Sep 5, 2013, 12:48 pm

FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides

Last edit by: serfty

DELTA Link: Same Day Travel Changes | Delta Air Lines [as per web site July 2015, 2015]

Quote:

Same-Day Confirmed

When You Need to Change Your Flight

Eligibility

You can use the same-day confirmed option for travel within the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands on Delta and Delta Connection® flights.
You may request a same-day flight change up to 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.
If you have a flexible fare (usually a refundable ticket), you may be able to change your itinerary without a fee.
If you have an Economy fare, you can only be rebooked in the same fare class as your original flight.
If you have a premium cabin fare, -- including Delta One™, First and Business Class -- you may make a same-day confirmed change as long as a seat is available in the premium cabin
Award Tickets are same-day confirmed eligible.
Origin, destination or co-terminal (LGA to JFK) changes are not same-day confirmed eligible.
Same-Day Confirmed changes from connection to non-stop flights are not permitted.
Basic Economy fare (E) for flights flown on or after February 1, 2015 are not eligible for same-day confirmed travel changes.

Fees

Silver Medallion members, general SkyMiles members and non-members:

$50 USD Same-Day Change Fee - If your requested flight is same-day confirmed eligible
Applicable Change Fee -These fees vary based on your ticket and its fare rules, and will be due if you have a restricted fare and your requested flight is outside of same-day travel eligibility. Change fees are dictated by the fare rules.

Diamond, Platinum and Gold Medallion members:

$50 USD Same-Day Confirmed Fee Waived - If the requested flight is same-day confirmed eligible the $50 fee will be waived.
Applicable Change Fee - These fees vary based on your ticket and its fare rules, and will be due if you have a restricted fare and your requested flight is outside of same-day travel eligibility. Change fees are dictated by the fare rules.

Basic Economy (E) fares are not eligible to make same-day confirmed or same-day standby travel changes, regardless of Medallion or other elite status, for flights flown on or after February 1, 2015.

Additional Rules

Medallion complimentary upgrades do not transfer to your rebooked ticket.
Trip Extras or seats purchased for the original flight do not transfer to your rebooked ticket. Please note the original terms and conditions for Trip Extras, Delta Comfort+™ and Preferred Seats.
The same-day travel program is subject to change and the rules in effect on the date of travel will apply.

Quote:

Same-Day Standby

When There Are No Seats Available

If you are unable to secure a new flight(s) with the same-day confirmed option, you can choose to fly standby with the same-day standby option.

Eligibility

Same-day standby is only offered if same-day confirmed is not available.
You may request a same-day flight change up to 24 hours prior to the departure time of your original flight.
Silver Medallion members, general SkyMiles members and non-members may only fly same-day standby for a flight that is earlier than their original flight.
Diamond, Platinum and Gold Medallion members may standby for a flight any time on the same day as their original flight.
No routing changes are allowed.
Eligible same-day standby flights must be on the same day as the original flight, starting 12am of the same day to 11:59pm the same day.
Change is only permitted based on the original ticketed paid cabin. For example, customers confirmed in RU class may only standby for flights in the Economy cabin
Basic Economy fare (E) for flights flown on or after February 1, 2015 are not eligible for same-day standby travel changes.
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.
You may request a same-day flight change up to 24 hours prior to the departure time of your original flight.

Fees

Silver Medallion members, general SkyMiles members and non-members:

$50 USD Standby Fee - Standby fee will be collected, but your card will not be charged until you are assigned a seat on the standby flight

Diamond, Platinum and Gold Medallion members:

$50 USD Standby Fee Waived

Standby not permitted to/from Canada
Standby permitted for multi-segment flights. Customers must stand by for each individual flight segment. Standby fees are not refundable once you are assigned a seat on the first standby segment.

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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:

Within North America (except JFKLAX, JFKSEA and JFKSFO).
To/from Aruba, Bermuda, Grand Cayman (Cayman Islands), Los Cabos (Mexico), Montego Bay (Jamaica), Nassau (Bahamas), Providenciales (Turks and Caicos), San Juan (Puerto Rico), and St. Thomas (US Virgin Islands)
Between Atlanta and Costa Rica, St. Maarten and St. Lucia
Between Cancun (Mexico)and Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Indianapolis, Memphis and Minneapolis

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

Improvements to Same-Day Travel

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Jul 25, 2013, 5:41 am

#151

rylan

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Sep 2007

Location: BOS

Programs: DL DM 2MM, Marriott LT Titanium, Hertz PC, Avis PC

Posts: 15,198

Yes, adding a 'perk' for a rare fare bucket inversion situation doesn't make any sense.

Jul 25, 2013, 5:59 am

#152

xliioper

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Jul 2003

Posts: 23,057

Quote:

Originally Posted by davisew

I think we have a winner.

My SDCs were always when work wrapped up early and I got on an earlier flight out, thus opening up a seat later in the day for when the weather in ATL gets messy.

The flights I SDC'ed to usually cost less at the time of booking vs. the flights I had originally booked, in order to protect for a full day at the work location.

In the new world it wasn't worth the hassle to research alternative options that deeply or worry about expensing a bunch of $50 fees. So fine, DL, you want to incentivize me to show up for that 5:45 Friday departure that has standbys left behind, now I will.

I don't think it's clear cut that SDC's always benefit the airlines. There are likely many cases where having seats available on earlier flights is more important than the later flights. If someone is trying to connect through a hub and there's a delay/cancellation, Delta would like to try to put them on another earlier flight through a hub so they can get home the same day. If all that's available are seats on the late flights to the hubs due to SDC's, DL will have to overnight them at the hub.

Jul 25, 2013, 7:36 am

#153

BusTrav8yrs

Join Date: Jan 2010

Location: CT

Programs: DL DM 2MM, MR LTT, Hilton D, Hertz PC. National Emerald Exec, UA Silver(thanks to Marriott)

Posts: 2,026

Quote:

Originally Posted by davetravels

Lemme see if I have this right. . . . .

Under the new system, if I'm booked on a 7AM flight ATL/PIT on a Wednesday, for example, and I've decided that I want to stay the entire day, I can SDC at 7AM on Tuesday, to a flight leaving later on Wednesday, say at 10PM - as long as the bucket is available, correct? - - 39 hours in advance of the flight I want to change to?

Correct. As long as the new flight is same day it would work in Aug when the 24hr rule is implemented.

Jul 25, 2013, 9:24 am

#154

18sas

Join Date: Jan 2008

Location: KATL

Programs: DL DM/2MM

Posts: 2,034

Quote:

Originally Posted by LBJ

If I were connecting through a hub and there were a delay or cancellation, I would want to SDC onto an earlier flight!

Jul 25, 2013, 9:31 am

#155

lsumegan

Join Date: Jun 2008

Location: LA

Programs: DL GM, HH Diamond

Posts: 727

Quote:

Originally Posted by 18sas

If I were connecting through a hub and there were a delay or cancellation, I would want to SDC onto an earlier flight!

I think that was the point.

Jul 25, 2013, 9:34 am

#156

xliioper

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Jul 2003

Posts: 23,057

Quote:

Originally Posted by 18sas

If I were connecting through a hub and there were a delay or cancellation, I would want to SDC onto an earlier flight!

You are missing the point. If you SDC onto an earlier flight and take the last seat to the hub, and someone else experiences a cancelation or delay on an earlier flight to the hub (or through a different hub), DL can no longer use the seat to re-accomodate that pax. Having a seat open on a later flight to the hub may be of no use to pax if there are no more flights available to their destination after that later flight arrives. I suspect that in the general case, DL would like to have some seats available on flights throughout the day to reaccomdate pax, rather than mostly on flights at the end of the day.

Jul 25, 2013, 10:00 am

#157

18sas

Join Date: Jan 2008

Location: KATL

Programs: DL DM/2MM

Posts: 2,034

Quote:

Originally Posted by LBJ

I'm not missing the point. I'm talking about pro-actively moving myself, but you're saying that I shouldn't, but should wait for DL to move someone, which may or may not be me.

Anyway it's all theoretical. But normally on same day flight cancellations, DL will accommodate people on later flights because it's harder to tell someone they need to be at the airport earlier than they originally expected.

Jul 25, 2013, 10:04 am

#158

jrl767

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Nov 2009

Location: SEA (the REAL Washington); occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)

Programs: DL PM 1.57MM; AS MVPG 100K

Posts: 21,371

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtkeller

OK, which of the following is humane and which is inhumane, and how does that line up with your RM theory:

DL 5075 OMA 13:03 - MSP 13:11 CR9
F2 P2 A2 G1 Y9 B9 M9 S9 H9 Q9 K9 L9 U9 T8 X8 V8 E8
DL 5739 MSP 15:10 IAD - 18:36 E75
F3 P2 A2 G1 Y9 B9 M9 S9 H9 Q9 K9 L9 U9 T8 X8 V8 E8

DL 3821 OMA 13:35 - DTW 16:41 CRJ
Y3 B1 M1 S1 H0 Q0 K0 L0 U0 T0 X0 V0 E0
DL 3971 DTW 17:25 - IAD 18:59 CRJ
Y9 B1 M1 S1 H0 Q0 K0 L0 U0 T0 X0 V0 E0

(That's tomorrow's inventory. The MSP routing has actually had more inventory put on it while the horrible DTW routing on which I'm currently ticketed has had vanishing space. No idea why so many people want to fly from OMA to DTW tomorrow on a CRJ.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by javabytes

... For your example, the DTW routing is more direct... to the tune of 250 miles. It's on a CRJ, but some people don't care, especially if they're planning to sit in coach anyway. It's the OMA-DTW flight that's full, while the DTW-IAD flight actually has a good amount of open space, but is being limited by married segment logic. So maybe people don't want to fly OMA-DTW-IAD, but they do want to fly OMA-DTW non-stop instead of connecting somewhere. ...

and it's not just the O/D traffic between OMA and DTW, and it's not just the OMA-IAD traffic ... when RM adjusts inventory, they have to consider everybody on the flight

Jul 25, 2013, 10:23 am

#159

lsumegan

Join Date: Jun 2008

Location: LA

Programs: DL GM, HH Diamond

Posts: 727

Quote:

Originally Posted by 18sas

You are missing the point. No one is saying you shouldn't. That poster was simply saying SDC does not always benefit the airlines. That's all.

Jul 25, 2013, 9:26 pm

#160

n7371f

Join Date: Jan 2006

Location: CONUS

Posts: 947

For all the posts about "great job Delta" -- a little birdie told me the change was made because some metrics showed a less-than-expected money grab with the previous changes -- and it was costing Delta some bookings and HVC's.

This information would go along with the long-held view that Delta, or really any airline, would never merely make a beneficial change because people complained.

Jul 25, 2013, 10:02 pm

#161

indufan

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Sep 2002

Location: IND

Programs: DL PM & 2MM™, Lifetime HHonors Diamond

Posts: 20,889

Quote:

Originally Posted by n7371f

Only if they complain with their feet. Clearly, they misjudged the market.

Jul 26, 2013, 5:48 am

#162

rylan

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Sep 2007

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Programs: DL DM 2MM, Marriott LT Titanium, Hertz PC, Avis PC

Posts: 15,198

Quote:

Originally Posted by n7371f

My cynical guess is the crack team of MBAs who came up with this already got their bonuses and pats on the back and have no accountability for screwing up the projections.

Jul 26, 2013, 6:17 am

#163

DLdweeb

Join Date: Oct 2007

Programs: Now just a lowly DL PM/1MM. This industry needs some competition. It's just not enjoyable anymore.

Posts: 3,543

Quote:

Originally Posted by n7371f

Agree 100%. All this BS about "listening to customer feedback" makes for a nice feel-good moment, but this change was driven by financial metrics, pure and simple.

Jul 26, 2013, 10:07 am

#164

bennos

Join Date: Dec 2008

Location: Mostly living in the basement

Programs: Newly minted free agent; MR LT(!)TE, HH SE, BA SECM, DL MM, UA PS, 2V Fanboi, CBP GE

Posts: 5,108

Quote:

Originally Posted by n7371f

This makes sense for the $50 waiver. I would also accept the explanation that the call centers were getting swamped at midnight, since that has an actual cost to DL which could be mitigated by the rolling 24 hour window.

Jul 26, 2013, 2:10 pm

#165

sethb

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Posts: 12,159

Quote:

Originally Posted by DLdweeb

Agree 100%. All this BS about "listening to customer feedback" makes for a nice feel-good moment, but this change was driven by financial metrics, pure and simple.

People walking away is precisely the sort of feedback they listen to.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mnredfox

Keep in mind that most folks say that filling seats is a bad thing. When you move from one flight to another you vacate a seat at the same time, so there is really no net loss.

Not necessarily. If I SDC off a flight with Y15 onto a flight with Y1, then I'm taking a seat they're moderately likely to sell and giving them a seat they're very unlikely to sell.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 18sas

Anyway it's all theoretical. But normally on same day flight cancellations, DL will accommodate people on later flights because it's harder to tell someone they need to be at the airport earlier than they originally expected.

My experience is that, if they know early enough, they phone me and are quite willing to put me on an earlier flight if I ask (if I can get to the airport in time). They'd prefer to fly me early, since they have a whole planeload of pax most of whom will have to fly later.