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Same-day confirmed and same-day standby options

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Old Jun 12, 2015, 7:09 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: audidudi
This wiki covers basic info and common FAQs. For full terms and conditions, see the relevant DL web page: Same Day Travel Changes

Same-Day Confirmed

To request an SDC, you can
  • Use the Same Day Change function on the Today screen in the Delta app (recommended, but with some peculiarities -- may not show all routings, and if changing to an earlier or later flight will only show the option within 24 hours of the target flight)
  • Click the "Change" button during OLCI (after you click "Check in" on the first screen)
  • Call a phone agent (recommended if app does not work)
  • Use Delta's chat functions via the app (hit or miss)

Online SDC does not seem to present all the options available to you, especially when you are SDCing a GAP fare and there is no inventory in your fare bucket. Calling in is best. People have had success with Twitter but that may depend on how "involved" the SDC is.

You can SDC starting 24 hours before your initial departure. You can SDC to any flight leaving the same calendar day. There is a $75 fee for SDC ($50 for tickets issued before March 15th, 2017), waived for GM and higher. This fee, and the waiver, applies for each person, although for GM+ traveling with companion the companion fee is sometimes waived.


Q. Does the same fare class need to be available (main cabin)?

A. Yes (whether revenue or award ticket). Note there is sometimes inventory in a fare bucket even though it may not be offered for sale on the web site. SDC on V or N (low award) fare is not unheard of.

Q. Does the same fare class need to be available (Comfort+)?

If booked into W (not WU) there only needs to be an available seat in Comfort+ regardless of fare class.

Q. Does the same fare class need to be available (First/Business/DeltaOne)?

Q. What about SDC with RUC/GUC/mileage upgrades (that have already cleared)?

As of November 2017:

* If your original ticket is a Delta OneTM ticket, you may move to any other flight with a premium cabin seat available
* If your original ticket is a First Class ticket, you may move only to other flights with a First Class seat available; you may not move to a flight with a Delta One experience, even if seats are available.
It is unclear how this affects SDC if you are confirmed in RY/OY.

Q. I have a premium cabin fare, can I SDC to an itinerary with a single-cabin aircraft?

Written reply received from Delta, Dec. 2015:

f the aircraft does not support a First/Business/Delta One cabin you are still eligible to change to the flight as long we are still selling seats on the flight.


Q. What about Medallion complimentary upgrades?

A. These do *not* count as premium cabin fares even if you already cleared. The main cabin rules for SDC regarding fare inventory will apply, and if it goes through you will SDC into a main cabin seat (but you are eligible to be upgraded again -- make sure you appear on the upgrade list on your new itinerary)

Q. Can I change the routing/connections?

A. You cannot SDC from a connecting itinerary to a non-stop itinerary. In all other cases the answer is unclear. The SDC rules do not explicitly prohibit routing changes. However ticket fare rules usually contain a clause that additions/changes to connections must be permitted by the fare rules. These are apparently in conflict, and practically speaking it depends on the agent/supervisor you speak with. Some refuse, some allow anything reasonable.

Q. Can I change the origin/destination?

A. Technically no, but there is an unwritten rule that DMs can make co-terminal changes. (There are some unintuitive gaps in what DL considers co-terminal, e.g. DAL and DFW do not count.)

Q. How are SDC flights credited?

A. You will earn MQMs for the route you actually fly.

Q. Can I SDC onto a red-eye later the same day, that connects to a flight the following morning?

A. Yes (though the agent may need to process it manually)

Q. I have a red-eye flight or a flight leaving shortly after midnight; can I SDC to a flight the next day/day before?

A. Officially, no. In practice, some people have reported success (with no real pattern to status). Can't hurt to ask.

Q. Can I SDC on an international itinerary?

A. Officially, no. In practice, you can SDC remaining domestic flights after all international flights have been flown; if you have onward checked bags it is best to do this before you re-check them. There are non-zero reports of SDC of domestic flights before connecting to an international flight but this should not be counted on.

Q. Can I SDC an Alaska Airlines codeshare?

Originally Posted by flyerCO
You can SDC from a DL marketed, AS operated flight to a DL operated flight. You can not SDC to another AS operated flight, even if it's DL marketed.
Originally Posted by jrl767
you may be able to SDC from a DL-marketed AS-operated flight to another AS flight under AS SDC rules (request within 6 hrs of desired flight, as long as you make the request before the scheduled departure of your booked flight; $50 fee if you don't have AS status)
Same-Day Standby

"Same-day standby is only offered if same-day confirmed is not available."

"You can use the same-day standby option for travel within the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands on Delta and Delta Connection flights."

SDS can be requested 24 hours before your initial departure. GM+ can SDS to any flight departing the same calendar day; others can only SDS for an earlier flight. No routing changes are permitted.

SDS costs $75 ($50 for tickets issued before 15 MAR 2017) but only if you clear the standby list (waived for GM+) SDS is now free for all passengers as of August 4th, 2021

Upgrades are not preserved -- if you already cleared the upgrade on your original flight you must still standby for the main cabin.

Q. Is it possible to get upgraded after a standby?

A. Almost always no, whether because it is explicitly forbidden or because the standby list is processed after the UG list and it is rare for any F seats to be leftover after that happens. So, maybe sometimes?

Same-Day Standby Upgrades

"The same-day standby upgrade option allows you to upgrade your flight for a small fee, provided space is available and your ticket is eligible. This option applies to specific flights and routings [...]"

This is not the same as upgrading after successfully standing by for a main cabin seat (see above).

SDSU fee chart (may be out of date):

All flights within and between the Domestic 48 States and Alaska

Code:
Traveling Y/B/M Fares S/H/Q/K/L Fares U/T/X/V Fares

0 to 500 miles $49 $119 $169

501 to 1,000 miles $79 $149 $199

1,001 to 1,500 miles $99 $209 $259

1,501 to 2,000 miles $149 $249 $319

2,001 to 3,000 miles $239 $269 $359

3,001 miles and up $329 $369 $399
All flights to and from Hawaii
Code:
Traveling Y/B/M Fares S/H/Q/K/L Fares U/T/X/V Fares

2,001 to 3,000 miles $239 $269 $359

3,001 miles and up $329 $369 $399
All eligible other flights
Code:
Traveling Y / B / M / H / Q / K Fares

0 to 500 miles $50

501 to 1,000 miles $75

1,001 to 1,500 miles $100

1,501 to 2,000 miles $150

2,001 to 3,000 miles $225

3,001 miles and up $350



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Same-day confirmed and same-day standby options

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Old Jan 19, 2017, 10:33 am
  #2866  
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Originally Posted by Zorak
I think he just mis-typed, pretty sure flyerCO knows the rules

RE: OP's situation, just to clarify, it's not that a 4+ hr layover creates a broken fare, it's more that, the only way to create a 4+ hr layover on a domestic ticket is with a broken fare. You can also have a broken fare even with connections less than 4 hours and you'd have to look at your fare construction to know, but given the 4+ hr layover we know without looking.

Given the fare break, for SDC purposes you didn't really have one ticket from LAX-DTW-LGA-MHT; you had two tickets, one from LAX-DTW and a second one from DTW-LGA-MHT. SDC does not let you change origin and destination, or change a connection into a nonstop. So strictly by the rules you could SDC to a different LAX-DTW flight, or add a connection LAX-XXX-DTW. And on the second "half" you could SDC DTW-LGA-MHT into DTW-YYY-MHT.
Yes. I was meaning O/D. A little frustrated using FT since mobile version is broke. (Side note, who rolls out a beta site wide live? Purpose of a beta is to work out bugs before going live)
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Old Jan 19, 2017, 10:39 am
  #2867  
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Originally Posted by ograff
Today I made the following SDC change:
Original routing: LAX-DTW-LGA-MHT
New routing: LAX-CMH-LGA-MHT

The agent informed me they were making an exception to the normal rules by making this change, and that due to the long layover in DTW (4 hours) the fare was broken at DTW and it was really not normal that they would let me make an SDC change like that without charging the change fee.

Did they in fact make an exception? Why does the long layover cause a broken fare / prevent me from switching my connection city?

I was told "we've noted that we made an exception, and won't make this exception for you again". Is this something Delta actually does? Like note how much leeway they've given someone, or was she just discouraging me from asking for unusual routing changes again in the future?
Assuming you really did have a broken fare, this is correct. You must fly through every airport where there's a fare break, in order, for SDC or SDS.
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Old Jan 19, 2017, 10:41 am
  #2868  
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Originally Posted by Zorak
I think he just mis-typed, pretty sure flyerCO knows the rules

RE: OP's situation, just to clarify, it's not that a 4+ hr layover creates a broken fare, it's more that, the only way to create a 4+ hr layover on a domestic ticket is with a broken fare. You can also have a broken fare even with connections less than 4 hours and you'd have to look at your fare construction to know, but given the 4+ hr layover we know without looking.

Given the fare break, for SDC purposes you didn't really have one ticket from LAX-DTW-LGA-MHT; you had two tickets, one from LAX-DTW and a second one from DTW-LGA-MHT. SDC does not let you change origin and destination, or change a connection into a nonstop. So strictly by the rules you could SDC to a different LAX-DTW flight, or add a connection LAX-XXX-DTW. And on the second "half" you could SDC DTW-LGA-MHT into DTW-YYY-MHT.
This assume that there wasn't a schedule change that resulted in a connection under four hours becoming one over four hours.
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Old Jan 19, 2017, 1:09 pm
  #2869  
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Flying DTW/ORD tomorrow and EF is showing my fare class has available on the earlier flight to MDW but not DTW. I called the diamond desk to SDC into MDW and was told I could only fly into the same airport I was ticketed on and the ORD didn't have my fare class but she could put me on the standby list and if I went to the airport early to standby they may be able to put me on the MDW standby list. I wasn't in a situation to HUCA but will try in 45 minutes when I have a chance to make a call again and hopefully it was a misinformed agent and not another cut back in benefits. Hopefully my fare is still available when I call back.
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Old Jan 22, 2017, 11:30 am
  #2870  
 
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When is a same-day not a same-day change?

Apologies in advance for venting:

I got, um, "educated" on this point today on Delta's same-day change policy: they go by the departure date, not the arrival date, to determine whether the flight you want to switch to is same-day. I was trying to change from a flight that left tomorrow morning and landed in the evening to a redeye that left tonight at 11pm and landed tomorrow morning. Same arrival date, both flights departing within 24H, but different departure dates. Was told that would require paying the $200 change fee + fare difference (would have come out to >$500 total). Um, no thank you.

I understand that's the policy as written, but sheesh.
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Old Jan 22, 2017, 11:46 am
  #2871  
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Why "sheesh"?!?





Edited to add:

https://www.delta.com/content/www/en...l-changes.html

"You may request a same-day flight change within 24 hours prior to the departure time of your original flight; however changes are limited to flights departing on the same day of ticketed departure."

Last edited by davetravels; Jan 22, 2017 at 11:53 am
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Old Jan 22, 2017, 12:06 pm
  #2872  
 
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I've seen exceptions made to sdc to a redeye that left a few minutes after midnight the day of departure, but never to what your asking (which is switching to a flight the day before).

You *might* be able to talk them into it "it's within 1 hr of being same day and lands same day as original departure", but this would definitely be an exception and should not be expected. Change fee + fare difference is correct for what you're asking for (to leave the day before).
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Old Jan 22, 2017, 12:07 pm
  #2873  
 
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Because it strikes me as an arbitrary rule that doesn't benefit either the airline or passengers. For example, in addition to the benefit to myself from an earlier arrival, I'd expect that it would be in an airline's interest to get more pax onto an overnight flight vs. a Monday morning flight. For example, a ticket on the flight I'm on would cost $300 more than the redeye I wanted to switch to; moving me to the redeye (which has quite a few open seats; by contrast, the flight I'm on is almost full) could result in more revenue for Delta in being potentially able to resell my seat.

IMO there are three ways that this policy could be implemented:
- Departure within 24H
- Departure date
- Arrival date

It seems that of the three, they've chosen the one that is the most consumer-unfriendly, and I'm having a hard time understanding of how this benefits the airline (If someone has an explanation, I'd be happy to listen...)
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Old Jan 22, 2017, 12:08 pm
  #2874  
 
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Originally Posted by appleguru
I've seen exceptions made to sdc to a redeye that left a few minutes after midnight the day of departure, but never to what your asking (which is switching to a flight the day before).

You *might* be able to talk them into it "it's within 1 hr of being same day and lands same day as original departure", but this would definitely be an exception and should not be expected. Change fee + fare difference is correct for what you're asking for (to leave the day before).
Yes, that's the argument I was trying to make, and the CSR (PM desk) wasn't willing to make an exception.
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Old Jan 22, 2017, 12:28 pm
  #2875  
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It makes zero sense for DL to do this. OP wants the benefit of a flexible ticket on an inflexible fare. Don't we all.

DL's current strategy, roughly the same for AA & UA as well, is to protect the flexible / changeable brand which all three are sucessfully marketing to large corporate customers. Put simply, who in their right mind would pay for a fee-free flexible ticket if they could get the same thing on an inflexible ticket such as yours?

So, DL cracks down on its agents. Now, if an agent waives the change fee + fare difference, the agent needs to provide a justification as to why the agent let $500 in revenue go down the drain at a time when capacity cuts mean that most flights are going out full so the seat that you let go will likely be filled by somebody else who either can properly SDC into it or holds a flexible ticket.
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Old Jan 22, 2017, 12:30 pm
  #2876  
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Originally Posted by rekoil
Apologies in advance for venting:

I got, um, "educated" on this point today on Delta's same-day change policy: they go by the departure date, not the arrival date,....

Why would any airline ever look at the ARRIVAL date? The passenger is trying to change to a flight with a certain departure time. Sure it is tied to an eventual arrival time, but you have to depart FIRST. The logic makes perfect sense to me and I think most people.

Now, with that behind us, I do get the strange issue about a flight that leaves just before midnight vs just after midnight gets treated differently. (not the case here). But, I guess they need to have rules somewhere. If you really want to be frustrated, try to change a 12:10am flight to 11:20pm.

In this case, if they had a 12:10am flight, you would have been fine. Silly? Yep, I get that.

Hence the term SAME DAY. In the original case, the poster wanted to leave a day earlier. No way to say it differently.

Last edited by NoStressHere; Jan 22, 2017 at 12:38 pm
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Old Jan 22, 2017, 12:31 pm
  #2877  
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The way I see it, when you do a same-day confirmed, you're changing from one flight to a different flight, but, the fare basis and rules that apply to that flight don't change. But, when you change the departure date of your flight, that date may not fall within the same rules and validity of the fare that you purchased.
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Old Jan 22, 2017, 12:44 pm
  #2878  
 
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You're ticketed on a flight that leaves tomorrow, you want to get on a flight that leaves today...how is that same day?
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Old Jan 22, 2017, 1:43 pm
  #2879  
 
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Originally Posted by dmbolp
You're ticketed on a flight that leaves tomorrow, you want to get on a flight that leaves today...how is that same day?
The arrival is on the same day as the original flight.
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Old Jan 23, 2017, 8:09 am
  #2880  
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Originally Posted by rekoil
Apologies in advance for venting:

I got, um, "educated" on this point today on Delta's same-day change policy: they go by the departure date, not the arrival date, to determine whether the flight you want to switch to is same-day. I was trying to change from a flight that left tomorrow morning and landed in the evening to a redeye that left tonight at 11pm and landed tomorrow morning. Same arrival date, both flights departing within 24H, but different departure dates. Was told that would require paying the $200 change fee + fare difference (would have come out to >$500 total). Um, no thank you.

I understand that's the policy as written, but sheesh.
AA and UA have the same policy.

There have been a couple ties in the past year where I was on a FCM fare and was able to get the diamond desk to SDC from an early morning flight to a red eye the day before but I wouldn't have complained if they wouldn't have. Not sure if I would have been successful on a coach fare or not.
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