flight to nice was moved to 45mins later, and they switched us to an earlier heathrow flight (we were travelling with 2 small children). They had absolutely no obligation to let us take an alternative flight, but their customer service was excellent!

travellerboy

This practice of cancelling and re-scheduling flights has become common practice with some of the airlines. They amend flights at will in order to maximise their profits and to hell with the problems they cause their customer's. I would get a full refund and fly with someone else if that option exists - they don't deserve your custom.

globetraveller

travellerboy wrote: »

This practice of cancelling and re-scheduling flights has become common practice with some of the airlines. They amend flights at will in order to maximise their profits and to hell with the problems they cause their customer's. I would get a full refund and fly with someone else if that option exists - they don't deserve your custom.

First of all it's a reward flight. Even if it wasn't - can you name one airline which doesn't make changes?

Caz3121

travellerboy wrote: »

This practice of cancelling and re-scheduling flights has become common practice with some of the airlines. They amend flights at will in order to maximise their profits and to hell with the problems they cause their customer's. I would get a full refund and fly with someone else if that option exists - they don't deserve your custom.

The OP bought their flight 8 months in advance, lots of things can happen in that time. Airlines allow you to purchase flights almost 12 months in advance but their timetables are not always set then. Timetables tend to change twice a year (end Oct and end Mar) I would not be surprised if they had just finalised their times for end Mar onwards and are now contacting those people that booked early.
I have had this on BA too, and they were excellent changing onto a flight with no award availability
If you want to ensure you don't suffer any schedule changes you would need to pay a premium and pay last minute fares!

st999

It might be advantageous.

Last time I flew I was supposed to have a 7 hour wait at Heathrow, the flight I was on was delayed and I hardly made my connecting flight.

MrsBunny

Hi OP

Is there an earlier Manchester flight then get a train home? Just an idea, not sure how it would suit you?

I think they may put you on the Narita flight if you ask them as it is still class As Tokyo but it does depend on the fare rules as we can change LHR to LGW on some tickets I work with. Not sure if they will put you on a code share flight thou (BA 4601) as this is operated by JAL. (I think)

As someone has already said, there will be another change come march, schedule changes are so common, some by 5 minutes, some by hours others cancel all together. It's just part and parcel of aviation!

Give BA another ring and see what they say :-)

travellerboy

globetraveller wrote: »

First of all it's a reward flight. Even if it wasn't - can you name one airline which doesn't make changes?

That makes it OK does it ? If you pay for an apple you expect an apple, or maybe I am asking too much !