Source: OT-Team(G), 新华日报
A traveler's international itinerary was disrupted after a connecting flight was canceled.
During the National Day holiday, Mr. Zhong (pseudonym) found his travel plans upended and his mood equally clouded after China Eastern Airlines allegedly canceled his return flight without prior notice. The cancellation, he says, occurred after a connecting British Airways flight was grounded due to heavy fog.
On October 4, Mr. Zhong told reporters that his original travel plan included three connecting flights booked through Jiangsu Broadcasting International Travel Agency:
MU201 from Shanghai Pudong to London on October 1,
BA1374 from London to Manchester on October 2,
MU552 from London back to Shanghai on October 3.
However, a dense fog over London on October 2 forced British Airways to cancel Flight BA1374. Mr. Zhong and his companions had a fixed engagement in Manchester that could not be postponed, so they decided to travel there by coach instead. Concerned that skipping the middle leg might affect their return flight, Mr. Zhong began calling China Eastern's service hotline at 95530 that afternoon.
"Starting at 4:54 p.m. Beijing time, I called four times, every one to two hours," he recalled. "Each time, the customer service agent either didn't record my request or failed to escalate it. By 9:00 p.m., they still hadn't offered any solution."
According to Mr. Zhong, China Eastern's representatives repeatedly insisted they could not make any changes because "the British Airways segment was operated by a foreign carrier." Even after he explained that payment for the British Airways ticket was made through China Eastern and that he was willing to pay any change fees, he received no assistance.
Frustrated, Mr. Zhong went in person to China Eastern's counter at London Heathrow Airport, carrying the official cancellation proof issued by British Airways. There, he says, the situation worsened. "A supervisor surnamed Lin told us bluntly, 'You can go home; there's no way you're flying today. If I help you change your ticket, I'll lose my job.' She refused any form of coordination," Mr. Zhong recounted, describing the encounter as "deeply disrespectful."
Unable to delay his return, Mr. Zhong eventually purchased a new ticket for MU552 at a cost of ¥25,000 to get back to China.
Mr. Sun, the travel agency manager who handled Mr. Zhong's booking, confirmed the details and provided additional context. "Normally, yes, connecting tickets must be used in sequence," he said. "But this was an exceptional case caused by a foreign carrier's cancellation. In industry practice, when a middle segment is canceled, the passenger is allowed to skip that leg and still use the remaining segments, as long as documentation is provided."
Mr. Sun added that he had handled similar cases before, and other airlines — including China Eastern in cooperation with Delta and Alitalia — had permitted passengers to continue their journeys when a middle leg was canceled due to operational disruptions. "Our staff provided China Eastern with all necessary documents, including the cancellation proof and ticketing records, but they simply refused to assist, claiming the issue 'wasn't within their scope of responsibility.'"
Calling the handling "unreasonable and a clear abuse of contractual terms," Mr. Sun emphasized that China Eastern, as the main carrier and ticketing airline, "collected the full fare for the itinerary and should bear coordination responsibility instead of shifting blame."
When contacted by reporters, China Eastern's customer service explained that, under Article 3.1.3.1 of the China Eastern Airlines Passenger and Baggage Transportation Conditions, "flight coupons must be used in sequence from the point of origin as indicated on the ticket; failure to do so voids subsequent segments." In such cases, the airline said, passengers may only request voluntary refunds for unused segments and cannot continue their remaining journey.
Regarding exemptions for disrupted foreign-operated flights, the representative stated that China Eastern "is only responsible for schedule changes on flights it operates," and that passengers must "submit documentation from the foreign carrier to apply for refunds." Choosing alternative transport methods, the airline said, "falls outside China Eastern's liability."
Both Mr. Zhong and Mr. Sun rejected this explanation. Mr. Zhong argued that he did not voluntarily skip the middle flight — the change was forced by a flight cancellation beyond his control — and that he had informed China Eastern in advance. Mr. Sun insisted that, as the primary ticketing and contracting carrier, China Eastern had an obligation to coordinate with British Airways rather than simply cite policy clauses to deny service.
Mr. Zhong and the travel agency are now seeking two resolutions:
1.A refund of the ¥25,000 spent on the replacement ticket;
2.The establishment of a clear exemption policy for cases where foreign flight disruptions compel passengers to skip connecting segments.
As of press time, China Eastern Airlines has not issued a further response. The reporter will continue to follow the case.
What do you think? Should airlines strictly enforce "no skipped segments" policies even when cancellations are caused by other carriers, or should exceptions be made to protect passengers' rights in such situations? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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