jrl767

OP said this trip was over Xmas/NYE ... looking at returns from HNL on 1 Jan they are not selling F on either JFK or ATL, and the seat maps are all grey

it's quite possible that they hadn't sold out the 36F bird, but decided that there was more likelihood of doing so on another route

bubbashow

Holidays in Hawaii are tough. Just yesterday, I wanted F, I was willing to pay F, but couldn't...already sold out to my island on my DAY from EVERYWHERE. Even AS was full....had to settle for a paid F ticket on UA (AA was even sold out - was putting me on US - no way). Re-accommodation is deserved, but may not be possible.

yohanson

I wanted F, bought F but half my flights are on a CR2 for my trip over Thanksgiving week to BTM. But, I knew that going in. I can take an hour on a CR2 for the bonus miles. Plus, the flight was only $627 from MSP and I used PWM to knock it down to $327. I'm now less than 5K MQMs short of DM for next year with what I've flown and have booked.

Winkdaddy

Would Delta ever consider booking the OP on the United EWR-HNL in F (if there is space and DL cannot find F space on their own routes?)

Erasmus

Ha! No way any airline would do that. The tickets are so far out that they are perfectly within their rights to simply refund them if OP cannot find any alternate routing to his satisfaction. Accommodation on other (non alliance) carriers typically only happens either due to day-of IRROPs or if service to a particular destination is discontinued entirely.

jrl767

esp since OP said this was an award ticket ...

13thandseven

Ok?

flyerCO

The JFK-HNL HNL-JFK nonstops that only operate around the holidays have been full in first for awhile. I tried looking at one two months ago and nothing in first for a paid ticket. These flights only operate around the holidays each year, and generally fill up as soon as they're announced. They all of course operate on 767s, which mean they can end up getting different size cabins.

IMO I would ask to be sent HNL-LAX-JFK and getting the Premium LAX-JFK flight on the way back. Yes it leaves 5 hours on a 757 to LAX, but then from LAX you can get either a 757/767 with BE service and lie-flat for the flight to JFK. You booked first, thus even if there's no saver levels on the LAX routing they should be able to book it for you since you're getting re-routed because of DL downgrading a/c to smaller BE cabin.

mnredfox

+1. It shouldn't matter if a pax uses miles or pays with $$. Either way it is out of pocket compensation from the pax, and DL owes it to the pax to put them in that class of service or offer something better (or close to it).

MSPeconomist

It's not obvious to me that the flight was already sold out in FC.

FederalFlyer

Thanks for all the advice. I'm on an iPad now. But, briefly, my recollection was that I booked a 767-400 in both directions, but I can't be sure. I booked back in April. All I know is that it was originally a 767-something with lie flats and was subsequently swapped to a 767 with fewer lie flats, bumping me and my companion to economy. The flight is completely sold out in first now, I was told it is actually oversold in first.

I was told I could switch to any other flight with two seats for sale. My first few choices (including routing through LAX to JFK for the BE equipped aircraft) were no-goes even though they were being offered for sale on DL.com. CSR stated they were actually sold out too and if tried to purchase online, the sale wouldn't go through.

I ended up having to switch to a flight leaving the next day. Since that entails missing my separately booked flight home from JFK, the CSR added in the leg (in first, no less) onto the award which was great and an improvement over my own booking.

The new flight home is a step down in terms of aircraft, flight time, stops and duration, but staying in HNL an extra day is actually nice even though it will come at some significant out of pocket cost. I have to add on an extra day to the car rental and rates have skyrocketed. The hotel I'm booked at is sold out for the extra night and other hotels are pricing through the roof. And this is my primary complaint with DL's handling of this situation. If DL had simply contacted me when the swap happened (which apparently was several weeks or months ago), many other options would have been available. Either a flight home that didn't involve an extra night or cheaper car/hotel options for that added night.

FederalFlyer

Wait!?! Does this mean I may have a chance to spend Xmas in Hawaii with the infamous bubbashow?!? It's a Christmas miracle!

jdrtravel

I would focus on this and escalate it. Delta should pay for your hotel that night, . Same with car rental. Was any compensation offered?

jdrtravel

Also, just checked those routes and noticed that both first and coach are listed as "no meal service." Its 12 hours westbound. I'm sure there is a meal served in first, but it's actually possible that coach would be a 12 hour flight with only food for sale. This makes a potential downgrade even more serious. On a side note, I really hope they feed those coach pax!

Bagels

DL's not going to pay for incidental charges (hotel, car, etc.) for a schedule change that occurred more than 90 days in advance.