Any chance of moving to a later flight?
 

I currently have an A fare, and I'd like to get a later flight on the same day. But all the flights are F5 A0, F4 A0, and F2 A0 -- any chance Delta will let me move to a later flight without a 400 fare increase?

You can use Same Day Confirmed which is $50 (if you're not a Gold or Platinum Medallion). Just call 3 hours before your NEW departure. If there is availablity in the F cabin, you'll get the seat.

http://www.delta.com/traveling_check...es/index.jsp#1

On an A fare, it should be flexible.

A0 = no switch w/o refare.

But Day of Departure, OP has options such as SDC as I mentioned.

AndyTLe thanks for that info -- unfortunately there is more than a 3 hour difference between scheduled departure and the other flight I want to change to on that day.

That's not an issue. You SDC within 3 hours of the new flight not the old one.

That's fine. You just need to call 3 hours before your NEW flight. You could actually miss your original flight and then call to get the new flight. NOTE: If there is no availability on your later flight, you might be stuck in Y or completely SOL. However, that is typically unlikely. Most of that miss the earlier flight and take a later flight, will call the airline or use Seatcounter, EF, KVS etc to check on the number of seats available (to check on the liklihood of getting on the later flight).

If you do a search for "SDC" or "Same Day Confirmed" there are extensive posts on the ability (and the ease) of taking a later flight.

Example:

Original flight - 6:00 AM (you decide you want to sleep in and take the later flight)

New flight - 5:00 PM

Ability to SDC opens - 2:00 PM (if there is availability in your class of service, coach or first, you'll receive a Confirmed seat).

Thanks didn't know the SDC "same day confirmed" search term. I am a Delta newbie in someways; buy mostly A and F fares so don't really know much about the program. I really appreciate your help AndyTLe

Anyone else think this is a really customer-unfriendly policy? For your everyday folks who don't know about these fancy availablity tools how are they supposed to be able to use SDC? Just roll the dice? Sounds pretty scary to me (and I do a fair bit of flying)! Its really very little skin off of the airline's teeth to open up these options during normal operations (and since there are never any promises they can just as easily shut them off when IROPS happen) and it can really help out travellers who want/need to be a bit more flexible...most airlines recognize this!

Even worse, its terrible business to essentially tell your customers to skip their flights in a hope to get on a later one when that was their intention all along (I don't mean the folks who miss their flight for whatever reason). Wouldn't it be better to know how many people are planning on being on that flight? Sure check in numbers will tell you but only 30 minutes before the flight, not nearly enough time to actually do anything about it proactively.

If it sounds like this is a sore spot it is. A good part of the reason I'm no longer flying Delta is because NW had fantastic policies with Fly Now and Standby. The last few years I (no joke) maybe took 50% of the original flights I was ticketed on. It was great to spend a bit more time in Boston, see my Mom for her birthday, get home a bit earlier than planned, etc. I'd hate to be in the position of actually needing to have a flexbile schedule only to get fee blasted. Little cost to the airline, big perk for the individual customer. Seems like a no brainer to me.

(Cue the folks who will use the "if you need to be flexible buy a flexible ticket" BS line)

They should expand SDC to 24 hours.

exactly. the similar nw "fly now" has a 24 hour window.

Seatcounter.com is FREE. Calling the airline is also available to anybody. I don't pay for any of the "fancy availability tools" that you mention. It is scary to you because you're obvoiusly not open to change or trying something new. Yes, NW HAD FlyNow. But that was limited as well. If you want to go into a FlyNow vs SDC debate, there are numerous threads discussing the advantages and disadvantages of both.

If you do NOT want to use SDC, you're not obligated to. You can "roll the dice" or simply fly your original flight. If you want to take a later flight and don't want to SDC, you could pay the change fee and difference in fare.

SDC provides you with an option. That is all. The airline, shocking to many people, is still in the business to make money for shareholders. They could not provide any option and force you to pay change fees or charge you higher fares for flexible tickets.

24 hour window would be great, if and only if, they keep it on a class of service availablity.

I would love 24 hour window -- Delta told me to keep calling, but KVS shows F4 A0 so probably no chance they'll open up A fares at this point.