E-Z Air flight change--too short of layover

[weedhopper]

We purchased our flights through E-Z air, and we recently received a change with our original flight.  Our layover is now 35 minutes in Dallas rather than 2 1/2 hours.  We are pretty sure we will miss our connecting flight to Ft. Lauderdale.   I called E-Z air and asked if we could change our connecting flight to later in the day.  I was told the only option would be to cancel the entire flight and rebook with a new flight at a much higher price than what we originally paid months ago.  They told me to also check with the airline since they were the ones who made the change.  The airline informed me there was nothing they could do since it was booked through a travel agency (E-Z air).  So is my only option to hope for the best, and if I miss my connecting flight, then deal with the stress of finding another flight and waiting in the airport?.............not a great way to start a vacation.  Hopefully someone has had a similar experience????

[Potstech]

According to our travel agent if it is an EZAir flight then Princess is saying they will get you to your cruise.  Brother and his group got delayed in Chicago due to late arrival flight snd Princess rep got them to their ship.

[cruzsnooze]

I have a 35 minutes layover on two flights with EZAIR. Since the flights are sold this way I am told it is doable. I will see when the next flights are just in case but that's not always great since I'm first class which has fewer seats. 

[jimbo1683]

Check out when the other flights are on the same day. If there's plenty of flights then hopefully wont be an issue if you miss the first. I too would be concerned if there were none or few other flights.

 

I wonder how far Princess' promise to get you to your cruise goes? I can't imagine they delay the entire ship departing for one passenger for instance.

[Ride-The-Waves]

Several years ago we booked flights using EZAir from TPA to SYD with connections in ATL and LAX.  The summer ATL connection was the "legal" 45 mins - which is not workable during the Summer in the south do to thunderstorm and flight delays at both TPA and ATL. EZAir worked with us to make the connection work in ATL, changed to 1+45 ensuring we would arrive LAX in time for the trans-Pacific flight.  Did have to change airports (MCO instead of TPA), but the benefit was a savings of $500 each for business class travel.  EZAir should be able to make similar changes for your flights.

[Coral]

I would ask for a supervisor. That is ridiculous. I would have some other flights in mind and also say that you would be willing to fly in the day before.

[justafem]

If you've already paid for your flights, it's up to princess to get you to the ship on time, no extra cost to you.  

 

The EZ air rep has no idea how this works.  Supervisor time!

 

Now if you have not made payment, completely different situation.  

[weedhopper]

We have already made payment, and our flight is in three weeks. 

[partybarbie]

Are you sure you are changing planes? When I have had connections like this, we didn't have to change planes. It's a stop to let people off and on. Just a thought. 

 

[weedhopper]

Yes, I checked and we will be changing planes AND concourses. We'll be flying to Dallas on a small plane and to Ft Lauderdale on a larger plane. 

 

[Ombud]

I had this issue for my December 19th return flight. Only I just had 15 minutes before they would close the boarding (land 4:10, next flight leaves 4:40 so final boarding 4:25). I emailed my PVP when I landed on Dec 8th, gave her 3 options and it was resolved by the time I got my luggage. EZAIR opted for change to NS flight. They bought the ticket so they had to make the change per AA

 

Bottom line: if PVPs can get EZAIR to change flight I'm sure TAs can. Ask again. 

 

 

Edited January 9, 2022 by Ombud

[Rick&Jeannie]

4 hours ago, cruzsnooze said:

I Since the flights are sold this way I am told it is doable. 

Just FYI...

The last time I was told that a 55 minute layover was "doable" because it was sold that way I spent the night in Paris.  It would have been (somewhat) OK given it was post-cruise...but we did NOT have access to our luggage.

[partybarbie]

27 minutes ago, weedhopper said:

Yes, I checked and we will be changing planes AND concourses. We'll be flying to Dallas on a small plane and to Ft Lauderdale on a larger plane. 

 

I think you are right to be concerned. I would need to book a flight with better connections. 

 

[Coral]

I would call back on Monday. There is no one that can help on Sunday. I would ask for a supervisor. That layover is unreasonable. 

[Mary Ann 2]

EZ Air told us something similar in August when I needed to change flights home.  They would change them but wanted some ridiculous amount.  In the end, we just decided if we missed the plane then they had to get us there.  As it turned out, the plane was over an hour late, so we didn't miss it.  I super stressed out over this for weeks and even during the cruise, but it turned out fine.  Hope you can resolve it or let it go.

[K.T.B.]

6 hours ago, weedhopper said:

We purchased our flights through E-Z air, and we recently received a change with our original flight.  Our layover is now 35 minutes in Dallas rather than 2 1/2 hours.  We are pretty sure we will miss our connecting flight to Ft. Lauderdale.   I called E-Z air and asked if we could change our connecting flight to later in the day.  I was told the only option would be to cancel the entire flight and rebook with a new flight at a much higher price than what we originally paid months ago.  They told me to also check with the airline since they were the ones who made the change.  The airline informed me there was nothing they could do since it was booked through a travel agency (E-Z air).  So is my only option to hope for the best, and if I miss my connecting flight, then deal with the stress of finding another flight and waiting in the airport?.............not a great way to start a vacation.  Hopefully someone has had a similar experience????

 

Friends of mine had this situation happen to them.  As you board, talk with flight attendants and ask them if there was anyway you could exit the plane as quickly as possible once it's at the gate.  Most of the time they'll definitely help.

[rdsqrl]

I believe the minimum connecting time at DFW is 40 minutes, so your new flight is actually illegal -- that's the mic drop on that conversation.  Call the airline back and say that their schedule change created an impossible connecting time.  They have to change it.  

[caribill]

Considering that airlines now like to close the doors 10 to 15 minutes ahead of scheduled departure, a 35 minute connecting time is really 25 minutes (and the legal 40 minutes is really 30 minutes).

[pm7334]

Airlines changed my roommate’s flight to 6am. Which is before the ship even docks!! TA called Princess and they said too bad. TA asked to speak to a supervisor and was told the same thing! She called back the next day, and was able to change it. This doesn’t even make sense!

[Grammyluvs]

We had this happen to us, we drove to the airport and they changed all our tickets (6 of us). No charge and no problem. 

[Grammyluvs]

2 minutes ago, Grammyluvs said:

We had this happen to us, we drove to the airport and they changed all our tickets (6 of us). No charge and no problem. 

I forgot to add this was booked thru EZ air and we changed concourses as well. We went to airport a week before. Airport was very accommodating. We spoke to supervisor. 

[caribill]

11 hours ago, pm7334 said:

Airlines changed my roommate’s flight to 6am. Which is before the ship even docks!! TA called Princess and they said too bad. TA asked to speak to a supervisor and was told the same thing! She called back the next day, and was able to change it. This doesn’t even make sense!

 

This is definitely a case where a call to the airline should have resulted in changing to an appropriate flight at no cost to the passenger.

 

It was the airline that changed the schedule and the airline has the responsibility to make the needed change for the passenger.

 

However the initial response from Princess was totally wrong. The flight was changed to a time that Princess would never have allowed to be booked.

[john1970]

The connection may well meet the minimum connecting time as set out by the airline but of course that doesn't mean you will not misconnect. If the connection is valid the airline will have to look after you which is great but not if all of the next flights are already full. Go back to EZAIR and ask them to check if the connection really is valid then ask them to check the cost of changing the flights to build in more time. Many airlines at the moment have free changes plus any fare difference due to covid so you might be fine. If the connection is not valid then you can change free of charge as long as in same cabin. This is definitely up to EZAIR to sort and they should also have contacted you with the change in the first place to make sure you didn't have any special needs that made it unlikely you could sprint from plane to another.