More silly airline games

[DandyDon]

Turns out there were thunderstorms at DFW the day of my trip down

Yeah, with the weather that DFW and Houston get, they're both poor choices for hubs. That's where the big cities are tho. I think that Dallas started there because of a bad stretch on the river, but Houston was a land swindle in a swamp - that developed after Galveston got levelled by a hurricane in 1900.

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.

That sucked.

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.

Double sucked. Glad it worked out.

 

[Dan G]

If you can get AA to refund your money so you can book on another carrier, Southwest flies from Lubbock to Houston (Hobby) via Dallas. They have daily flights from Hobby to CZM.

 

[DandyDon]

If you can get AA to refund your money so you can book on another carrier

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.

Southwest flies from Lubbock to Houston (Hobby) via Dallas. They have daily flights from Hobby to CZM.

SWA used to fly nonstop LBB-HOU. I guess having to change planes in DAL is why they don't quote fares LBB-CZM. I could book back to back tickets LBB-HOU and HOU-CZM, shuffled bags in HOU, and take my chances, but hell no. Not happening.

 

[Diverlady13]

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

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?

Might be too early to change. For the last several months American has perpetually been making changes to flights. It's so difficult to plan. When we went to Belize in April, American changed our flight at 8:30 the night before, so our first flight was landing after the connecting departed! They also changed our flights to CUN 3 times since booking in late April. (That trip was last week.) Delta made changes to our flights as well.

The airlines/airports (just like many other employers in the USA) are having a really difficult time hiring right now. They are really understaffed due to the continued covid unemployment benefits. American is now reducing the number of flights for July and August (at least) until they can get enough staff. So I'd bet that you see changes again.

Also, expect delays on your way back into the US once you hit your US airport. When we flew back on Monday, we waited at least 90 minutes for our bags to hit the carousel at DFW before we could go thru customs and re-drop our bags. The airport actually made an apology announcement stating that they're severely understaffed and are having difficulty finding workers. Fortunately we had a long layover. We're supposed to go back to MX at the beginning of August and are hoping that we can get flights and that the staffing issues are somewhat resolved. Since we've had so many changes in the last 6 months, we're considering just booking out of DFW from now on and making the 4.5 hour drive to Dallas rather than flying out of Tulsa. We typically only do that when flying on a foreign airline because we have to get to Dallas to do that anyway.

 

[Brules]

Im booked in July Sat - Sat - praying they dont screw with my flights. I cant wait for everything to be back 100% normal lol. COVID just keeps on giving!!!

 

[ggunn]

Im booked in July Sat - Sat - praying they dont screw with my flights. I cant wait for everything to be back 100% normal lol. COVID just keeps on giving!!!

If by 100% normal you mean 100% things were before the pandemic, I do not believe that will ever happen.

 

[Brules]

You may be right sir. I sure hope not. ;(

 

[AdivingBel]

IMHO, DD, I would stay on top of the changes and not sit on an itinerary that doesn't work for you just because things might change later. Not only are flights changing a lot, a lot more folks are starting to travel and you could get stuck with something that doesn't work for you. I know it's a hassle, but this is how airline travel is going to be until the airlines ramp back up and demand settles down. Just part of the adventure, right? Good luck and hang in there...relax when you hit the water.

 

[DandyDon]

MHO, DD, I would stay on top of the changes and not sit on an itinerary that doesn't work for you just because things might change later.

Maybe you're right. I think that American really dropped the ball here as their experts should have seen this rebound coming. Rerouting because of weather or equipment delays is one thing, but travelers need to make plans they can trust.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Maybe you're right. I think that American really dropped the ball here as their experts should have seen this rebound coming. Rerouting because of weather or equipment delays is one thing, but travelers need to make plans they can trust.

I read today on the Points Guy blog that a major factor in AA canceling a large number of flights and rejiggering routes is the difficulty they are having getting crew. Apparently they furloughed too many pilots, and others took early retirement or voluntary extended leaves of absence. Now they're scrambling to get pilots and FAs to meet recurring training requirements. I'm sure all airlines have these woes, but it sounds like the timeline AA worked out for the resumption of travel--not to mention meeting pent-up demand--was less accurate than some others airlines'.