Originally Posted by
nycflyer124
Thanks everyone for your replies. I would be flying in 2 weeks. It appears from the the ticket options that the connecting flight to JFK is the last possible way to route that evening to JFK.
What happens if Delta changes the JAC to SLC portion of my trip for example by 1 minute a week before (I would be under the 30 min MCT)? Will Delta change my itinerary and automatically rebook me on an earlier flight? Would I have the option to book on any flight the following day (I would pay for my accommodation in that case)
What happens if Delta changes my flight by a minute like 3 hours before my departure? Will I simply not be allowed to check in/board? Or if there is a delay for some random reason on the ground or in the air and arrive at SLC late? Who would pay for my hotel in that case if it’s my last way back to NYC?
Sorry for all the questions but there’s a wide range of prices for my trip so also trying to book a flight that’s on the cheaper end in addition to maximizing my vacation there. The same round trip itinerary that may be $360 one day suddenly nearly doubles in price if I change the date of my trip by a day and and itinerary that may have cost much significantly more the previous day suddenly becomes the cheapest one so juggling a few different variables here.
If your flight is two weeks away, there's unlikely to be schedule changes between now and then but there's always the potential for day-of schedule changes due to delays (IROPS).
As for what will happen if there's a delay on JAC-SLC that bumps you below MCT, the answer is unfortunately "it depends". If the SLC-JFK flight is oversold and then there's a delay that now has you below MCT, yes, there's a chance the system could give you the boot since that's one less person DL would have to solicit for a bump as you wouldn't technically be owed denied boarding compensation. This is partially why airlines oversell flights - they bank on people canceling and on misconnecting. There's also a chance the system doesn't boot you at all, even if the flight is oversold.
If the flight is delayed, rebooking options will be displayed in the App, though sometimes options displayed are limited from what may actually be available, especially if you're willing to get creative beyond published schedules/itineraries, such as rerouting JAC-SLC-ATL-JFK or JAC-SLC-SEA-JFK or JAC-SLC-BOS-JFK or something where there are other options (though getting these options may require calling or working with an agent at the airport most likely.