This is such a frustrating one. They booked MCO to SEA months ago for a June cruise, then Alaska shifts the flights. Outbound moved earlier which is fine, but the return got changed from a 4pm flight to a 9:30pm red eye, landing at 6am the next day. After getting off a cruise ship at 9am. No thanks.
They tried asking Alaska to rebook them on United since they partner, but Alaska refused because it’s “just a schedule change,” not a cancellation. Ended up keeping the outbound, canceling the return, taking a partial refund, and rebooking on United for about $250 more.
This is the part that always feels unfair. A massive time change that clearly makes the trip worse, but because the flight technically still exists, the airline shrugs and says tough luck. Schedule changes shouldn’t trap people into bad itineraries.
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