soxfanndc

I'll try to post the relevant facts: Next year I'm traveling on a paid J ticket, YYZ-FCO (on Alitalia) then on the return, FCO-ATL-YYZ (all on Delta). Quite honestly, I"m only starting and ending in YYZ b/c J was a much better fare in/out of Canada. oh yea, ticket was bought on 006 stock.....

So Delta has not done so yet but I'm thinking they will either cancel altogether or just do a schedule change on the FCO-ATL portion. IF they either cancel or change schedule, would that be a window to allow me to then book FCO-MIA-ATL? (so I'd be ending my trip in Atlanta) and not back in Toronto. I'd like to know what my options are in advance. Also, I'd be OK just doing the FCO-MIA portion and ending in Miami then getting my own way back home if that matters in the response.

Thanks, as always, for any helpful info.

kop84

DL will let you switch cities if there is a city CLOSE to your original destination that they can route you to with either fewer or the same number of connections.

Example

BTR-ATL-LHR-ATL-BTR had schedule change on whatever flight that doesn't allow you to get back to BTR at a similar time than originally booked. DL would allow you to go into MSY or LFT if that would work better for you.

However, if that was your original itinerary they would NOT allow you to fly back to MSP instead of BTR. DL will give you a pretty good circle around your original destination but not ~1,500 miles.

In your case they would probably allow BUF or MAYBE even DTW. But almost certainly not ATL. You could always try to connect back in ATL and then just not re-check your bags after customs though.

Often1

In the event of a schedule change of 90+ minutes, DL will either rebook or cancel with a full refund (allowing you to book whatever you want at then prevailing prices).

There is no "right" to a reroute such as you seek. But, if you as, you might get it. Don't be surprised if the answer is "no".

Make sure you have the specific flights you want in hand and ready for the agent. The easier you make it for the agent, the more likely you get it.

mattp1987

You don't need a change or cancellation to get to ATL if you're already routing through there. You might just forget to head back into the secure area after clearing customs and end up missing your flight to YYZ. People miss flights all the time. However, I vaguely remember something about flights coming into E having baggage for connecting passengers come to E while baggage for terminating passengers goes to F. This could complicate things a bit.

flyerCO

As for the customs issue, doesn't ATL do the new process of you not picking up bags if continuing onto an international flight? I thought they did, in which case OP couldn't just forget to make his flight or he'd have no luggage for a bit. Yes they might unload it from the flight to YYZ but then he's still stuck without luggage till he some how gets it at his own expense home.

Finally there's no way they're going to agree to let you fly to a different city thousands of miles away. Heck because you terminate international it's doubtful they'll let you pick a city outside of Canada.

Starblazer

Yes, this may be ITI eligible which means you won't see your bag.

jrl767

seems that OP is mostly interested in getting on AZ's FCO-MIA flight, but with a continuation MIA-ATL-YYZ, it will be tricky to claim baggage at ATL unless he can swift-talk the agent at MIA into a short-check ... that said, though, if there is indeed a significant enough schedule change, and if the "less than 24 hrs is still a connection" rule applies at all connecting points on an intl itinerary, OP could try to request a rebooking with an overnight layover in ATL (and cancel the ATL-YYZ at T-30 min or something like that)

soxfanndc

OP here and just closing the loop on this. So DL finally announced the sched change (I think it was like a 25 minute change) but they put me on a routing that I did NOT want (connecting through JFK) AND with a 35 minute connection which would have been to the last JFK-YYZ flight of the day.

So I contacted DL and indicated that I didn't want the FCO-JFK flight b/c I didn't want to try and "chance it" with JFK Customs and that I didn't want to risk missing the connection and that I really wanted the FCO-MIA flight and did not care if I ended the trip there or continued on to YYZ. DL advised that if I ended the trip in MIA (instead of returning to YYZ which was my point of departure) then it would be over $3000CAD more. So instead they will get me to ATL that night then I'll go to YYZ the next day to complete the R/T. I know to some that seems like alot of flying but I really didn't care as long as I got the FCO-MIA flight I wanted. The additional fare was something like $108CAD. nothing at all.

The agent commented several times (b/c we had to escalate up to "int'l reissue" and then to a supervisor there but the re-issue agent commented several times, "geez, we don't even have this fare anymore. You're getting a fare that doesn't even exist" so I feel good about the low cost AND getting the new flights I wanted. Thanks for all the replies tho.. I still find DL rather accommodating when I've asked for such things.

Edit: one last thing, as others have pointed out, it REALLY helps to have the new flight(s) you want. My request didn't initially come up and the agent had to search for the flights but once she found them we were good. Having the flights DEF helped.

Felixishim

I have done the skip the last leg, booked YVR-SEA-PVG-SEA-YVR on J for $2200

lives in Seattle, flown to YVR to catch flight back on the way back when I am back to Seattle just called DM line and said i decided not to fly the last leg and don't want to hold the seat, they gladly cancelled the last segment

sethb

If you're doing it based on a schedule change creating an illegal connection (that's why they auto-rebooked you, right?) they ought to be willing to make the change you request for free, especially since you're not asking them to pay for the overnight hotel.