[2011] Really need help-AA changed our flight schedule

[KathyPet]

We have our week booked at St. Kitts for the end of January. We just received notice from AA that they have delayed our flight departure from St. Kitts by one hour which now will not allow us to take the last flight out from MIA to IAD that night. THey want to move us to Reagan airport landing at midnight and then having to drive to IAD to get our car and then another hour drive from IAD to home arriving around 2:30 AM with work the next day. There is only one flight from St. Kitts to MIA so we cannot move up the departure time from St. Kitts. We have looked at other airlines schedules but they all involve two changes in airports.
This is simply unacceptable to us and we would now like to cancel our flights to St. Kitts and look elsewhere for a vacation week in the sun. Our first choice is Frenchman's Cove.
Before I deposit our St. Kitts week I would like to see if anything is available at Frenchman's Cove. We will take any week between Jan 15th and the end of Feb. How can I do a search to see what might be out there?

 

[jimf41]

Check Liat. They run several daily flights out of SKB to STT. From STT you should be able to get a nonstop to many destinations on the east coast. I would also spend an extra day or cut it short a day if that will help you with AA's schedule.

As far as searching for MFC I don't think you'll find a February week this late but you might get one in January. Call a VOA and ask them to check availability using DC points assuming you are enrolled. If not your only other option is II for a trade.

 

[Passepartout]

Air travel can be such a PITA these days. Unless I am missing something, I think my workaround would be to simply spend the night at (an airport hotel at) MIA and continue on to IAD the next day. You might not get to work the first thing, but you'd be ready to work when you arrive. You avoid an all-night marathon travel session and really don't get home all that much later.

Stuff happens.

Jim

 

[KathyPet]

Arriving home the next day is not a option. DH is scheduled to give a seminar the next morning.

 

[David10225]

A few other options....

Pay for a shuttle to take you to and from the airport(s) right to your house. You live in northern VA, so perhaps it won't be as bad as you think.

One of you can park at DCA and take shuttle over to IAD to start your trip...

Option 3...ask AA to begin and end your trip in DCA since they are making the change.

 

[GregT]

Kathy,

Can you change your outbound flight such that you depart from Reagan (is that DCA?)

Very sorry to hear this -- I had a similar issue with AA changing a flight when Jonell and I were going to St. Thomas and it was a mess (they put us together on a flight -- and we don't fly together when we don't have the kids with us).

Good luck with this, I hope it works out.

FYI, I did check II and there was nothing at Frenchman's Cove in Jan/Feb -- just a Flex for November.

Best,

Greg

 

[dmharris]

Maybe it's just me, but EVERY time I fly into/through IAD I get ^$&%! Once I had a connection from Seattle to Pittsburgh through IAD. We were delayed for hours. Finally we rented a car and got to the airport in Pittsburgh before the plane did. It's a four hour drive.

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

Maybe it's just me, but EVERY time I fly into/through IAD I get ^$&%! Once I had a connection from Seattle to Pittsburgh through IAD. We were delayed for hours. Finally we rented a car and got to the airport in Pittsburgh before the plane did. It's a four hour drive.

You get ^$&%! ???? That's a nice way of putting it!

I hope that isn't supposed to be a nasty word:rofl: :hysterical:






.

 

[suzannesimon]

I agree with changing flights so that you are coming and going from DCA or get someone to drop you at IAD and take a cab home from DCA. I usually fly out of DCA and I never park there. Depending on where you park, cabbing it both ways might be cheaper than parking for a week. If you're getting in late, it's a lot easier hopping in a cab when you're tired than dealing with the parking lot.

 

[jimf41]

Kathypet,
I don't know why I didn't think of this before but it might help. We travel to St Thomas every year in February and it's always a problem with transportation to and from the NY airports. I've done the limo thing at $150 each way, we've driven to Newark and stayed overnight at a CY that has park & ride and of course we've had the kids drive us and pick us up. All have proven expensive or a real inconvenience for others.

This year we're renting a car one-way to LGA from an Avis dealer about two miles from home. Cost about $60.00. When we return we're coming into JFK and again renting one-way from Avis and dropping at our local Avis. Cost, about $100.

This method would at least save you the trip from DCA to IAD.

 

[jimf41]

One more thing. AA does have several flights on Sunday the last week in January from STT to IAD. As I said earlier LIAT will get you from SKB to STT. That's a whole lot easier than trying to switch weeks and air travel.

 

[flyboy0681]

I've been in this situation before and the airline should be giving you a choice of either putting you on an earlier flight, giving you a full refund or applying the fare to another itinerary. You mentioned that there aren't any other flights so that leaves only two options.

If it were me I would attempt to get out the day before, assuming American has seats. St Kitts is just too good to give up.

It also seems to me that you were taking a huge risk to begin with by flying on an itinerary where a one hour delay would be the difference between making your connection and not. Add to the mix that you need to go through immigration and customs in Miami and that American occupies four very large and hugely spread out concourses. Or am I missing something?

 

[flyboy0681]

(they put us together on a flight -- and we don't fly together when we don't have the kids with us).

Are you serious? You and your wife never fly together because you are afraid of a catastrophe?

I've never heard of such a thing before.

 

[jimf41]

Are you serious? You and your wife never fly together because you are afraid of a catastrophe?

I've never heard of such a thing before.

It's actually quite common. There was a thread on it on TUG a year or so ago. Each of us has own perception of danger and risk. I felt flying helicopters in Iraq was pretty safe. Snow skiing on the other hand I consider very dangerous. I don't suppose many folks would agree with my perception of risk and danger.

 

[KathyPet]

THe original flight we booked was supposed to depart St. Kitts at 3:30 and land in Miami at 6 PM leaving us 2 hrs and 45 minutes to make the 8:45 to IAD. By AA pushing the flight to 4:30 we don't land until 7 PM which AA says is not enough time to make the 8:45 to IAD.

 

[elaine]

1:45 is not enough to connect in MIA? I would call AA and request a waiver, if possible. Can you take only carry-on luggage? If so, I would think that 1:45 should be plenty of time, even clearing customs. Here is the connection time as of 6/1/11:
MIA DD- .40(17) DI- .45(18) ID-1.35 II-1.20
you are ID--International-domestic

 

[flyboy0681]

It's actually quite common. There was a thread on it on TUG a year or so ago. Each of us has own perception of danger and risk. I felt flying helicopters in Iraq was pretty safe. Snow skiing on the other hand I consider very dangerous. I don't suppose many folks would agree with my perception of risk and danger.

There is perceived risk and then there is real risk. If you add up how many kids were left as orphans over the last decade because both parents flew together on the same flight you can use half a hand to count.

By the same token, I bet you and your wife don't hesitate to get into the car together, an event so phenomenally more dangerous that the statistics alone would make your head spin.

To each his own.

 

[sparty]

There is perceived risk and then there is real risk. If you add up how many kids were left as orphans over the last decade because both parents flew together on the same flight you can use half a hand to count.

By the same token, I bet you and your wife don't hesitate to get into the car together, an event so phenomenally more dangerous that the statistics alone would make your head spin.

To each his own.

Common probabilities I've seen:
death in plane crash: 1 in 11 million
death in motor vehicle: 1 in 5000

Previous company used to have a policy on how many from the same group could be on a flight and everyone at least knew of it, many abided by it.

Current company - we all pack together on a corporate ERJ-135, doesn't appear to be any concerns.

 

[GregT]

There is perceived risk and then there is real risk. If you add up how many kids were left as orphans over the last decade because both parents flew together on the same flight you can use half a hand to count.

By the same token, I bet you and your wife don't hesitate to get into the car together, an event so phenomenally more dangerous that the statistics alone would make your head spin.

To each his own.

I know my quirk doesn't make sense to you, and yes, I've heard the car argument before --- and my brother has even asked me if my wife and I must travel on different cruise ships...funny guy.... It definitely makes travel planning a little more exciting, that's for sure.

Kathy, good luck on rearranging your travel plans, please let us know how it works out...

 

[KathyPet]

10 days in St. Kitts will not allow only carry on luggage at least not the way I travel.

 

[flyboy0681]

10 days in St. Kitts will not allow only carry on luggage at least not the way I travel.

Ten days??

I thought it was a weeks stay. If it were me I would definitely try to get a flight out the day before if at all possible. I'd rather lose a day than experience great inconvenience for the extra day. And lets not forget, on the day of departure you need to vacate the unit early whereas if you leave a day early you can stay in the unit right up until two hours before departure time. Travel time from the complex to the airport is about 12-15 minutes.

 

[KathyPet]

Yes you do have to vacate the unit early but you can store your luggage with the bellman and they allow you to use the facilities of the spa to store a change of clothes and take a shower so you can still have most of the day to stay at the property.

 

[RedHook]

Yes you do have to vacate the unit early but you can store your luggage with the bellman and they allow you to use the facilities of the spa to store a change of clothes and take a shower so you can still have most of the day to stay at the property.

Everyone understands that from using our own resorts. I think you missed what that poster was saying. You make it seem that it is so important to be fresh for work with no aggravations, but you want to still be lounging around the pool in St. Kitts 15 hours earlier. Most travelers I know give themselves an extra day in between if work is so important, precisely because of possible airline problems.

I mean, what if the schedule never changed, but there was a simple one hour delay in leaving St Kitts? You would be screwed in that very common situation too. Or what if the flight from Miami had to be cancelled and there were no others until the morning? It just seems stubborn to insist on staying in St Kitts until late afternoon right before an important work day.

 

[Big Matt]

I don't have issues with Dulles per se, but I do have issues with United and it happens almost ALL THE TIME. They dominate Dulles and I can't get away from them.

Maybe it's just me, but EVERY time I fly into/through IAD I get ^$&%! Once I had a connection from Seattle to Pittsburgh through IAD. We were delayed for hours. Finally we rented a car and got to the airport in Pittsburgh before the plane did. It's a four hour drive.

 

[Big Matt]

or what if in January, there is a major snow storm in DC and the flight is cancelled or delayed.

This is why flying with multiple connections is a huge pain in the rear. More variables = more chances for problems.

I mean, what if the schedule never changed, but there was a simple one hour delay in leaving St Kitts? You would be screwed in that very common situation too. Or what if the flight from Miami had to be cancelled and there were no others until the morning? It just seems stubborn to insist on staying in St Kitts until late afternoon right before an important work day.