Combining two tickets and changing dates
 

Hi All,

I currently am faced with a dilemma... I was scheduled to leave my current destination on June 23 (Canada), fly back home (NY) on one ticket. Life changes prompted me to have to buy another ticket from NY the same day, and then fly all the way accross the country later that evening (SLC).

I am hoping to just change my flights so I can fly on June 16 from Canada, stay in a new destination for a week (DTW or LAS), and then fly onto SLC on June 22.

Making matters more complicated, I also wish to maintain the "return" part of my second ticket, SLC to DTW for the same date its currently booked for.

What is the best way to do this so I can maintain the most value possible with the two tickets and redeem it towards the new combined ticket.

You can't 'combine' tickets without tossing them both and starting over, which would mean paying a change fee for each one.
You also can't fly a return of a ticket without using flying the previous segments... if you don't fly the outbound, the rest of the ticket will be canceled.

Its kind of confusing as to what you're trying to do, since you mention going from canada to NY but then thats not on what you want eventually. It would be easier if you listed what you currently have booked and what you want for cities/dates... but it sounds like the first situation I mentioned where you have two tickets and need to change both.

Yes, I have two tickets.

right now I am

YYT-BUF on the 23 of June (TICKET #1)

BUF-SLC on the 23 of June (TICKET #2)
SLC-DTW on lets say July 15(TICKET #2)

I would prefer to be
YYT-DTW(or LAS) on 16 June
DTW(or LAS)-SLC 22 June
SLC-DTW July 15

What is the best way to do that?

If you change only the first one you will have to pay only one $200 change fee. If you combine them, changing both, you will pay two fees. You could try:

New ticket #1
YYT-DTW/LAS on June 16
DTW/LAS-BUF on June 22

Then keep ticket #2 as originally booked, leaving on June 23.

Is there a DL flight from YYT to BUF? I don't think YYT is served by DL nor are there flights to Canada from BUF.

The change fee is liekly $200 per ticket (but that will be in the fare bucket conditions). In addition, you will pay any fare differences.

The best way to handle this is not as a series of hypotheticals, but to actually price out each option and use the cheapest option.

First, price out the new itinerary you need. That will yield a $ cost.

Then look at what happens if you use one ticket or the other (value of ticket less $200) or both tickets (value of the two tickets less $400).

The lowest net is your best option.

YYT is served by WestJet, which has a codeshare agreement with DL.

There is no way to get around both tickets other than throwing one away in this case. Delta won't combine tickets or even combine reservations on the same PNR.

Since you want to stop in DTW, you might consider booking a round trip and doing some throw-away ticketing. Beware, though. Delta's revenue management is always watching.

Try this routing:

YYT YYZ LAS
LAS YYZ(<2hrs from BUF)

It will be with WS but not code shared with DL.

You might focus on only trying to use one ticket now, the best one for the situation, and planning to change the second ticket for some later trip. Assuming that each ticket cost more than $200 or has more than $200 residual value, you should get something from each ticket but you will pay two change fees.