The airline, in an unsigned statement emailed to me, provided a different version of events, first apologizing for the cancellation, but saying it did offer you a new flight. “Upon cancellation, the airline proceeded to rebook customers that requested alternate flight arrangements,” the statement read. “An internal investigation confirmed that an agent offered alternative flights,” but that the options did not meet your “requested timeline.”
JAL “is lying through their teeth,” you responded.
So I asked the airline to provide documentation that its agent actually offered alternatives. Presumably, its investigation would have looked at any sort of records of the interaction, since it seems unlikely an agent would recall a conversation from 16 months ago. It did not provide that, but sent further details: The agent “indicated the next available flight would be in approximately two days or later,” the statement read. “Regrettably, we suggested the passenger contact the Alaska Airlines award desk for re-accommodation and did not aid with the rebooking process, since he had left our check-in counter.”
The airline has now sent you a check for $3,589, which not only covers the flight and train tickets, but two Uber rides for which you had also submitted receipts. Add the 100,000 miles you got back from Alaska (and ignore the stress and hassle of the whole ordeal), you actually turned a profit.
Your side of the story was bolstered by the other player here, Alaska.
“We’ve done some digging and can confirm that Japan Airlines did not follow the policy Alaska and JAL have in place for reaccommodating passengers in situations such as this one,” wrote Ray Lane, an Alaska spokesman, in an email. “JAL should have attempted to rebook the guest.”
Though the rules were in your favor this time, other passengers should not count on the same protections. JAL’s conditions clearly detailed their option to book you on another airline, something many carriers try to avoid. Additionally, there is no explicit requirement in either Japanese or American aviation law that requires them to do so. (Some U.S. carriers will book stranded passengers on other airlines “with which it has an agreement,” according to the U.S. Transportation Department’s vaunted customer service dashboard. But, as many travelers have experienced when a flight is canceled, that’s a crapshoot.)
AloJapan.com