NY-FLA

OK, I got that SDC needed to be anti-gamered, and Sky-Peso awards needed increased abuse proofing, and that the Sky Clubs could no longer provide complimentary Bailey's for several hundred $$$ per year member fees, but this one was a new low to me.

I'm at DTW, waiting for a mechanically delayed flight to MCO. The flight delay accumulates to the point that the next flight to MCO is now boarding before what was scheduled as the earlier flight has even started the boarding process. I ask the GA for the "earlier" flight, what seats are available on the "later" flight that will now clearly beat my original flight into MCO. GA states that both flights will get there "about the same time", and to change to a different flight, from the flight with a mechanical delay, will cost me $50.

I guess RA's empowerment mentality really is taking hold in the organization. Leo would be proud of this.

TTT

The GA is likely wrong. If you were to go to your phone app and click on the IROPs link, you will probably see the "later" flight as an option and can confirm free of charge. Likewise, the phone agent or twitter would do the same.

IROPs indicators in a reservation give lots of leeway for free changes.

DCAproducer

The GA is incorrect. If your flight is delayed significantly and another flight is available you should be allowed to change. I've been told by various SkyClub and GA's that 60+ minutes counts.

In this situation I always call the medallion line and have them rebook me. They will do it without hesitation. You can also do this online or through the app.

I have found DL's website and app are pretty good at giving updates related to delays and allowing you the option to switch flights.

MSPeconomist

OP seems to have no status and hence can't call an elite line.

bdsisme

Delta falls short of WN in this regard: Southwest lets you move onto the earlier flight for free if your flight is delayed > 15 minutes, generally speaking.

TTT

The regular reservations line and twitter should also be able to do it.

xliioper

I've had short delays on DL open up all sorts of options online. I had a recent minor delay on an SFO-ATL flight and it offered many different routing options for free (I ended up switching to SFO-LAX-ATL). I also got upgraded immediately when I switched. It also offered the option of flying into about a dozen different airports within about a 150 mile radius of ATL.

NY-FLA

OP has sufficient status to avoid the change fee; just reporting what GA tried to do when she did not know this, and, perhaps, thought she had found a "mark".

As have I. This is one area DL excels at. However, when the delay on the first flight slowly accumulates to a level not previously predicted, by the time the customer recognizes the other flight is now boarding and the original is not, there can be few change over options. This was certainly the case here.

Advertised time for departure of "earlier" flight was 10:12, actual was 10:35 (schedule "Creep"). "Later" flight left at 10:20. I find when they get this close, and the delays accumulate with no advance notice, the systems you mention aren't that useful.


Regardless, primary point was that apparently, some DL employees at DTW, the bastion of economic normalcy, believe it is acceptable to attempt to charge PAX a change fee when their original flight is MX delayed.

SJC ORD LDR

If look at your original reservation on the app, it will give you a list of alternative flights you could book for free. I did this a couple days ago when my LAX - SJC flight was delayed for 2 hours and I booked onto a Horizon flight that left one hour later. It worked out as my original flight was cancelled after I already got home. The Delta app is actually very useful now.

GYEWorldTraveler

Is this a joke? Deltas IROP handling is the best of any US carrier. And WN has no agreements to offline passengers when their flights are delayed/canceled. DL seems to be really proactive with IROPs and has even flagged flights delayed by 10 minutes as an IROP and offered rebooking options when even with the minimal delay the flight was estimated to get in early.

steex

As others have said, it sounds like an agent who was mistaken. That doesn't excuse the agent, who should certainly know correct procedure, but it seems like it's probably a bit of a stretch to suggest that a rogue agent is maliciously attempting to overcharge pax.

SamOF

This is definitely not a policy. Do blame DL for bad training, though, and please write a note to that effect with as much information about the GA in question as you can remember.

amolkold

"Don't let the rules overrule common sense."