reconfirming flights?

For the first time in my life i'm on a totally independent trip. Just got my
flight tickets and it recommends that i should reconfirm onward and return
flights 72 hours prior to depature.

How important is it do this?? I cant imagine many people out of the
thousands who fly each day doing this - or do they?? What is the worst that
will happen if it dont?

What airlines are you travelling on? A lot of airlines don't require
reconfirmation now. You can also check with the individual airlines.

"Stephen Chaplin" wrote in message
...
For the first time in my life i'm on a totally independent trip. Just got
my
flight tickets and it recommends that i should reconfirm onward and return
flights 72 hours prior to depature.

How important is it do this?? I cant imagine many people out of the
thousands who fly each day doing this - or do they?? What is the worst
that
will happen if it dont?

True - but some still keep the old practice. I think that TG still does.

Nik.

"Leo Hamulczyk" wrote in message
...
What airlines are you travelling on? A lot of airlines don't require
reconfirmation now. You can also check with the individual airlines.

"Stephen Chaplin" wrote in message
...
For the first time in my life i'm on a totally independent trip. Just
got
my
flight tickets and it recommends that i should reconfirm onward and
return
flights 72 hours prior to depature.

How important is it do this?? I cant imagine many people out of the
thousands who fly each day doing this - or do they?? What is the worst
that
will happen if it dont?

British Midland and American on the way there
United and British Midland on the way back


"Leo Hamulczyk" wrote in message
...
What airlines are you travelling on? A lot of airlines don't require
reconfirmation now. You can also check with the individual airlines.

"Stephen Chaplin" wrote in message
...
For the first time in my life i'm on a totally independent trip. Just
got
my
flight tickets and it recommends that i should reconfirm onward and
return
flights 72 hours prior to depature.

How important is it do this?? I cant imagine many people out of the
thousands who fly each day doing this - or do they?? What is the worst
that
will happen if it dont?

On Wed, 17 Sep 2003 08:52:12 +0100 "Stephen Chaplin" wrote:

:For the first time in my life i'm on a totally independent trip. Just got my
:flight tickets and it recommends that i should reconfirm onward and return
:flights 72 hours prior to depature.

:How important is it do this?? I cant imagine many people out of the
:thousands who fly each day doing this - or do they?? What is the worst that
:will happen if it dont?

It used to be in the past. Not so much nowadays.

At any rate, you can confirm much longer than 72 hours before the flight. You
can even do it when you arrive. You give them a local phone number and they
might call you if there are changes.

If you must reconfirm and do not, you may lose your seat.

--
Binyamin Dissen
http://www.dissensoftware.com

"Stephen Chaplin" wrote in
:

How important is it do this?? I cant imagine many people out of the
thousands who fly each day doing this - or do they?? What is the worst
that will happen if it dont?

Maybe some of the more seasoned travelers can shed some light on why this
recomendation ever existed in the first place. I assume its supposed to
allow you to learn if your flight has been rescheduled or cancelled a few
days out but that sure doesn't seem like the way it really works today.

If a flight is going to be rescheduled or cancelled it's going to be
because of a scheduling snafu (lack of crew, lack of equipment, or
weather) something that isn't really known until that day.

This reminds me of a UAL commuter flight from SJC-LAX I booked a few
months back this kind of flight should be the closest thing to catching a
bus there is in commercial flights. But no.

I called to confirm the previous evening and all was well. I got to the
airport 90 minutes before the flight, all was well. I checked in and got
my boarding passes, all was well. 5 minutes before boarding should have
started the gate agent gets on the PA annouces that due to "crew
problems" the flight will be delayed 30 minutes. Long story short, she
cycled through crew and equipment problems for the next 3 hours before
the aircraft showed up. Chatting with the flight attendent on board I
learned that they had gotten the call the previous day around 6pm that
they needed to take that empty aircraft from Phoenix to San Jose to serve
this flight because of mechanical problems with the equipment that was
scheduled to serve that flight.

Bottom line, UAL knew there was a problem, arranged for alternate
equipment, knew there would be a 3 hour delay because of availability of
that alternate equipment yet didn't tell the passengers this. If it were
upfront about the new schedule for this particular flight. I guessing
they were trying to avoid a bunch of passengers (like me) asking to be
rule 240'd over to a competitor's flight since the next flight to LAX
wasn't for another 6 hours.

On the airlines you mention - reconfirmation is generally not required but,
just in case, call the airline on arrival at each destination and give them
your location, etc - you may get a call if the flight is very delayed if
nothing else. If they have asked for reconfirmation, the flights may be
very full and this is a way of getting the airline off the hook if
overbooked - "did you reconfirm - no? - sorry - its full !!"


"Stephen Chaplin" wrote in message
...
British Midland and American on the way there
United and British Midland on the way back


"Leo Hamulczyk" wrote in message
...
What airlines are you travelling on? A lot of airlines don't require
reconfirmation now. You can also check with the individual airlines.

"Stephen Chaplin" wrote in message
...
For the first time in my life i'm on a totally independent trip. Just
got
my
flight tickets and it recommends that i should reconfirm onward and
return
flights 72 hours prior to depature.

How important is it do this?? I cant imagine many people out of the
thousands who fly each day doing this - or do they?? What is the worst
that
will happen if it dont?

For the first time in my life i'm on a totally independent trip. Just got my
flight tickets and it recommends that i should reconfirm onward and return
flights 72 hours prior to depature.

How important is it do this?? I cant imagine many people out of the
thousands who fly each day doing this - or do they?? What is the worst that
will happen if it dont?

It depends on where you are going and what airline you are flying. Flying
itty-bitty airline to an out-of-the-way location, yes, call and confirm.
Confirm that morning too. Major airline to a major city, call only that
morning and only if you hear of a disruption in air travel (major storm, etc.)
Remember that if an airline has a hub airport shut down due to weather ain't
nothin' goin' nowhere until it's dealt with.


-- Kimbis

"Stephen Chaplin" wrote in message
...
For the first time in my life i'm on a totally independent trip. Just got
my
flight tickets and it recommends that i should reconfirm onward and return
flights 72 hours prior to depature.

How important is it do this?? I cant imagine many people out of the
thousands who fly each day doing this - or do they?? What is the worst
that
will happen if it dont?


The worse that can happen is that the schedule may have changed or even the
flight canceled, and they either forget to notify you, or you are traveling
and cannot be reached. Check 24 hours ahead of time, it's a couple of
minutes out of your life.

Stephen Chaplin wrote:

For the first time in my life i'm on a totally independent trip. Just got my
flight tickets and it recommends that i should reconfirm onward and return
flights 72 hours prior to depature.

How important is it do this?? I cant imagine many people out of the
thousands who fly each day doing this - or do they?? What is the worst that
will happen if it dont?


It is important if you find out your flight has been rescheduled and is
leaving 3 hours early, or 12 hours later. If an airline really required
it, you could lose your seat. So, check with the carrier.