BamaGirl

I'm guessing @mersk862 might be a little more well-versed on DL rules .

Often1

OP's problem is that by the time he's called three times, there must be notes in his record of what the prior agent said.

As to what some blogger told you, have the blogger make the change.

davetravels

There's a 5:00 PM KL B772 AMS/ATL & a KL 5:50 PM AMS/JFK on a B74M. I'd like to stay on DL to get a flat bed.

MSPeconomist

I wonder whether there's some confusion here about a sequence of schedule changes to the same flight versus a bunch of small schedule changes to different flights in the itinerary.

Case 1: OP is flying nonstop YYY-ZZZ, originally scheduled at 8:00 am departure, 9:00 am arrival. Schedule change #1 to 8:20 departure and 9:20 am arrival. Schedule change #2 to 8:40 am departure and 9:40 am arrival. Schedule change #3 to 9:01 am departure and 10:01 am arrival. This would seem to qualify for a free change to the ticket if there weren't any previous favors to permit changes.

Case 2: OP is flying AAA-BBB-CCC-DDD. Each of the three flights is one hour in duration and each connection is one hour (and legal). Then a schedule change, or several separate schedule changes, shift every flight back by exactly 25 minutes, so that the changes total 75 minutes but the net effect is that OP departs 25 minutes later and arrives at the destination exactly 25 minutes later. In this case, free changes would not be allowed.

I suspect that OP is talking about Case 2 while Delta Points might be thinking of Case 1.

Renes Points

If a Delta schedule or routing change has delayed your departure or arrival by more than one hour, you may be eligible to select an alternate flight at no additional charge

Lets look at math as it really is simple.

You book flight depart 10:00
Change 1 is 10:30
Change 2 is now 11:01

That mean, from original departure is "by more than one hour", and this is by 61 min, it is in the publish rules.

I think the rule is as clear as day and as I have stated I have applied this over and over and over again for years.

Now if you want to push it with what you can "get away with", the Delta schedule change rule is one of the best. I have had even airport changes when the changes has been over 2 hours (like MDW to SBN)!

MSPeconomist

Indeed, this is what I'm calling Case 1, but what does the OP mean?

Renes Points

Ah, yes. See your point. Not sure.

sbjnyc

OP apparently has changes totaling 1 hours across multiple flights but not the same flight. If OP's departure or arrival times change by 60+ minutes then he can make the change. But if departure changes by 30 minutes and arrival changes by 35 minutes I don't see how the rule justifies a free change.

BigFlyer

The link in the OP - https://www.delta.com/components/pop...itions_txt.jsp - only applies in the case of a delay of more than one hour. What happens if the flight leaves more than an hour earlier?

itsaboutthejourney

+ 1,000!

I encourage my fellow FT members to look beyond high post counts and 'blogger' status of some members to know there is a lot of misinformation (and bad grammar) to sort through in this forum.

gooselee

Dragging up an old thread, but seemed like the appropriate place.

Award ticket booked for fall.
Return is MEL-(MU)-PVG-(DL)-DTW.
Departure from MEL changed to exactly 60 min earlier than originally booked.
That's theoretically doable, but I was already getting nervous about original departure time due to going to MEL airport directly from a tour ending that afternoon.

There is only one MEL-PVG on MU each day, and going the next day isn't an option. Plus, no more MU inventory available.

I did find SYD-LAX-DTW on all DL metal leaving the following morning. Would have no problem getting from MEL to SYD, on my own dime, to catch that flight, and shorter routing gets me back to DTW at about the same time as original.

Technically it's a change in O/D, but I figured DL might be able/willing to do it, even if it meant forcing inventory, since it's all DL-operated flights. Three agents so far have given me no love. First agent just started repricing MEL-DTW for the next day, saying she'd have to reprice, nothing available, I could fly coach, etc. Ended that call quickly. Next two agents took time to apparently check with a supervisor, but both came back and said that because I'm changing O/D, they have to process add/collect of 290k RDM per ticket (basically, the current going rate of the flights I want/need). No ability to waive add/collect due to schedule change.

Thoughts? Should I keep HUCA later this week? Give up and hope my tour ends on time?

currentjer

Uh, you have to keep O/D.

Solution: Look for flights MEL-SYD on Virgin Australia (in either economy or business) then connect on to DL or other partners back to DTW.

gooselee

That's the problem. All flights MEL-SYD (or any other routing ex-MEL) are on partners and no award availability left for the domestic flights I need. DL cannot force partner availability. Even if I stay MEL-DTW connecting through China and move to the next day (which does not work for my schedule anyway as it doesn't get me home until a day later), they want to charge an add/collect of almost 200k RDM since the TPACs on DL are pricing higher/broken award/etc.

Thus my idea to get myself to SYD on my own, where I can pick up DL flights ~11 hours after my original scheduled MEL departure. Technically it's changing O/D, but lots of reports in this thread of agents giving leeway on this at times. And I purposely am trying to get to an origin with DL metal so they can force the inventory if needed.

Short story: Schedule changed by 60 mins, but due to schedules and no partner inventory, currently unable to get any viable solutions that don't cost more RDM.

fti

The reports in this thread are at least 2 years old. That is an eternity with regard to rules with Delta (or any airline).

flyerCO

You mention that its pricing as two awards when looking to change. This is a known issue for Australia-China-US flights with MU or China Southern. It'll price fine online but not with a phone agent. The phone agents system breaks the fare at PVG. See if it'll price correctly online for a new booking. If it does call back and point this out. They should be able to fix but will require them talking with another department.