Equip Change to Cradles on lie-flat advertised flight
 

AMS-MSP, on a flight advertised as lie flats (in fact still showing as such on the flight status page) was downgraded to the old cradles at the last minute (according to the FA). I didn't know this until I boarded the plane.

I am beyond pissed because I can't sleep on these seats and I took a longer and more expensive routing to have lie flats.

Options?

Money back? Miles? Have them rebook me on another flight on a different carrier (too late for that clearly since I'm already on the plane though I'm tempted to just walk off)?

Well, getting home to me would be the more important point. I would accept that things like this happen and considering I would still be in BE, would continue on.

I would certainly contact Delta once home and expect some for of compensation, be it miles, voucher or refund. Though, be realistic in what amount of compensation you expect. Most usually expect too much. I'd figure what you feel is fair and then ask specifically for what you want. I'm pretty sure that DL is covered in that all they have to do is get you from point A to B in the class of service you paid.

That said, DL has created a tricky situation, whereas they are advertising these flight features with the expectation you are using them in making your travel and purchase decision. Some flights, be it aircraft and or equipment have different features and carry a premium over another flight. To the end consumer it's easy to think "this is not what I paid for..." I am sure they have some internal protocol for how to respond to these complaints and some guidelines for compensation. No airline can guarantee the equipment, unless their entire fleet with the same. DL is soon to be there with all lie flats for international, just not all the way there - yet.

Lie-flats are not guaranteed on this route. They were not "advertising" anything such thing.

The good news for OP is that the mods project for the A330 fleet is almost complete. Just eight unmodified planes left in the fleet, and likely just four unmodified planes by March 1.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...ng-thread.html

Equipment change will usually get you miles. I think it was 15K miles for me, FRA-JFK.

I am assuming you are talking about the A330s? They are not cradles, they are angled flat. I'd be disappointed too and ask Delta for a commercial gesture since you expected the new product when you booked the flight. Technically there is nothing due if they don't guarantee lie-flat (like LHR routes).

Really, walk off? Maybe not the brightest decision. Do that and they will cancel your flt and you have nothing.

IMO, there also would be a zero chance of DL seeking out another carrier that happened to have a lie-flat seat available. Their position: Seats are not guaranteed. Same for money back, no chance. They offered you a seat but you refused it.

Sure, we all want lie-flats but sometimes it doesn’t work out that way. Maybe a brief note to DL explaining that you chose this routing because of the seats and were disappointed in the substitute would yield some RDM’s.

They are not guaranteed, but they certainly are advertised by the icons when choosing flights.

^ +1 - I certainly choose my flights based on those icons, it is being advertised, and I would expect that type of aircraft (although equip swaps do happen). Especially since the OP mentioned that even day of, the website was still showing the aircraft to have lie-flats. I agree that no cash will be given, but would expect some RDM's in this situation.

It Sucks But...
 

Gotta agree with this post though. I do however feel your pain; happened to me on a UA flight from FCO>IAD a couple of year ago. Was expecting a newly configured 777 & instead got the Old Bark-o-lounger seats instead )-:

Must be N818NW. Was on the incoming DAL 264 flight and noticed the change when they bumped me out of 2J on Wednesday. For this flight the seatmap updated 2 days (wednesday) before departure. You say they didn't update the seatmap for the return flight?

Also picked the flight because of the flat-bed seats and after finding out I called DAL trying to change to another flight. That was only possible for the small amount of 300,-. Oooh those 1st world problems.

Frustating OP, but sorry - this isn't (yet) a fully flat-bed dedicated route (LHR, SYD, JNB). I always find the best scheduled aircraft I can, but I will say lately when I've seen some 330s on routes I see both the angled AND flatbed icon pop up - both saying "available". I figure it's some how tied to the anticipated tail number and at a certain point DL IT strikes and it goes haywire. Anyway, less than ideal, but hope the flight was good all the same!

Equiptment is not guaranteed. Says so right in the COC to which OP agreed when he purchased his ticket. So, $0 compensation.

If OP files a whine with DL, he may get a few miles tossed his way as a CS gesture.

Remember, the alternative here is cancelling the flight or flying an unsafe aircraft (which may be very comfortable until it crashes).

My general view and others may disagree that I'll take the safer, but less tricked-out aircraft.

This thread points out that one should pay attention to A330 seat maps as the travel date approaches. It might have been possible to be rerouted onto a flight that does have flat beds. Without checked luggage, OP could have asked the GA whether it would be possible to be rebooked onto a later AMS-MSP flight with flat beds. This is most likely to work with a more expensive paid BE ticket, not an upgrade or award ticket. (Would flat beds be worth a change fee of up to about $400?) Of course, with a FULL C/J fare, one could probably insist on a refund of the ticket so that a new ticket with flat beds could be purchased, although this would risk needing to spend another night in Amsterdam.

If you know and especially can document what your alternate ticket without the flat beds would have cost at the time of purchase, you could ask for half of that (one direction) to be given to you as a DL voucher or ecredit.

However, AMS-MSP is the daytime direction where many people do not plan to sleep very much, so a customer service gesture might take this into account in determining how much DL is willing to do if/when you complain. To reiterate what has already been said in this thread, DL goes not guarantee flat beds on AMS-MSP, only the LHR TATL flights AFAIK.

beyond pissed, over a seat change? Its not even that long of a flight, its in the daytime, and it's a decent seat. If you cant suck it up for 7 hours, you probably shouldn't be fLying. equipment subs happen all the time. You are not on a guaranteed lie flat route.its not like they stuck you with the domestic 757. Walk off. Lol. Deal with the KLM dragons after doing that.