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An American Airlines traveler says it’s “slightly infuriating” to discover his international trip has been significantly altered when his return flight won’t take him home, but to an airport more than 100 miles away.
What happens when an airline schedule change forces you to reconsider your return flight? In the case of an American Airlines traveler, you find yourself rescheduled to an airport far from home.
The flyer posted his situation on Reddit, seeking advice on how to handle his unique situation.
Are you leaving San Diego, but returning to Los Angeles?
The situation was first posted on the subreddit r/slightly infuriating with little context but a modified return flight. The screenshot showed that his flight was supposed to travel from Philadelphia to San Diego, but was changed to go to Los Angeles. The distance between the two airports is more than 100 miles.
Talk to News week, traveler Corey Chapman said he was scheduled to travel to Europe in December, returning in January 2024. His trip was originally scheduled to begin and end in San Diego, but a second check of his itinerary months in advance revealed reflected the change in both flights and destination airports. To add insult to injury, the flight was booked in miles.
“Growing up on the East Coast and in Europe, I love trains!” Chapman told another Reddit user when asked about the possibility of taking a train between the two cities. “I would never let an airline change a flight that I paid for (well, with miles) to a different destination.”
So what happened to cause the change to a completely different metro? An American Airlines spokesperson told FlyerTalk that this was due to a chain of unfortunate events.
According to the airline, Chapman was scheduled to arrive in Philadelphia from Europe with about three hours left to catch a continuous direct flight to San Diego. Since booking, a schedule change has made the flight unavailable, forcing rerouting.
“We apologize for the schedule change which impacted Mr. Chapman’s travel plans,” the airline said in a statement to FlyerTalk. “A member of our team contacted him to address his concerns and provide him with the best travel options available in San Diego.”
American says it is waiting to hear back from the flyer to find an alternate route or request a refund. It’s unclear exactly which direction Chapman will go. In one of his messages, he said he intended to eventually get a flight back to San Diego.
“I will (sic) have them come back to San Diego,” Chapman wrote on Reddit. “No way I’m letting them (sic) force me to pay more money and time because they changed me.”
How would you handle this situation? Get the best tips for working with American on FlyerTalk Forums!
