Flights re scheduled - want to cancel help chatgpt

coatona

This is more of a story than advice but good to have feedback.
This all started when I booked a flight from Birmingham to Bangkok for my wife and my special needs daughter.
I booked the flight through trip.com. The flight is due to depart on 14th June.
Things started to go wrong late may when we got first alert with a re schedule. Then there were more re schedules. One of the re schedules was forced due to the fact that it was stated the connection time was too short and it posed a high risk of not getting the connecting flight. Then another re schedule this time they proposed on the return journey a new schedule that would mean an 11 hour lay over. I called trip.com and told them the 11 hour lay over was not acceptable. They found an alternative but it was only a 1 hour lay over. I questioned it based upon the other forced change. He said it will be okay so I agreed to the change. Next day I get an email stating the change would cost 193 pounds. I took a picture of all the existing schedule along with all the changes and the information about the phone call and uploaded it to chatgpt. Its come up with some good advice so far and composed an email. Essentially it is instructing me to corner trip.com into providing a solution (not a 1 hour or a long 11 hour connection wait) if not to agree that it has to be cancelled due to it not meeting the original schedule or anything acceptable. What it did state was do not under any circumstances volunteer or instigate to cancel. They must admit in writing that they cannot meet the original purchased schedule or offer an acceptable alternative solution.

If this does not promote a solution, the advice is to start a charge back procedure with my bank with all the communications and the schedules.

Another point here is that this same original schedule is still being offered by trip.com 

I will continue the story as it unfolds. 

Ayr_Rage

If flights are available you will not be able to initiate a chargeback.

How have you paid trip.com?

Mark_d

Neither a 1 hour layover nor an 11 hour layover are unreasonable. I'd be more than happy to go with the 1 hour layover.  I know that people with long layovers often book a hotel room at the airport so that they can get some sleep during that time.

I don't believe you can force trip.com to design your perfect solution because the options offered by the airline are not what you consider ideal

Ayr_Rage

Are all the flights with the same airline and connecting through the one hub?

If they are, the airline will not allow you to book with insufficient connecting time.

If not, cobbling together a cheap itinerary through an agent can be fun and games as they may not have seats on all of the flights for the route.

daveyjp

If you have specific requirements for flights don't go through trip.com.  As Ayr rage states, they may be operating a 'bait and switch' model.

Use Google flights and book through the airline or a reputable UK based agent.

DullGreyGuy

coatona said:

So what you mean is ignore the fact that most experts say you need between 2 and 3 hours for an international connection. Additionally, if i had wanted an 11 hour connection i would have paid for it at significant reduction to this. Think you must be smoking something strong to state that 11 hours is okay, you obviously don't have any contact with special needs people to know that something like that would freak them out. Also the over night thing why the hell would or should I pay that. From your point of view I may as well not even book just turn up and take whats available is your attitude. Funny people around. 

Time required for a connection is very dependent on the airport, airline(s) etc. In some 1 hour is plenty, in others 3 hours could be tight. 

Are you buying a "self transfer" or a proper connecting flight? If it's the former then you should be materially concerned because if things go wrong it's your problem. If its the later then its much less of a concern because its your airline's problem if things go wrong and in principle they won't sell you a connection that doesnt work.

Given your comments on extra stress etc, hopefully you didnt buy a self transfer 

coatona

It was a proper connecting flight. However, it is not directly with the airline it is through an airline. My concern is the depart was changed some 20 days after the purchase the change showed that the airline rejected the connection stating that it had insufficient transfer time. So, the depart was already changed. But then on the return they changed the schedule to an 11 hour stop over. I called the agent last night and they offered to change it but with a 1 hour connection. So I suspect that would also get bounced by the airline. Additionally, the agent required me to pay an additional 193 pounds along with the risk factor. I have travelled many times on international flights with 2 legs and many times its taken way beyond 1 hour. 

eskbanker

I'd suggest that you'll get more meaningful advice if you clarify which airline(s) and hub(s) you're referring to....

Ayr_Rage

eskbanker said:

I'd suggest that you'll get more meaningful advice if you clarify which airline(s) and hub(s) you're referring to....

Also add the UK airport please.

eskbanker

Ayr_Rage said:

eskbanker said:

I'd suggest that you'll get more meaningful advice if you clarify which airline(s) and hub(s) you're referring to....

Also add the UK airport please.

From OP:  

coatona said:

I booked a flight from Birmingham to Bangkok...

coatona

Yes Birmingham to Bangkok Via Delhi Airline is Air India Agent is trip.com