Long post alert

Hi All,

What are my rights as a passenger in this case?

I have booked a Japan Airline flight to Kuala Lumpur on Mar 22, 2022 with the below route,

YVR - Depart:Aug 4, 2022 2.05PM (JL17)
NRT - Arrive:Aug 5, 2022 4.30PM, Depart:Aug 5, 2022 10.30PM (MH7093)
KUL - Arrive:Aug 6, 2022 4.55AM

This travel was booked via Royal Bank of Canada's Rewards website, www.rbcrewards.com/travel/ (i.e Travel Agent) to allow me to use my rewards points towards the flight ticket.

On May 21, 2022 the Travel Agent have sent an email stating there are flight changes, as below

YVR - Depart:Aug 4, 2022 2.05PM (JL17)
NRT - Arrive:Aug 5, 2022 4.30PM, Depart:Aug 8, 2022 10.20AM (MH71)
KUL - Arrive:Aug 8, 2022 4.45PM

Note: The major change was, my initial 6 hour transit now became 3 days lay over. The options given were to "Accept the change" or "Full Refund"

I am not looking for refund as I really want to meet my family in this post pandemic era whom I did not had a chance to meet since 6 years ago. I am keen to "Accept the change". The challenge here was the routing option given to me is not tenable. This is because

a) the Japanese Government does not allow tourist in their country
due to their strict Covid-19 measurement. Hence I can't come out
from airport 

b) NRT airport shuts down at night meaning, I can't stay within
airport, and 

c) they don't have airport hotel that does not require passengers to
come out from the airport to stay there.

Am puzzled why this routing option was given when its not tenable.

Have contacted JAL-American Region Reservation Center to confirm the updated Covid-19 rules and regulation in Japan and they have confirmed the above. As I have booked via a travel agent they can't assist me directly in finding a better route. JAL advised me to contact my Travel Agent, and inform them to find a "same airport, same day departure" route for me. The Travel Agent was advised they can contact JAL via Agency Helpdesk if they need any help.

I have contacted my Travel Agent to inform them on this information. The Travel Agent tried to find another routing option but sadly the pattern in NRT have changed for YVR-NRT-KUL,

a) the flight arrive in NRT on 4.30PM
b) depart to KUL on 10.20AM the next day.

The Travel Agent was trying their level best to persuade me to accept a refund citing they are having inventory problem. I did my independent checking and found there is the below route with additional transit in Singapore which I am willing to take,

YVR - Depart:Aug 4, 2022 2.05PM (JL17)
NRT - Arrive:Aug 5, 2022 4.30PM, Depart:Aug 5, 2022 7.00PM (SQ11)
SIN - Arrive:Aug 6, 2022 1.15AM, Depart:Aug 8, 2022 7.10AM (SQ104)
KUL - Arrive:Aug 6, 2022 8.10AM

Informed the Travel Agent and they had tried to contact JAL for advice/approval, since May 22, 2022 via email but apparently did not attract a reply but upon checking with JAL they claim no email reached them. I got the phone number of JAL and given to the travel Agent, when the Travel Agent said the JAL phone number did not go through.

When spoke with the Travel Agent July 22, 2022, they claims the request YVR-NRT-SIN-KUL was not accepted by JAL in pretext they are not JAL managed route and the Travel Agent once again was convincing me to take the refund. When I called JAL once again, they rubbished the claim stating, I am innocent as the re-routing option with 3 day layover in NRT was not initiated by me but the airline. On JAL side they indicated they seen these cases many times which they have helped.

The Travel Agent apparently need to seek "Waiver Quote: Due to Immigration Restriction" from JAL through Agency Helpdesk or Call to absorb the cost differences. According to JAL they would be willing to give approval for the waiver quote to use the YVR-NRT-SIN-KUL route.

JAL says I am not getting a good service from my Travel Agent and JAL could not hep directly to reroute this due to their policy as I got the ticket through the Travel Agent. But the Travel Agent claim JAL did not approve the Waiver Quote. Shouldn't a tenable rerouting option must be given?

What are my rights as a passenger in this case?

For the record, I have called my Travel Agent 8 times in the duration of 4 months speaking with the 8 different agents. Each time I need to explain the whole issue again seeking a resolution but of no avail. The wait time is an hour to get an agent not including couple more hours to wait while they are processing/understanding the issue.

I am getting worried as I have one week before travelling. I could not buy another ticket as the cost have went up 3x and I can no longer afford it. As have said, this travel is important as I have not my family for the last 6 years.

Hope you can advice.

Saravanan