Another victim of the merger

I just checked on our 1-1-16 PHL - SXM flight ( originally booked on USAir ) and found out that it is no longer a non-stop flight. Instead of leaving at 9:35 AM, we leave at 7:35 AM, and we have to connect in Miami. We have 47 minutes scheduled to connect in Miami, and are then scheduled to arrive in SXM at 3:16 PM, instead of 2:36 PM, as originally scheduled on the non-stop.

I read somewhere that American was going to maintain USAir flights for 3 years, post merger - but that is not the case. Funny thing is that I never received any notification from American about the schedule change - I just happened to check my booking on line.

Also, the 47 min. connect in Miami seems very tight. Even if we make it, I am not sure that our luggage will follow. Glad it is not a ski trip !

A little tight but should not be a problem "provided" you leave PHL on time.

Have you checked for other connections or other dates that would work better for you? Since they changed you off a non stop flight, then if you can find another routing that you prefer, you can cancel altogether and get all your money back. Considering your date of travel, I would assume that everything is all full for that date though. Since you can cancel without any penalty, if you find another routing that works better for you, you could call them up and probably they will change you to it. They would rather do that than give you your money back.

seems strange. a 4 hour non stop flight is now a 7 hour flight with one stop for 45 minutes and departing earlier and getting in later. . I bet there is another stop you don't know about. They don't always show the stops on your itinerary, just ones with connections

I really am committed to these dates, and have put a deposit down at the Blue Bay Beach. I would have thought that the original ( non-stop PHL-SXM ) flight would have been full. I cannot understand why it was cancelled. My return flight, on 1-6-16, is still showing as a non-stop SXM-PHL.

Did you check the schedules to see if there are any more favorable flights that day? If yes, AA will generally go miles out of their way to accommodate their passengers when there is such a significant change in a booking.

And for what it's worth, there's no rhyme or reason to when and why they cancel flights. For two years running they cancelled April flights that were very heavily booked as early as November, one time booking us on flights that couldn't possibly work, but in each case when I called them, they booked me on other flights that were more to my liking, even allowing me to change my departure airport, at the same price I had originally booked and in the same seats. We had booked Business/first on the n/s and they put us in Business/first on both of the connecting legs we ended up on.

It's very annoying and I hope they're able to do something to make the situation a little better for you. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

Cancel your flights from PHL reschedule from NYC or EWR and drive to New York or New Jersey. You can probably find direct flights on Delta or Jetblue. No stops, earlier arrival and less chance of lost luggage.

And you should be used to this level of customer care because you are still flying USAir... its the New American.

I like the convenience of flying out of PHL - I only live a half hour from the airport. Getting to JFK is a real marathon.

I did fly out of EWR to LHR, last year. We decided to take Amtrak to the Newark airport station. It looked easy - on paper. The train was an hour late, and we missed our flight ! However, United found us 2 seats on the next ( and last ) flight to LHR, so things worked out well.

I have always found United customer care more responsive than USAir. I still do not understand why American never notified me of the flight change.

Have you updated your notifications on your profile with AA? If it was on the USAir profile it might have not transferred over to AA.

Yes I did. I had separate FF accounts on both AA and USAir, before the merger ( assimilation is probably a better description of the transaction ).