Consumer complaint received 2025-10-17 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Other features, terms, or problems — Problem with rewards from credit card
Company: CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
Hello, I am filing this complaint to report Capital One XXXX  recurring and unethical practice of altering international flight itineraries after purchase replacing reasonable, higher-priced flights with severely inconvenient alternatives just days before travel. This pattern effectively traps customers into accepting inferior travel arrangements, often after paying a premium. 

Details of the Incident I recently booked multiple international flights through the Capital One XXXX  portal. The trend I have consistently observed is as follows : 1. At the time of booking, the portal displays limited recommended options that are typically more expensive but appear to have reasonable connection times.

2. After purchase, and typically a few days before travel, Capital One XXXX  cancels one or more legs of the journey usually the connecting flight or the date of the original long leg flight. 
3. The replacement itinerary is far inferior, often involving excessively long layovers ( in my most recent case, 10 hours ) or inconvenient routing, without any prior explanation or customer consent.

4. When I contact Capital One XXXX support, I am placed on hold for extremely long durations, only to be met with dismissive and unhelpful responses. Representatives consistently claim they cant do anything and insist the traveler must accept the new, much worse itinerary. 

Specific Case Traveler : My XXXX mother Original booking : An international itinerary with a 2-hour connection ( chosen specifically for her comfort despite a higher fare ).

Rebooked itinerary : A new flight with a 10-hour layover issued without approval or adequate notice.

Impact : She will now have to wait for 10 hours at an airport after flying 18 hours internationally an unreasonable and distressing situation for a senior traveler. 
This rebooking was not caused by the airline directly rather, Capital One XXXX acted as an intermediary and handled the change without offering meaningful alternatives or compensation. 

Pattern of Misconduct Based on my experience and discussions with other Capital One customers online, this appears to be a systemic issue : They display limited, high-priced itineraries during booking.

They later substitute cheaper, inconvenient flights, pocketing the difference.

They deny responsibility, leaving customers stranded or coerced into accepting the change.

This practice is misleading, exploitative, and amounts to a bait-and-switch scheme that causes significant financial and emotional distress to consumers particularly seniors and families traveling internationally. 
Supporting Information Original flight : XXXX Departure XXXX XXXX - Arrival XXXX Modified flight : XXXX Departure XX/XX/year> - XXXX Arrival XXXX Effect XXXX Layover time at XXXX increased by more than 7 hours for a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX  with no mercy. 
Dates of booking and notification : [ Insert details ] Airline ( s ) involved : XXXX XXXX ( but XXXX XXXX confirmed to me that the change is not from their side ) Closing XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  This experience has caused significant XXXX, time loss, and financial harm. Capital One XXXX  recurring pattern of post-purchase flight manipulation and refusal to assist customers is unacceptable and deserves regulatory scrutiny.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation