EVA - cancellation of flights from USA to BKK

[joe_momma]

It would be nice to see EVA back up, but I would be worried about closed airspace/no fly rules if adjacent countries start to feel frisky.

Not routing your trip over Japan-Korea-Taiwan airspace may be a prudent move.

Disclaimer - EVA cancelled my April flight a couple of weeks ago. Rebooked through Singapore airlines for 30% higher ticket and a crappy 9 hour overnight layover in the return flight.

[Kale]

2 hours ago, joe_momma said:

It would be nice to see EVA back up, but I would be worried about closed airspace/no fly rules if adjacent countries start to feel frisky.

Not routing your trip over Japan-Korea-Taiwan airspace may be a prudent move.

Disclaimer - EVA cancelled my April flight a couple of weeks ago. Rebooked through Singapore airlines for 30% higher ticket and a crappy 9 hour overnight layover in the return flight.

Hmm, they still show that transit is being allowed through Taipei starting in April.  I guess there still isn't enough demand or maybe EVA just needs more time to get up to speed.

Edited March 3, 2022 by Kale

[Saddic]

On 03/03/2022 at 11:20, Kale said:

Hmm, they still show that transit is being allowed through Taipei starting in April.  I guess there still isn't enough demand or maybe EVA just needs more time to get up to speed.

Don't count on it...

Have been watching for too long to count now...  China Airlines has removed their flights through May from scheduling...  The rep says they really don't know...  so EVA won't know either...  Their reps certainly aren't answering that question (on FB) anymore...

As long as Taiwan continues to follow the zero Covid policy (like China, HK, etc)...  They don't have a realistic path to opening...

[Luv2Phuket]

Perhaps there is some hope....

In late February, the Central Epidemic Command Center announced that, starting March 7, 2022, Taiwan will allow foreign business travelers to enter Taiwan for business visits, investment, and contractual ro employment obligations. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs adjusted the entry regulations for foreign business travelers accordingly.

(https://www.boca.gov.tw/cp-220-5081-c06dc-2.html)

In response to a DM on Twitter, an EVA Rep replied as follows:

Thanks for reaching out - no there hasn't been any change to the transit ban! It is currently on a rolling basis, but we hope it will end soon. We are working closely with the Taiwanese CDC and will make an announcement on our social media accounts when it ends. You can keep up to date on the situation by routinely checking the Taiwanese CDC website or continue to follow us on social for updates. We thank you for your patience during this time. 

 

[forqalso]

Yesterday, I was able to see flights scheduled in July through Taipei on China Airlines website; but, it still had the transit ban pop up. So, I called their reservation line and was told that “hopefully” transit would be allowed by then. I ended up booking with Japan Airlines, a little cheaper but less desirable departure/arrival times both ways.

[Luv2Phuket]

I have a return flight booked on EVA in mid-June using miles, but I am "waitlisted." My guess is the travel ban has them waiting instead of issuing tickets.

As an alternative, I have a Singapore ticket booked, but it is currently a VTL flight, which requires a damn PCR test within 48 hours of scheduled departure.

Fingers crossed that EVA opens up by then....

[forqalso]

An update to my earlier post. I booked our flights through JAL for 18 days and of course an week later my wife wanted to change her flights.  Her boss had already said 3 weeks off was OK (2 weeks paid vacation and one week unpaid). Then, after the flights were booked he's saying only the two weeks.  She is ready to quit if they don't agree with the original plan and if so, she wants to stay another couple weeks.  I checked with JAL and the cancellation fee is over $800 on an eleven hundred dollar ticket.  So, that idea died in the crib.

Then, tonight I get an email for JAL saying they changed our itinerary and now they say we have to change airports in Tokyo.  That seems like it can be a nightmare; but luckily, they offered no fee cancellation. So I jumped on that, only to see on the confirmation page that they can take up to two months to get me my money.  Funny, it didn't take them that long to get it.

I'm going to see when Taipei is expected to reopen for transit and hopefully book with China Airlines with our usual midnight departure.

[Ohyesuare]

3 minutes ago, forqalso said:

An update to my earlier post. I booked our flights through JAL for 18 days and of course an week later my wife wanted to change her flights.  Her boss had already said 3 weeks off was OK (2 weeks paid vacation and one week unpaid). Then, after the flights were booked he's saying only the two weeks.  She is ready to quit if they don't agree with the original plan and if so, she wants to stay another couple weeks.  I checked with JAL and the cancellation fee is over $800 on an eleven hundred dollar ticket.  So, that idea died in the crib.

Then, tonight I get an email for JAL saying they changed our itinerary and now they say we have to change airports in Tokyo.  That seems like it can be a nightmare; but luckily, they offered no fee cancellation. So I jumped on that, only to see on the confirmation page that they can take up to two months to get me my money.  Funny, it didn't take them that long to get it.

I'm going to see when Taipei is expected to reopen for transit and hopefully book with China Airlines with our usual midnight departure.

Pretty sure with the current restrictions in Japan, you aren't allowed to transit via airport change.

[Luv2Phuket]

36 minutes ago, forqalso said:

I'm going to see when Taipei is expected to reopen for transit and hopefully book with China Airlines with our usual midnight departure.
 

You're guess is as good as anybody's.

I have been asking EVA on the phone and on social media and they readily admit that they have no idea, but hope it is soon.

I'm a little pissed with EVA right now. I tried to book an award ticket in June, but was waitlisted. You still cannot fly through Taipei, so, until the rule changes, I cannot fly that route.

Despite all of that, they STILL charged me $50 USD to cancel it. They refunded the fees I originally paid, but, because I have shitty luck the exchange rate is much worse (or better, depending in your perspective), so I got another $6 less back.

[forqalso]

34 minutes ago, Ohyesuare said:

Pretty sure with the current restrictions in Japan, you aren't allowed to transit via airport change.

That’s what I was thinking, too.  Even without COVID, who would want to collect their bags, go through immigration and taxi across Tokyo just to change planes. I’m glad I could cancel with full refund. 
I see on orbitz, tickets for around $300 less with the late night departure that I like. Also, it’s a later flight home instead of the morning flight out of Suvarnabhumi. Hopefully, everything will work out for the best. 

[axunjaxn]

Eva cancelled my ticket to San Francisco. No transit through Taipei ,expected in May when I was going. Rebooked on JAL. Better flight and times.

                                                                                    Jack

[rioman]

8 hours ago, forqalso said:

An update to my earlier post. I booked our flights through JAL for 18 days and of course an week later my wife wanted to change her flights.  Her boss had already said 3 weeks off was OK (2 weeks paid vacation and one week unpaid). Then, after the flights were booked he's saying only the two weeks.  She is ready to quit if they don't agree with the original plan and if so, she wants to stay another couple weeks.  I checked with JAL and the cancellation fee is over $800 on an eleven hundred dollar ticket.  So, that idea died in the crib.

Then, tonight I get an email for JAL saying they changed our itinerary and now they say we have to change airports in Tokyo.  That seems like it can be a nightmare; but luckily, they offered no fee cancellation. So I jumped on that, only to see on the confirmation page that they can take up to two months to get me my money.  Funny, it didn't take them that long to get it.

I'm going to see when Taipei is expected to reopen for transit and hopefully book with China Airlines with our usual midnight departure.

This was a trickfuck in April 2020 when it was getting very difficult to get out of Vietnam or Asia at all.  I was able to book a flight with an airport change in Tokyo, but of course you were not allowed to switch airports.  I really doubt that has changed.  Seemed to take quite awhile to get refund at that time as well too.  

[joe_momma]

4 minutes ago, rioman said:

This was a trickfuck in April 2020 when it was getting very difficult to get out of Vietnam or Asia at all.  I was able to book a flight with an airport change in Tokyo, but of course you were not allowed to switch airports.  I really doubt that has changed.  Seemed to take quite awhile to get refund at that time as well too.  

After having EVA cancel my flights twice I booked through Singapore Airlines - longer flight, long layover on return trip but the airport will be fully open (only masking required) as of April 1.

My hope is that the airline will follow KLM and not enforce the mask while flying rule.

I fear it will still be quiet a while before Taipei  (and Hong Kong) open up.

[Saddic]

2 hours ago, axunjaxn said:

Eva cancelled my ticket to San Francisco. No transit through Taipei ,expected in May when I was going. Rebooked on JAL. Better flight and times.

                                                                                    Jack

Been tracking both EVA and China Airlines and both have put flights up (to collect your hard earned cash) in a desperate hope that Taipei opens up for transit...  They have even put up special "sales" to increase ticket sales...  Which they have no hope of fulfilling...  They will gladly give you a 1 yr voucher... which will expire with no guarantee a flight will become available and keep your money... (darn nice of them, don't you think?)

As long as Taipei continues to follow China's zero covid policy, nothing will change this year... (for HK and China too, btw)...

They "were" my FF carrier of choice... and as long as there continues to be a hostile environment and eternal denial about covid...  These won't be able to fly...  *having to look elsewhere, and Singapore Airlines will probably replace them on my FF dialer...

[Roadglide]

It's not just EVA, JAL just sent me an e-mail that they changed my flight to Thailand, moved the flight by one day, from a Thursday to a Friday departure, but not the flight from Japan to Thailand???

[Luv2Phuket]

1 hour ago, Roadglide said:

It's not just EVA, JAL just sent me an e-mail that they changed my flight to Thailand, moved the flight by one day, from a Thursday to a Friday departure, but not the flight from Japan to Thailand???

I have had multiple JAL award tickets (booked via AA) cancelled recently because of "schedule changes."

[Kale]

On 10/03/2022 at 08:17, Luv2Phuket said:

I have a return flight booked on EVA in mid-June using miles, but I am "waitlisted." My guess is the travel ban has them waiting instead of issuing tickets.

As an alternative, I have a Singapore ticket booked, but it is currently a VTL flight, which requires a damn PCR test within 48 hours of scheduled departure.

Fingers crossed that EVA opens up by then....

EVA website popup shows transit through Taipei suspended until at least May 31.  This is at least the 3rd time they have extended it so I wouldn't bank on that May 31 date sticking either.

Edited March 30, 2022 by Kale

[Luv2Phuket]

1 hour ago, Kale said:

EVA website popup shows transit through Taipei suspended until at least May 31.  This is at least the 3rd time they have extended it so I wouldn't bank on that May 31 date sticking either.

Yep - as mentioned above, I have cancelled it.

Fingers crossed my NOVEMBER reservation survives! 5555

[BuckDefiant]

16 hours ago, forqalso said:

without COVID, who would want to collect their bags, go through immigration and taxi across Tokyo just to change planes

NOT relevant under current conditions, but the Tokyo airport-to-airport transfer is painless, and for a good schedule/price I personally do it. Even did it when I was horribly sick (way before COVID), not a problem, they've got it dialed-in. 

[Luv2Phuket]

1 hour ago, BuckDefiant said:

NOT relevant under current conditions, but the Tokyo airport-to-airport transfer is painless, and for a good schedule/price I personally do it. Even did it when I was horribly sick (way before COVID), not a problem, they've got it dialed-in. 

Agree that it's not that bad, but one thing to consider is that I do not know that the airline provides the transportation. When I asked about it in connection with a prior flight, I was told I had to book the bus on my own.

Rep may have been wrong, but it convinced me to book a different flight.

[duke main]

On 31/03/2022 at 05:52, Luv2Phuket said:

Agree that it's not that bad, but one thing to consider is that I do not know that the airline provides the transportation. When I asked about it in connection with a prior flight, I was told I had to book the bus on my own.

Rep may have been wrong, but it convinced me to book a different flight.

If I recall correctly, the airline gives you a voucher which you then take to the bus ticket counter where you book the bus. This works out well for you as you can rush straight to the bus counter and get across town asap, or can take a later bus and have a few extra minutes to leisurely unwind from the previous flight. 

[Roadglide]

On 30/03/2022 at 15:52, Luv2Phuket said:

Agree that it's not that bad, but one thing to consider is that I do not know that the airline provides the transportation. When I asked about it in connection with a prior flight, I was told I had to book the bus on my own.

Rep may have been wrong, but it convinced me to book a different flight.

 

12 hours ago, duke main said:

If I recall correctly, the airline gives you a voucher which you then take to the bus ticket counter where you book the bus. This works out well for you as you can rush straight to the bus counter and get across town asap, or can take a later bus and have a few extra minutes to leisurely unwind from the previous flight. 

I was on a JAL flight from LAX to NRT that arrived late, myself and 5 or 6 other people missed the connection to BKK, so JAL gave all of us vouchers for the bus to Haneda.  It was a little hard to follow the directions to find the bus and they also stop at the domestic terminal in Haneda first, then the international one.

You DO need to gather up your luggage and go through Japanese customs and immigration to make this connection.

[Roadglide]

On 30/03/2022 at 08:19, Roadglide said:

It's not just EVA, JAL just sent me an e-mail that they changed my flight to Thailand, moved the flight by one day, from a Thursday to a Friday departure, but not the flight from Japan to Thailand???

 

On 30/03/2022 at 09:28, Luv2Phuket said:

I have had multiple JAL award tickets (booked via AA) cancelled recently because of "schedule changes."

Well that worked out very well for me...

JAL canceled the Thursday flights out of SAN for the month of June, no idea why, but they sent me an email telling me that my flight would now leave a day latter on Friday.  It's only one day so no problem HOWEVER they failed to move my connection to BKK forward, now that would be a problem, so after 2 days of listening to a busy signal on the phone I finally got through to them, and they fixed it, however and this is the good thing since I had 4000 miles and 2500 miles expiring in April and May, that when they made all of these changes they also changed the booking code, and that allowed me to use the expiring miles plus some of what I had in my miles bank to upgrade from economy to business class for the NRT/BKK leg.  I wanted to do that for the SAN/NRT leg, but was told that business was not available for upgrading.  

So for 20,000 miles you can upgrade on JAL from economy to business for the shorter leg from Japan to Thailand, it would have been 30,000 miles for the upgrade from SAN to NRT, and I would have had to transfer some Marriott points at a 3:1 ratio to JAL to make that work.

[Luv2Phuket]

Speaking of mileage expiration, the 75,000 EVA miles I had re-deposited expire in February 2023. 

I hope like Hell they start allowing transit through TPE soon! 555

I got an email about ways to extend mileage expiring this year, but that doesn't do much for my miles expiring early NEXT year.

[Saddic]

Taipei declines to open to transit... again...  If you booked China Airlines or EVA... good luck to you... have a Plan B... (SIN, NRT, NHD, ICN...)

I seriously doubt they will open this year... (or next)...

https://loyaltylobby.com/2022/04/28/taiwan-bans-transit-passengers-through-september-30-2022/?fbclid=IwAR0zOUIUfKyUTtBGP439I-MSq-KK4R7NyJiIqMtPA9gSzmBd1ENjgs_wJnM

 

Edited April 29, 2022 by Saddic