Originally Posted by
Traveller
I could not get on my flight this morning PHL-ATL-SAT because I tried to check in 2 minutes after the luggage checkin cut off time.
and
I was scheduled on the 7:45 am flight this morning and yesterday wanted to switch to the 12:30pm flight but DL told it it would cost an additional $795 to switch.
While I don't like the 45 minute cutoff, I think it more the result of TSA sluggishness at certain airports in certain terminals than it is the desire of the carrier to make one show up early. If TSA can't reliably get a bag screened in 30 minutes, then the carrier is the one faced with a late bag hit and the costs associated therewith (not to mention that this will negatively impact the carrier "quality" rankings that our friend
MikeMpls is always tossing around). So, thanks to the wonderful government agency that is TSA, the bag check-in limits have advanced. I really don't know how you can hold the carrier accountable for this, although I do agree with the concept of allowing customers to sign a waiver and accepting the bag late.
With regard to switching flights one day in advance, while I am all for a carrier extending reasonable favors to customers, making a change of this sort is a bit beyond what I call reasonable. Given that you always had the SDC option to make the change for nominal or no cost, not sure why you would get your panties in a wad when the carrier wouldn't break every fare rule in its book to do it a day in advance.