Southwest Splendors, September 27, 2008

[DaddyBrady]

My DVC Vacation Countdown watch tells me its 158 days until our Southwest Splendors trip begins. This is the adults-only tour starting September 27. Anyone else going?

 

[nordkin]

My DVC Vacation Countdown watch tells me its 158 days until our Southwest Splendors trip begins. This is the adults-only tour starting September 27. Anyone else going?

My partner Joi and I will be joining you. We are arriving the day before to get accustom to the time change.

 

[PrincessCindi]

Count us in!!
Myself, my husband and my sister!
CANT WAIT!!!
Really hoping to see a new trip report in here soon ... keeps me busy!!!

 

[bicker]

I'm sure y'all will have a great time. We did the trip just before this one, last year (2007) and it was wonderful!

 

[DaddyBrady]

We were originally scheduled to take United through San Francisco on Saturday morning. We had to leave at 6:00 AM, but would arrive in Phoenix around 10. A bit tight of a connection in SFO, but we fly through there alot and it usually works out in the summer.

But, United canceled the flights and rescheduled us to later in the day. Not going to work as we need to arrive by 11 AM. Since I was somewhat concerned about the tight connection and making it in time, I figured the schedule change was a sign from above to change our plans and fly down on Friday. (We also wouldn't have to get up so early, always a bonus!)

How hard could it be to change the flights?

Famous last words, of course.

We call United. The first guy tells us that when we arrive in SFO on the new flight (at 9:45 AM), we should "just go to the gate and tell them we want to be on standby for an earlier flight to get to Phoenix."

"What earlier flight?" we ask, knowing that there isn't one. (We can read airline timetables, a skill evidently no longer taught to airline call center staff.)

"Oh, there will be one available."

"But there's nothing scheduled now, right?"

Long pause, indicating confusion. "Well, no. But one will be added, I'm sure."

We did not share his confidence. Not to mention the physical impossibility of leaving at 10 and arriving before 11 in Phoenix. I wonder if I'm supposed to flap my wings to Phoenix.

We ask for a supervisor.

Much more helpful...to a point. We could definitely go on Friday on a 5 o'clock evening flight through Denver...oh, but wait, that's a change in routing and will incur a $100 (per person) fee.

"And why is that?" we naively ask.

"Because that's the policy. A change in routing requires a fee."

"But you cancelled our original flights, and now we can't get where we need to be by the time we need to be there. Right?"

"Correct."

"But you'll charge us if we make a change so we do get there in time."

"Uhm, yes."

"Do you think that's fair?"

Now fortunately, he did not, and after another five or so minutes on hold, he was back with a waiver on the change fee.

So, we're coming on Friday night, which relieves some stress, and it cost us nothing more than 60 minutes on the phone. I know it's pretty old news to flog airlines for the arcane rules, but really, was this one that hard?

See you two months!

 

[sayhello]

Yay, DaddyBrady! Good for you for sticking to your guns! United was absolutely in the wrong there, and I'm glad you were able to get it all worked out. I always prefer arriving the night before, anyways! It makes life a lot easier...

Enjoy your tour! You are going to LOVE this trip! It's absolutely fabulous.

Now if I could just figure out how to get out of the fact that MidWest changed the first leg of my flight to Seattle to 6am, meaning I have to leave home in the wee hours of the night, and then suffer a FOUR HOUR layover in Minneapolis...

Sayhello