More silly airline games

[DandyDon]

I typed a long post last night but to avoid possible forum glitches, drafted it on a draft email and a word processor document to add here. Now this silly site won't let me copy and paste from either as happens at times, and I am not going to retype the whole story, but maybe a shorter version would be better anyway.

I booked a trip to the island months ago for August 16 to 25 using credit from last year's failed trip and a $200 credit card bonus for most of it. The flights have changed several times since January, and now while the airline still promises to fly me to Cozumel, they want me to bag drag to Cancun for the return. That's not happening. I am not going to stand in line with bags for hours to take an overloaded barge ran by either company that has displayed no regard for safety.

American currently thinks that they'll fly DFW-CZM with the same plane & day turnarounds on weekends only after August 16 until September 8 with a dream of restarting Wednesday, Thursday, Friday flights. My target is to dive there on August 22 and I have some other flights lined out that could work for me, but do I want to bother now or wait and see what they pull next? We know that they will do whatever they choose to anyone.

 

[DeltaWardog]

I have nothing to offer but sympathy. I wouldn't do the bag drag either, did it a couple times and I'm just over it. Maybe pushing your trip into September would help, if you can? I wasn't able to find anything great in August but looked further out and snagged a round trip direct, Denver to CZM for $340 (with bags) on United for mid-September, just last week.

Do they have to refund you since you aren't getting what you paid for initially?

 

[DandyDon]

Maybe pushing your trip into September would help,

Some of this depends on how much crap an old, stubborn dude like myself will put up with, but my long-standing habit has been to be in Cozumel and diving on my August 22 birthday. I skipped it for the 2017 Solar Eclipse and last year when I surrendered at the boarding gate and drove home, but that's the objective.

Do they have to refund you since you aren't getting what you paid for initially?

I could try that and book with United who is adding flights, but I think too complicated with the combination of a credit voucher, the credit card bonsu, and some funds. I think I want to try to just make the trip happen.

 

[rick00001967]

i completely understand your reasons for not wanting to take the ferry etc to fly out of cancun. but have you considered using that opportunity to spend a little time in playa ? or even akumal or tulum ?

we always try to combine coz and playa and we really enjoy spending time on the mainland.

maybe this suggestion is not what you would want ideally, but if you have to cross over anyway, why not make the most of it. just a suggestion.

 

[DandyDon]

have you considered using that opportunity to spend a little time in playa ? or even akumal or tulum ?

I've enjoyed touring several ruins and diving several cenotes in the past. Not really interested now.

if you have to cross over anyway, why not make the most of it. just a suggestion.

I don't. American has some DFW-CZM flights I can change to. I guess I should go ahead and change even tho who knows what they will do next?

 

[jbark]

I had LOTS of changes to the American flights I just took this past week to Coz. IMO I think it's too early to change things on your end. They will likely change it on you anyway. I would wait until the tail end of July and see what is out there.

 

[DandyDon]

I would wait until the tail end of July and see what is out there.

Yeah, maybe so. Thanks for the vote.

 

[ggunn]

I had LOTS of changes to the American flights I just took this past week to Coz. IMO I think it's too early to change things on your end. They will likely change it on you anyway. I would wait until the tail end of July and see what is out there.

Can they change you to flying in or out of CUN if you booked I/O CZM? That would suck.

 

[DandyDon]

Can they change you to flying in or out of CUN if you booked I/O CZM? That would suck.

Yep, they did, or at least attempted by making it look like that's what I am getting. I'm sure that I have some recourse.

 

[FishWatcher747]

Well you have my sympathy DandyDon. I took my first trip to Cozumel in May. Here is a list of the airline drama I had.

1. I booked a roundtrip into CZM to avoid the bag drag. I started a thread in April concerned I might not make my 45 min DFW connection and if I did could I do the bag drag and get there the same day. Turns out there were thunderstorms at DFW the day of my trip down. So I was in Reagan National in DC and luckily was able to reroute through Miami to Cancun and did the bag drag. An AA agent went out of her way to go down and find my bag to reroute it. Did the bag drag and thanks to scubaboard I knew how to do it and it worked out quite well. I arrived late and tired but didn't miss a day of diving.

2. While I was in Cozumel I got an email that AA was changing my return flight and switching it from departing CZM to departing from CUN. So I called and plead for mercy and the agent switched me from the CUN flight to a different CZM flight.

3. I thought it odd that I didn't get an email from AA the day before my return flight telling me to check in. So upon awakening on my return flight day I checked my online AA account. There was no evidence I was booked for a return flight. I called customer service and they confirmed the previous customer service agent screwed up and I was not booked on a return flight.
Luckily she got me on the flight out of CZM that day as there were a couple of empty seats.