flyingweekly

So here is the official response

"Thank you for sharing your concerns regarding the service provided while
traveling with us. On behalf of Delta Air Lines, I sincerely apologize
for your disappointment with our newly revised Same Day Confirmed policy
and I am obliged to respond to you.

I am so sorry for any concern you have surrounding our Same Day
Confirmed (SDC) program and/or fee. As you mentioned, you may confirm a
change to an available flight (earlier or later) at any time on the same
calendar day as originally ticketed at a cost of $50.00; change must be
made before the original ticketed departure time. Also, the same booking
class as original flight must be available.

Alternatively, you may still opt to do the SDC within the three hours of
the originally ticketed flight at not additional charge for our Elite
members. Further, if seats are not available, you still have the option
to fly standby at no additional fee.

While I acknowledge your concerns that this imposes an issue for our
Elite travelers since changes are often last minute, unfortunately, our
industry's revenue environment has permanently changed, and we must
operate our airline accordingly. It has become necessary for us to
continually examine every aspect of our business. As we hope you can
support this business decision, I do want you to know I will be sharing
your feedback with the appropriate leadership team for their future
consideration.

Thank you for your support as a Diamond Medallion member and for
trusting your business to us since 1990. Be assured, we will make every
attempt to serve you well; we are focused on the future and look forward
to our continued business relationship.

Sincerely,

Kelly Hogue
Coordinator, Corporate Customer Care
Delta Air Lines


SO I guess they're saying, you're our most loyal so let's take advantage of you!!!
I want to remind everyone to bombard DL with complains about this.
On my weekly how was your flight survay I'm no longer giving DL good reviews. Now I'm checking NOT LIKELY to recommend DL.
It effects employee bonuses, so maybe that will wake them up!!!!!

Also, I'm telling people that I used to love DL, but NOW I say I have to fly them. No longer giving them the big thumbs up!

RFDMinnesota

+1

Haven't given delta a single of my company's dollars since this change.

davetravels

I know you were ranting about this a couple of weeks ago. My simple quiestion to you:

Which of the remaining 2 - - COUNT'EM, 2 - - airlines, has a Same Day Change Policy in place that suits you better, and why?

flyingweekly

First, I'm pointing out their official response, which is, TOUGH.
Second, so what if other airlines do it. This was and is a terrible deal for those that have made DL our carrier of choice and in my case because of my flexablity of SDC. So I will do what I can to make DL realize it was a stupid idea to PO their most loyal customers.

TTT

Just curious, what were you expecting from a CS response?

SOBE ER DOC

Last time check there were four domestic carrier with major route network, including two that are currently larger than DL: UA and WN.

FWIW, it's interesting to me that of the five major carrier right now (DL, UA, AA, US and WN) the one that caters to leisure travelers the most has a number of policies most favorable to business travelers.

When I fly WN, so long as there is a business select seat available I am assured an aisle seat (or most any seat of my choice), a free drink oh, and no change fees if I need to make a change.

Seems to me the business environment has not changed enough for them to gouge me.

MSPeconomist

Devastation? Some CSRs seem to be devastated by almost everything that happens on DL.

TTT

- very true.

howtofreetravel

But no business seat haha

TTT

And if your are not on a Business Select fare you don't have nearly as many Same Day Change options without hefty charges.

davetravels

First, I'm counting AA/US as one, as that'll be resolved before too long.

As far as WN goes, if someone is on a WGA fare and wants to change their flight to get home on the same day, they will definitely charge them the fare difference to the walk up fare. As I've read the posts about the new SDC/SDS policy, I'm amazed at how many seemingly business types are buying DL LUTXV cheapie fares, as opposed to YBM.

Also, while WN does cut into the domestic market share of AA/US, UA & DL, they simply don't go to ANY of the many international places I go to, so I only use them for a once in a while short hop, when needed.

. . . . edited to add from above:

xliioper

They should have said they understand his frustration and will be making exception to the new SDC policy specifically for him, obviously!

However, I have no doubt that once DL starts missing his X/V fare purchases they will rue the day they ever changed the policy.

Ti22

"revenue environment" - there's a laugh. Did they take into account more likely VDB's for crowded pm summer flights while am loads fly light? Duh....

TTT

That's an interesting point. I wonder what Delta's use rate is on VDB vouchers. I bet it is lower than the FT community would think.

CJKatl

I gotta say...after being scared of how the new policy would play out, I've been pleasantly surprised.

Both Monday and Tuesday this week, I needed a later flight than what I'd booked. Previously, this would have been worrisome. There was no way to be sure I'd get on the later flight until it was too late. Both days, I was able to call just after midnight and move to a later flight with no fee. I got UGs both times, too. (L fare on Monday, T fare on Tuesday)

I've done SB several times under the new policy and have gotten on every flight I've wanted to get on, without charge. In six attempts with this, I've only gotten one middle seat, which really wasn't so terrible. With the old SDC, I'd get middle seats occasionally.

While the old system worked well for me, the new system isn't the doom and gloom I expected. For moving to later flights, it's better.