Usairelite

So we were booked from EWN-ATL-MIA today and about 10 minutes before we arrive we were told there was about a 45 minute to an hour delay leaving from EWN. We had to rebook our flight from ATL to MIA as we would not make our 45 minute connection. Then when we get through security the Flight was leaving on schedule. Leaving us with a 3 hour layover and flights into FLL. Our original plan was to fly with my parents from ATL-MIA. We then arrive 10 minutes earlier than our original arrival time, so we try to rebook on our original flight yet they had "sold" the seats in the last 2 hours. So now I am sitting here back in cattle coach typing. I would like to know what compensation I should expect/receive as I booked this in full fare first for 6 people originally. Sorry for the scattered writing in advance.

cellist

nightmare?

Crazyhotelguy

Ok..... So you jumped the gun and did not need to. Now you are in Y.... Ok.

Usairelite

Ok it was an exaggeration I am just frustrated. And I was told at checking to call a number and rebook my flight,mint exactly jumping the gun.

Usairelite

Checking=check in
Mint=not

roknroll

I would be annoyed too, no need to jump all over the OP. perfectly reasonable to rebook when you know you'll miss your connection. The sooner, the better, as there may be others trying to get on that later flight.

Since you were so close to the airport, waiting to talk to the agent might have been better. Did you call in to change or do it through the web? An agent should be able to boom you on the later flight while protecting you on your original flight.

Happened to me with a great GA in DCA when an inbound aircraft delay was going to make me maybe miss my connection in JFK. The agent confirmed me on a flight to ATL, wait listed me on an early flight from ATL-SFO, confirmed me on a later flight SFO-ATL, and protected my original JFK-SFO in case the inbound showed up in time. And all this was before I showed up at the gate! She proactively did it and was paging my name as I walked up. Finally she called the gate that was doing final call for DCA-ATL to tell them I was on my way and to hold the door. She got a very nice compliment from me to DL for that. Missy working in DCA, great agent!

jphripjah

This is why you shouldn't book 45 minute connections.

LETTERBOY

I don't think people are jumping on the OP because he's annoyed, people are jumping on him for calling this a "nightmare," which, by any stretch of the imagination, it's not.

And anyone who books a 45 minute connection is asking for trouble.

jmastron

Does DL not "protect" passengers on a later flight in a situation like this while leaving the original reservation also? I know they did a decade ago when we were delayed leaving SFO and missed our CVG connection; as far as I knew if we had made it early or the other flight delayed we could have taken the original.

I had to use that magic word with UA last year when my wife and kids were going to be diverted to DEN on the way to ORD due to a lav servicing issue, missing a connection there -- agent first wanted to just rebook them, but I insisted on "protect" and queried several times that they still had their original flight and seats as well as the later one, and it's a good thing -- they were able to cancel the diversion once in the air and landed at ORD on time, my family making their original flight. Would have been a long 5 hours otherwise.

I won't jump on the OP for the term "nightmare", but anyone watching the news from Connecticut today has a very different idea of "nightmare" in mind.

roknroll

Like I said, they did it for me a few months ago. But that was an agent who proactively did it. I'm wondering if the OP found out about the delay and made the change themselves online. That would just change them to the later flight and not protect them on the original.

Erasmus

As a matter of policy, not anymore. YMMV.

HongKonger

OP, you bought F and DL told you to make a change? You should ask for the fare difference between what you paid an what you got and if you don't get it do a chargeback on your credit card.

It's not a "nightmare" though.

LuvAv8n

+100^

NYBanker

What is your issue?

"we had to rebook" meaning did DL compel you rebook at your original departure station?

"Sitting here in back in cattle coach" - did you buy a full f fare for the flight? Or we're you on a coach-instant-upgrade fare?

yessams

It comes down to risk and reward. Given the same situation, I would have rebooked based on the original information, for if you did not, you run the risk of missing the connection. Your reward, was that you got to your destination with a new expectation, without the stress.

You cannot have it both ways. In this case, when you look back knowing all the info, it would have worked out if you did not do anything. However, you tried to make the best decision in the moment, and you shouldn't look back. Was the end result optimal, no, but it was functional.

It is like making a decision to fold your cards early, but after the hand you see you would have won, and so you are mad at the dealer?

This has happened to me on both sides (making a change and realizing later I didn't need to, and chancing it, and having it work out sometimes, but most of the times not.

My $.02