Can an airline change your flight date?

Is It Possible For An Airline To Change Your Flight Date?

Sometimes, due to unavoidable circumstances or operational issues, an airline needs to reschedule a flight, and you may have seen this happen many times in the past. Typically, an airline has the right to make schedule changes without prior notice if required. If you are also dealing with a situation where your flight date has been changed by the airline you are traveling with, or if you are simply curious about this, then this page provides a crucial overview that will help you gain valuable knowledge and make an informed decision in such cases.  

Why do airlines change the flight date?

There can be several reasons why some airlines need to change a flight's date. Most of the time, it is due to operational and commercial reasons; however, it may also be necessary for security concerns, unexpected traffic increases, or adverse weather conditions. Here are some of the most common reasons that may be behind a flight date change. 

• Travel Demand: An airline must cater to the demand for travel from a specific city or region. If they see a demand shift, most airlines may adjust their flight dates to a different date with higher travel demand. 
• Availability of a plane: Although airlines have a large fleet of aircraft, a change or delay in the schedule can sometimes result in the unavailability of an airplane. To handle this, airlines are required to change the date of a specific flight. 
• Maintenance of Aircraft: Before take-off, airlines check whether the plane is ready for flight and perform routine maintenance. However, sometimes a plane requires unexpected or scheduled maintenance, which necessitates a change. 
• Weather: Unexpected weather events may cause the airline to change a flight's date until the weather is clear and suitable for a flight.

What are my rights if an airline changes my flight date?

If an airline changes your flight, then you must be aware of your rights and demand a refund, compensation, or rebooking at no additional cost, until the change is considered a significant change, which consist ofs, delay of flight for three or more hours, or a change in departure or arrival airport, or switching from a non-stop to a connecting flight. Here are some key rights that you must be aware of. 

• Consider Rebooking: If the airline has rescheduled you and you are not satisfied with the new flight, consider searching for alternative flights. You can request a rebooking from the airline at no additional cost, as the flight change is considered a significant alteration. 
• Request for Refund: If the flight change does not work out, you must request a full refund. Here, you need to contact your respective airline's reservation team and request a refund. 
• Understand the Policy limitations: The airline only provides the refund or compensation if the flight change is caused by an event that is not beyond their control. If any circumstances are beyond the airline's control (for example, bad weather or air traffic control issues), causing a flight delay or date change, then you may not be entitled to additional compensation or a refund. 

Conclusion

You may not have control over involuntary flight disruptions or changes, but you can be prepared in advance by planning properly for similar situations. You must be aware of your rights and privileges regarding flight schedule changes and utilize them to your advantage. Learn about your respective airline's terms and conditions for involuntary changes and fare refunds. Hopefully, through this guide, you have found practical information about why airlines change the flight schedule and what options you have to handle this to your advantage. For more information, don't hesitate to get in touch with your airline's help desk.