Hello,

Wednesday night, I checked in for my Thursday IND - ATL - BWI itinerary using my smartphone app - the latest iOS version. Use the same credentials I've been using for a while - FF#, PIN (4-digits), last name.

Thursday, board the plane with the electronic boarding pass in the app. Still used same credentials. Plane pushes from the gate, then returns with a mechanical issue. Now the fun starts.

This was the last set of connecting segments for the day that would get me home on Delta (no choice - work requirements). My only other alternative was to get on a SWA flight direct to BWI. No problem, I'll call the DM desk and get them to switch me. Called, the system prompts for my FF#, then asked me for the first 4 characters of my Delta.com password. No problem, my PIN was only 4 characters anyway. System wouldn't recognize it, and after 3 attempts locked me out and dropped the call. So, I called back, thinking I could bypass that and talk with a rep. No, they don't let you talk to the DM people without entering the correct info (which, I understand). Ugh.

Clock is ticking, I need to change to the B terminal in IND to get to the SWA flight and it boards in 15 minutes. I still need a ticket. Called my corp. travel agency, but since I was under 60 minutes to departure, they could not purchase an SWA ticket for me, I had to go to the desk and do it myself. OK, I can do that. Got to the SWA counter, but they obviously can't voucher my Delta ticket, so I have to buy a $340 1-way, walk-up fare. Ouch, but at least I get home the same day.

With the 5 minutes I had until boarding, opened my iPad, went to Delta.com, and found out they won't allow a PIN anymore, you need a password, with some stupid rules. One capital, one lower case, one number, no special characters. (really? ugh!) Change the password, get my account unlocked, now I can call the DM desk and they refund the balance of my ticket - $115. So, because of the password fiasco, instead of vouchering me over to SWA at no charge to me, I ended up spending an additional $200 or so. That seems silly. They'll get a strongly worded letter about it.

Apparently, in the time it took for me to board the plane, de-board due to MX, and start this process, Delta changed the password requirements on me. No prior notice that I know of, but I suppose I could have missed it.

Moral - everybody go change your PIN to a password on delta.com, lest you encounter this silliness. I guess I TOFTT.