This post is a combination warning, grievance, and request for suggestions. The headline is also partly in the wrong tense—the problem will be realized tomorrow.

About six months ago, I decided to use my Amex companion ticket for a flight from DC to Los Angeles in First. I booked DCA-SLC-LAX, snagging the A321neo seats with a reasonable layover.

My companion, a friend, wanted to bring her dog. It is a infinitesimal chihuahua. We confirmed that we could bring the dog on Delta and could pay for it at check-in.

In December, there was a schedule change that made the outbound connection tight. I called Delta, and they were kind enough to rebook us on the DCA-LAX nonstop, which is branded Delta One.

Yesterday, in prepping for the trip, I looked up the process for checking in with the dog. Problem: Per Delta's website, you cannot bring a dog, walnut-sized or otherwise, into Delta One.

I decided to deal with this ASAP instead of trying to test our luck at the airport. Fortunately (ish), there was one First seat, which met all the pet requirements, on our original DCA-SLC-LAX flight. I am a good guy but not that good a guy, so my friend agreed she could take the connecting flight, I'd stick with the nonstop, and we'd meet at LAX. (Plus, I could pick up the car while she arrived.)

Nothing doing: After discussing the situation and spending a good while on hold last night, the Platinum Medallion line came back to say that there was no way they could split up our ticket because it was booked as a companion fare. The only alternative with two First seats is a flight that leaves DCA at 5:41 PM, connects in Atlanta, and arrives in Los Angeles at 11:49 AM. No adjacent seats, and no meal on ATL-LAX. We'll arrive about 3.5 hours late.

(The Medallion line did offer to downgrade one of us to Main Cabin on the nonstop; I declined.)

I can accept most of this situation. But should I have pushed further about the split-ticket option, particularly given that this would not have happened but for Delta's schedule change? Had Delta put one of us on the DCA-SLC-LAX (I would have taken the connection with the dog, if I had to), we'd be arriving to our hotel 90 minutes later than planned, on a decent routing with dinner. Now, we'll get to downtown LA at 1 AM, with 5 hours until we need to be up for work at 6 AM PT (we're working the next day on East Coast hours).