Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - We all want to make the most of every minute of vacation time, but the airlines don't always make it easy -- it's hard to plan ahead when your flight times keep getting changed.
The airlines are shifting schedules to try to fill their planes, but sometimes they do it after you've already booked and paid for your ticket.
Karen Ryon booked a trip back in June for the office staff to attend a dental conference in Las Vegas.
“It was really to give us enough time to accommodate our patients who we would have to move,” says Ryon.
They leave next month, but exactly what time is still up in the air.
“Between July 30th and October 7th, I've had eight schedule changes,” Ryon says. "We've gone from leaving at 4:45 or 5:15 in the evening, which works well for our schedule that day, to now leaving at 2:19 and getting there an hour early, so now there's a third of the day wiped out."
As annoying as it is, the rule of thumb when it comes to flight schedule changes is as long as it's within four hours of your originally booked times, you just have to deal with it.
It really all comes down to how many people want seats on the same plane. If the airlines can’t sell them, they'll often combine flights. They reserve the right to make schedule changes at any time and the further out you book, the more likely you are to see one.
“It's become so annoying ... I have spent so many hours on the phone,” says Ryon.
Since Ryon is still inside the four-hour window, the airlines haven't offered to refund the tickets, but United has given Ryon and her co-workers a $100 gift certificate for their inconvenience.
Hopefully, Ryon has seen the last of the changes. Typically, once you get within 30 days of your flight, the schedule becomes more concrete. Each airline's policy differs slightly, so if something like this happens and you can't make it work with your plans, contact the carrier and see what they can do for you.
