Making changes to Choice Air flights?

[jules815]

I booked our flights to Barcelona through Choice Air. We'll be sailing on the transatlantic cruise from Barcelona to Ft. Lauderdale. We sail on October 23, and are flying from Chicago to Barcelona (with a stop and plane change in Philly) on the 19th.

 

This is where I screwed up, and I can't believe I did this, given we are the type of people who always arrive the suggested 2 hours before any flight. We live in the Chicago area and always fly out of O'Hare.

 

Our flight leaves O'Hare at 3pm, arrives Philly at 6:02, where we change planes (same terminal, Terminal A, although I just realized after looking at an airport map, there's an A West, and A East, with quite a bit of space between them. Our flight to Barcelona leaves at 7:05. That's not leaving really any time for error and I'm freaking out. Both flights are with American.

 

There's a flight leaving Chicago at 1:20pm, with plenty of seats still available. I called Choice Air to see if I could make the change to that flight, and they pretty much told me, both times that I called, no dice. We would be subject to a penalty, and would possibly *gasp* have to pay full price for the tickets. They are business class seats and we paid a little over $1300pp. The same flights this morning are over 6k pp. :eek: They also tried to assure me that their screen was showing that this connection only requires 50 minutes and we have a full hour. (I was talking to a call center for sure.) Since we booked business class, the seats on the flight to Philly are first class, so at least we should be able to exit the plane quickly, and we won't have to mess with luggage or security. Still, that one hour window is making me a bit nervous.

 

Has anyone successfully made changes to flights booked with Choice Air? I mean, I'm okay with a penalty, you know, $100pp or whatever, but the current "full price" isn't an option.

[swoopy2110]

If you miss the flight, it's their responsibility to get you there

[Christine Frances]

Phone Choice Air - they are very helpful:)

[bethco]

I'm not seeing 6K for choice air fares from Chicago to BCN for the TA. I am seeing choice air fares more in line with what you have paid. You might try and do a dummy booking finding the departure that you want and what the price is for that and call again and ask if you can pay a change fee for it, but don't really expect a different answer. Your best hope for it is to get a sympathetic agent who will do it for you.

 

If they happen to make a flight time change for either leg you stand a better chance of getting it switched to the time that you want.

 

Good luck with it. What day are you scheduled to arrive in Barcelona? If for some reason you do not make the connection, are you missing the ship and catching up in Mallorca or are you missing a day of Barcelona?

[jules815]

I'm not seeing 6K for choice air fares from Chicago to BCN for the TA. I am seeing choice air fares more in line with what you have paid. You might try and do a dummy booking finding the departure that you want and what the price is for that and call again and ask if you can pay a change fee for it, but don't really expect a different answer. Your best hope for it is to get a sympathetic agent who will do it for you.

 

If they happen to make a flight time change for either leg you stand a better chance of getting it switched to the time that you want.

 

Good luck with it. What day are you scheduled to arrive in Barcelona? If for some reason you do not make the connection, are you missing the ship and catching up in Mallorca or are you missing a day of Barcelona?

 

No, we're flying on the 19th, arriving on the 20th. Ship sails on the 23rd, so we should be ok there. Looking forward to a few days sightseeing in Barcelona though.

 

The new airfare I was quoting was directly from the American Airlines website via Kayak. When the Choice Air agent told me we'd possibly have to pay the full price fare, I thought that's what they meant.

[jules815]

Phone Choice Air - they are very helpful:)

 

I've called twice. They were nice, but both told me the same thing. "They are showing a minimum 50 minute window to make the connection, and we have 60 minutes."

[Merion_Mom]

I booked our flights to Barcelona through Choice Air. We'll be sailing on the transatlantic cruise from Barcelona to Ft. Lauderdale. We sail on October 23, and are flying from Chicago to Barcelona (with a stop and plane change in Philly) on the 19th.

 

This is where I screwed up, and I can't believe I did this, given we are the type of people who always arrive the suggested 2 hours before any flight. We live in the Chicago area and always fly out of O'Hare.

 

Our flight leaves O'Hare at 3pm, arrives Philly at 6:02, where we change planes (same terminal, Terminal A, although I just realized after looking at an airport map, there's an A West, and A East, with quite a bit of space between them. Our flight to Barcelona leaves at 7:05. That's not leaving really any time for error and I'm freaking out. Both flights are with American.

 

There's a flight leaving Chicago at 1:20pm, with plenty of seats still available. I called Choice Air to see if I could make the change to that flight, and they pretty much told me, both times that I called, no dice. We would be subject to a penalty, and would possibly *gasp* have to pay full price for the tickets. They are business class seats and we paid a little over $1300pp. The same flights this morning are over 6k pp. :eek: They also tried to assure me that their screen was showing that this connection only requires 50 minutes and we have a full hour. (I was talking to a call center for sure.) Since we booked business class, the seats on the flight to Philly are first class, so at least we should be able to exit the plane quickly, and we won't have to mess with luggage or security. Still, that one hour window is making me a bit nervous.

 

Has anyone successfully made changes to flights booked with Choice Air? I mean, I'm okay with a penalty, you know, $100pp or whatever, but the current "full price" isn't an option.

 

You are on my flight! I will hold the plane for you. :D

 

What seats are you in? ;)

[jimmyzwei]

I fly in/out and through PHL for business on a regular basis. In Oct coming out of ORD you really don't have a weather problem. An hour between flights really is not a problem, no where nearly as bad as ORD when i have had to go from L out to far end of C in that same amount of time. I personally wouldn't worry about it myself. JMHO

 

Good luck and I hope you can work something out you are comfortable with.

[jules815]

You are on my flight! I will hold the plane for you. :D

 

What seats are you in? ;)

 

No kidding!? Too funny!!

 

We are second row in the middle. :)

[Merion_Mom]

No kidding!? Too funny!!

 

We are second row in the middle. :)

 

Oh, right, you said that you were business and first class.

 

I'm in the peon section.

 

May I come up and visit? ;)

 

(by the way, A East and A West adjoin through a walkway and are not that far apart)

[jules815]

Oh, right, you said that you were business and first class.

 

I'm in the peon section.

 

May I come up and visit? ;)

 

(by the way, A East and A West adjoin through a walkway and are not that far apart)

 

Of course! :) And this is business class "pod" thing is a first for us. Special trip, celebrating my husband's 60th. Glad to hear the walk isn't too bad. I was talking to my husband about this last night, and he's not worried about it at all.

[jules815]

I fly in/out and through PHL for business on a regular basis. In Oct coming out of ORD you really don't have a weather problem. An hour between flights really is not a problem, no where nearly as bad as ORD when i have had to go from L out to far end of C in that same amount of time. I personally wouldn't worry about it myself. JMHO

 

Good luck and I hope you can work something out you are comfortable with.

 

Yes, my husband has reassured me that we should be just fine. Much smaller airport than what we're used to with ORD. He's in and out of Philly quite often as his company has offices in Newark, DE.