jinglish

I'm flying PDX-SEA-AMS-BUD this coming Saturday, and I'm starting to get a little worried about my Seattle connection right now. DL 4790 (my initial leg) has a so-so record as far as being strictly on time according to FlightAware, but I didn't think that that was too worrying given that it's a quick flight and my scheduled layover is about an hour and a half. But it looks like tonight's flight left Portland a good two hours late, so I would have totally missed my flight to Amsterdam had I left this weekend instead. One of my coworkers recently told me that the same thing almost happened to him as he flew PDX-SEA-LHR a couple of months ago, except that he arrived early enough to take the preceding flight to Seattle and paid extra to get onto it, not even knowing at the time that 4790 would've gotten him there too late to make his connection.

So, do you guys know what my options would be in this situation if it happens to me? I assume that Delta would comp me for my hotel room and meals until I could get on a flight the next day, but obviously less than ideal. QX has PDX-SEA flights on Q400s every half-hour, but even though I could get Alaska to interline my checked bag to Budapest, am I right to assume that Delta wouldn't do anything to get me onto one of those flights or comp me afterwards if I bought last-minute tickets to make my connection?

VegasJosh

You are correct in that there is nothing you can do at this point other then pay out of pocket. I think that you are worrying for nothing as right now there is no problem at all. If the delay is MX Delta has a few options of what to do in your situation. They can put you on another carrier to get to your destination (least likely) or do as you described above. You would get a hotel voucher, meal coupons, transfer to and from the hotel and airport and do the flight the next day. Delta in this situation will also normally give you some miles for your inconvenience. The last option I can think of is that Delta might attempt to re route you via another airport (example PDX-DTW-AMS) if your flight is very late and you will miss connect. Right now I think you will be fine and that you are worrying for nothing. Let us know how it turns out.

Often1

The warning here is that DL will only provide a hotel and food if the PDX-SEA delay is within DL's control, e.g. MX. If the delay is not, e.g., WX or ATC, you are on your own. DL will, of course, rebook you, but hotels + food are out-of-pocket and you will need to submit a claim to your travel insurance.

I look at connection times a bit more proactively. The question for me is not what the MCT is, but rather my schedule on departure and the alternatives if I misconnect. If I have the time on departure and the backup on misconnection means a lengthy delay (which it likely will here with BUD as a destination), I would allow more than 90 minutes. On the other hand, if I had a tight schedule with commitments in Portland prior to departing PDX, the connection time is doable 90%+ of the time, so the risk of a misconnect is just one of those things. Lastly, I also look at the time critical nature of my arrival. If I arrive in BUD a day late, will I have missed an important meeting or event?

TBD

I'd recommend getting travel insurance in future. That way, you're covered for the events that are "outside the airline's control" as Often1 described.

xliioper

Had an overnight MX related delay in MSP earlier this month and the Sky Club said no food vouchers, just hotel. Anyone actually getting food vouchers these days? Perhaps I should have found a Red Coat.

3Cforme

Food vouchers aren't presently listed as a DL obligation in Rule 240 in the domestic Contract of Carriage. I don't know if/when they changed that.

MSPeconomist

Is it different on an international itinerary (assuming that it's not a flight from the EU so that EC261 doesn't apply)?

xliioper

That's been the case since early 2014 I believe. However, I thought someone reported getting meal vouchers recently (perhaps ATL?). There's also mention of meal vouchers here -- http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_...ommitment.html

CarmenOM

I did see a group of six delayed passengers at MSP receive $15 food vouchers last week. However, it was a special situation. The pax were 15 and 16-year-old exchange students from Germany, Switzerland, and Italy traveling to Idaho Falls. As minors they couldn't stay in a hotel and were spending the night in the airport. The restaurant even gave them a special deal on their meals so they would have vouchers left for breakfast!

MSPeconomist

Yikes, those poor kids, although as Europeans they're probably accustomed to being more independent, traveling alone by overnight trains and charter flights, etc. Of course, if someone had paid for UM service, they would have spent the night chaperoned in hotels.

UKtravelbear

I think you meant to say '' ... not a flight TO the EU ..' ??

EU261 does not apply if the flight is to the EU and is operated by a non EU airline.

If it was departing the EU then EU261 would apply no matter where the airline is registered.


So if you had two flights operating e.g. SEA-LHR one by DL and one by BA both being delayed by 5 hours EU261 would only apply to BA.

But if the delays were LHR-SEA it would also apply to DL.

MSPeconomist

IF it's a flight (on DL) TO the EU, EC261 does NOT apply.

I said (emplasis added) "(assuming that it's NOT a flight FROM the EU so that EC261 does NOT apply)".

CarmenOM

They were cool about it. They had just had three days of orientation in NYC, so weren't hopelessly jet lagged. I met them because I was volunteering that day in Travelers Assistance. We found them a good area to spend the night, got mattresses and Delta bedding (the red blankets, not the Westin stuff!) for them, and had phone cards so they could call their parents. By the time I left in the evening they were enjoying themselves.

I think you're right; many European kids are more independent and competent travelers than American kids.

Pharaoh

Ah, the old double negative with a reverse twist and a tuck trick!

MSPeconomist

Did you put them up in the mezzanine level over the check in counters? I often see people sleeping there. Airside, D has the upstairs viewing lounge, although it might be locked at night. If the students were allowed to stay airside overnight, a nice big quiet gate area, perhaps at the end of a concourse could be pretty good and would be closer to rest rooms than the land side mezzanine, which could also get noisy very early as departing passengers start to walk from the parking ramp into the terminal.

BTW, how many kids were in the group? If it was huge, I'm almost surprised that DL didn't hold their flight. OTOH, it was nice that the restaurant made sure that the students had enough to eat during the ordeal. A $15 voucher for both dinner and breakfast doesn't sound like much. However, after three days in NYC they should have had some dollars (or credit cards) with them.

They were lucky that you and other Minnesota nice folks were looking out for them.