Improvements to Same-Day Travel

We're starting a new thread because we have some updates to the New same-day confirmed and same-day standby options and we don't want them to get lost in what is now a lengthy thread.

In April we updated you on modifications to our same-day travel change program and continued to listen to your feedback after the change was made. While the modified program was designed to balance the needs of our customers and our business, we recognize the need for a few refinements based on overall feedback to the policy changes.

The same booking class (e.g. Q, K, L or U) still needs to be available for same-day confirmed changes, but we are making some modifications to give you more flexibility:

1. Effective immediately, we will waive the $50 same-day confirmed fee for Diamond, Platinum and Gold Medallion members. This change increases the number of free options available for same-day travel changes.
   
   
2. By late August, you will also be able to request a same-day change up to 24 hours before your original flight departure time, rather than only on your day of departure. This will better align with existing check-in reminders and make it more convenient for you.

Diamond, Platinum and Gold Medallion members may continue to stand by free of charge on your original day of departure. We also continue to offer $50 same-day confirmed and standby options for Silver Medallion members, general SkyMiles members and non-members.

You can find more information at delta.com/samedaytravel later this morning when we update the related delta.com pages.

Thanks for the "enhancement". Seriously.

Good to hear! Thank you.

This is very good news. Still doesn't solve the P/A fare issue. But this is very positive

I already have been saving the $50 for SDC because I haven't been able to do it with the fare restriction

Very nice! Hopefully, the DM phone agents will occasionally be able to waive the fare class rule, too.

This is great, but I think in many of our cases it's the fare class that hasn't been available. My issue has been empty seats available, but not in my code I purchased. Love the 24 hour enhancement though.

Thank you very much. My wife was very happy to hear that I can now potentially get home earlier.

We already had the waived $50 fee for SDC for flights within 3 hours -- so the change now is to extend the waiver to the entire calendar day, right?

That sounds like a good change -- since the 3 hour window made SDC otherwise unavailable for so many routes where the next/previous flight wasn't even within that window.

On my flights where I tried to do this, I run into the same thing. As I have mentioned elsewhere, on one occasion I couldn't same day confirm to an earlier flight, even with cancellations of future flights to the same destination (and thus DL needing every seat it could get later). Minor enhancement.

A postive direction, but this is becoming a very typical Delta strategy to cut major benefits and offer back minor ones.

Thanks for the bandage, but weren't you the person who cut me?

Yes ^ yes!

Paging DwayneSkyMiles : Before this thread gets over a thousand posts (probably in in hour or so), could you share with us the reason for the rule "exact match" on fare codes, rather than "same fare class or lower"?

Wow, this is interesting on many levels.
First, a change after three months means something was very wrong, and they felt it immediately. A quick rectifying effort makes it seem like they admit a mistake.
Second, it's refreshing to see that somebody finally recognized that the SDC change was a huge slap in the face to elites and that while revenue is important, there are lines you shouldn't cross.
Third, it will be interesting to see the Q2 profits tomorrow. My guess is we'll see a large number. I wonder if DL underestimated its own profits, and looking to do some elite damage-control by waiving the $50 fee, in sacrifice of some future revenue, since other revenue sources are performing well.

++ for changing to no fee for changing to a flight >3hrs away. It was pretty silly especially with many locations where the only option for SDC is a flight that departs >3hrs difference from the original.

++ for the upcoming change to allow SDC 24hrs in advance instead of same day. Makes it nice if you have an early flight so don't have to get up at midnight to switch to one later in the day.

---- on no change to the same fare bucket restriction. As mentioned a lot of the problems are due to that.

Also, any feedback with the A/P fare issues?

If a lower booking class is open (i.e. X), then K is going to be open. There's never a time where K is closed but T is open.

Keep in mind this is from an inventory perspective, which is what matters; just because a T fare might not be selling on your exact route doesn't mean T is closed.