Originally Posted by
jackvogt
I don't really understand why there is any concern for that layover even with kids in tow.
It's not your kids or your family or traveling party to understand. And not every traveler is an FFer who has a routine down pat or has traveled frequently enough with kids to have their own routine down, meaning it could take someone who doesn't travel as often longer to do things that for you are more "automatic" in nature.
Originally Posted by
jackvogt
Atlanta is very easy to navigate and Delta tends to pad their schedule so your layover will be longer.
1) ATL may be "easy to navigate" but it's still a large airport. Walking from A1 to the tram to then the end of another concourse can take a long time to do, especially with smaller kids in tow
2) No way to know that day of that OP's layover will be longer and OP was initially traveling in the evening, when ATC delays are more common at ATL, at least IME.
Originally Posted by
jackvogt
It's not like your going to be let on early to put the car seat in and I honestly don't think it'll take that long to do.
Actually, that's the whole point of "pre-boarding" - to allow families and those who have to do things when boarding that take longer to do (like put in a car seat) time to do those things. And with 1:20, OP may miss pre-boarding depending on how long it takes OP and the family to get off the inbound plane and to the next gate.
Originally Posted by
jackvogt
It is slightly irritating to me that they would put you on a nonstop flight when you could have purchased that from the beginning.
You're irritated by your own jealousy, that maybe DL did it for OP but not for you. Though I haven't had to do it when traveling with kids, I've been in OP's situation where a layover was shortened to something I was less than comfortable with. Sometimes DL has changed me to a nonstop. Sometimes they haven't. I'm internally frustrated during the times they don't change but that irritation is at the lack of consistency in DL's schedule change policy, not at those who do get the "favor" after a schedule change. This is hardly different than any FTer buying a less desirable itinerary far in advance, knowing there will be schedule changes, then using said schedule changes to get a better routing, better departure time, better aircraft type for a better seat, etc. when FTers could have purchased that from the beginning. In fact, FTers doing that may be worse because FTers do that knowingly to use the system. OP booked the itinerary and was fine with it as booked until DL made the schedule change.