Brenda off to Oz

Brenda flew out of La Paz a few minutes ago after a false start yesterday.

About a month ago Brenda got a notice of a change of itinerary of her travel to LA.   I was later to find out later that this was when Mexicana Airlines filed for bankruptcy (http://articles.latimes.com/2010/aug/04/business/la-fi-mexicana-bankruptcy-20100804) and ceased many of its flights, stranding many passengers. 

On Friday night we got urgent news of drastic change of plans from the travel agent in Australia.  Brenda take a different route to Mexico City, arriving too late to make her connection to LA.  Money was paid to Qantas to postpone her flight from LA by one day, and more money was paid to book a hotel in LA.

Sunday morning we arrived at the airport and were told that the entire Mexicana Airlines operation had shut down on 28 August, more than a week earlier.

Naturally we were upset but we eventually recognized three things in our favor: the apartment to go back to, good Skype internet connectivity, and another full day in which to meet the Qantas flight out of LA.

The at the Mexicana counter was very helpful and offered the possibility of a flight that day with another airline, if they had space.  I asked about Alaska airlines.  I could see their counter but nobody was there.  He checked and told us that Alaska had a flight to LA the next day (today) and that there was likely to be plenty of space.

We came back to the apartment and had 6 or 7 conversations with Lisa at Flight Centre's international help desk, who was very helpful.  She booked the flight to LA and agreed to leave a message with the Flight Centre branch that Brenda was dealing with to cancel the room booking.

The bad news is that Brenda's travel insurance does not cover failing airlines.  Insurance or no insurance,  my opinion Flight Centre should accept responsibility for issuing that invalid itinerary.  I don't know how such a mistake could have been made because the progress of the bankruptcy was easy to track on the internet.   The article at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38895875/ns/world_news-americas/ dated 28 August could not be clearer, yet the itineary issued by Flight Centre dated 4 September specified Mexicana Airlines.   Oh and by the way, the hotel responded that the cancellation was too late to avoid forfeiture of the entire amount that Brenda had paid.

But the important thing is that Brenda got out OK and without having to postpone once again her Qantas flight.  And the itinerary was so much better.  The invalid itinerary called for Brenda to fly to Mexico City where she would have a 7 hour layover.  She would then arrive in LA shortly before midnight, have to get to her hotel, then probably have to leave the hotel at noon the next day and have to do a lot of waiting for her 10.30 PM flight out of LA.

The new plan was so much better.  We had another night in the apartment, this morning we visited the Museum of Natural History, and after a leisurely lunch and nap boarded a taxi for the airport at 2 PM.  Brenda will arrive at LA International Airport at 7.15 PM, perfectly time for her Qantas connection.

For her return to Mexico Brenda will specify a direct flight from LA to La Paz with Alaska Airlines instead of hopping around Mexico like before, where she went from LA to Guadalajara to Mexico City then to La Paz.

Sometimes you have to be your own travel agent.