[molson]

Long term international flight planning has been interesting this year.

Our Boise to Athens one-way itinerary has changed because of scheduling changes three times now - always to very short layovers I'm not willing to do. I know the game on how to get these changed, look up a few options and have them ready to go when I go into the online chat. But it's gotten more challenging because United isn't willing to move me from an Award Saver Fare to a Award Non-Saver fare just because I don't want to risk a 45 minute connection in London (even though I never chose such a thing). On the other hand, schedules are changing so quickly, and new inventory opens up all the time because Award travel changes are free now, so, I've always been able to wait a week or two and find something. When they don't let me change the flight, I can cancel it, get the miles back, and then book the new one. Not the most efficient approach, but, I've worked that a few times.

Our return reservation, which is Tel Aviv to Seattle on Delta, also has changed a few times - most recently to my favorite - the impossible connection. Landing in London and having negative 2 hours to catch our next flight. That one, I think I should have more leeway as far as changes. I'm on a chat right now where I'm requesting to be changed to something I found that works for me, which is also the lowest fare option available, which is also all Delta flights, no partner airlines. If they turn me down, I'm going to ask them for some advice in making that London connection. Maybe they have a time machine there? I mean really, how many people show up for their flight home to find out that that their connecting flight now leaves before their flight even gets to the layover city.

I'm pretty good at rolling with the punches with this stuff though. If you're patient and nice to everyone you can sometimes end up with better outcomes when things go badly then you had in the first place. We're still working through all of the vouchers Southwest staff kept handing us every time something went wrong on a previous trip.

Edit: They wouldn't let me switch to the one I wanted, they offered me something unworkable instead, I declined that, asked if the change rules were different when the passenger is involuntarily booked to an impossible itinerary, they said yes, and gave me my second choice. Now, maybe with that reservation in hand, I'll be able to lay low for a week and change to my first choice. And the game continues......