Jul 10, 2016, 5:48 pm
Last edit by: Zorak
Delta rolls out schedule changes pretty much every Saturday, though the scope/impact can vary. During this time, seat maps may be locked out, may show the wrong aircraft layout, etc. while changes are occurring. If you are not traveling immediately, FT conventional wisdom is to wait until Sunday (or even Monday in the case of major schedule adjustments where things take longer) for things to settle down, then take stock of your upcoming itineraries to see what changes have occurred and what changes/refunds you may be entitled to.
You are entitled to a full refund to original form of payment, even for a ticket that was purchased as a non-refundable ticket, if any of the following occur as a result of schedule change:
The airline would rather keep your money than refund it, so they will frequently accept any vaguely reasonable rerouting that you propose. This includes, by policy, changing origin and/or destination within 100 miles, rebooking +/- two days, and changing outbound/return date to keep the length of the trip the same post-rebooking.
If none of the above conditions for a refund is true, you may still be entitled to a free change -- in your trip summary there will be a notice about changes/refunds, and per the "conditions apply" popup link in that text:
If possible, you may wish to try modifying your flights online first -- there have been data points where the site allowed a free rebooking even though it did not technically fall into the above categories. NOTE however that self-rebooking online is known not to work if you have (1) any trip involving upgrade certificates (whether cleared or not), (2) if you have self-upgraded by picking an upgraded seat that said FREE (instead of waiting for the automated upgrade system sweep to reseat you in an upgraded seat), this seems to inhibit self-rebooking as well.
Otherwise, suggested best practice is to research your preferred alternative rebooking beforehand (whether DL flight search, Google Flights, ITA Matrix etc.) so that you can speak with an agent already knowing what you want, and ask for it; this will be much more efficient than having an agent find alternatives for you.
Other notes/FAQs:
You are entitled to a full refund to original form of payment, even for a ticket that was purchased as a non-refundable ticket, if any of the following occur as a result of schedule change:
- departure or arrival delay of 2hrs or more
- increase in the number of flight segments (non-stop to connecting, 1-stop to 2-stop, etc.)
- change resulting in a connection below the Minimum Connection Time for a given airport (do a Google search for "site:flyertalk.com minimum connecting time XXX" with the airport code to find the relevant thread if one exists)
- any change in operating carrier, i.e. operated by Delta mainline before the schedule change and Delta Connection after the change
- it is also a commonly-held belief that a change from Delta Connection to mainline, or from one Delta Connection carrier to a different Delta Connection carrier, also qualifies for a full refund -- if anyone has documentation of this, a link would be great...
The airline would rather keep your money than refund it, so they will frequently accept any vaguely reasonable rerouting that you propose. This includes, by policy, changing origin and/or destination within 100 miles, rebooking +/- two days, and changing outbound/return date to keep the length of the trip the same post-rebooking.
If none of the above conditions for a refund is true, you may still be entitled to a free change -- in your trip summary there will be a notice about changes/refunds, and per the "conditions apply" popup link in that text:
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. Note that the below conditions may apply:
- Your origin, destination and travel date must remain the same
- Alternate flights must be available, and you can only modify once as subsequent changes may result in additional fees
- Voluntary changes to other flights not impacted by a Delta schedule change may result in additional fees
Otherwise, suggested best practice is to research your preferred alternative rebooking beforehand (whether DL flight search, Google Flights, ITA Matrix etc.) so that you can speak with an agent already knowing what you want, and ask for it; this will be much more efficient than having an agent find alternatives for you.
Other notes/FAQs:
- Even if you voluntarily choose a preferred rebooking, you have a high likelihood of success claiming Original Routing Credit since the original reason for the change was involuntary.
- If you booked through a travel agency, including online travel agencies (OTA) such as Expedia, Chase Ultimate Rewards, etc. you will have to contact them, not Delta, to request rerouting if the automatic rebooking is not satisfactory to you.
- There have been reports of an agency insisting that a change of 2 hours was required (per the "pro" site) for a free change, even though the popup on the DL site says 1 hour
- You can sometimes get Delta to take over a travel agency ticket; this is subject to a $50 fee to take over the ticket, although sometimes agents decline to collect it
Consolidated Delta Schedule Change Discussion Thread
Jan 31, 2021, 9:35 am
#1531
Join Date: May 2011
Location: NYC
Programs: DL PM. 1MM
Posts: 2,045
Delta is also running lots A330's on the ATL-PHX and return starting in Feb as well. I booked one of these recently. it's a nice ride for this trip. i'm just happy that JFK-PHX is back albeit only 5x per week. Still I'll take it!
Feb 6, 2021, 1:40 pm
#1533
Join Date: Apr 2005
Programs: DL DM MM, Hyatt LT Globalist, SPG Gold, Marriott Gold, Hertz PC
Posts: 2,141
If a flight in my reservation is zeroed out, no seat changes are possible, and is not for sale, is that an indication of pending cancelation or do I just need to wait for schedule changes to finish over the weekend?
Feb 6, 2021, 2:05 pm
#1534
Join Date: May 2011
Programs: Delta PM, Hyatt Plat-ist, Bonvoyyyyyyed, Hilton $15 Daily F&B Receiver, Food Lion MVP
Posts: 1,203
Feb 6, 2021, 2:09 pm
#1535
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: SJC/YUL
Programs: DL PM, Marriott Gold
Posts: 3,878
Just wait. Even if it does get cancelled, it doesn't make sense to chose an alternative until the changes are finished anyway
Feb 6, 2021, 3:09 pm
#1536
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: ANC
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 1,859
Exactly. I’ve learned that when a schedule change occurs that will require me to call in, to wait until at least Monday after Schedule Change Saturday. Before then things are very flux and often what you see on your end won’t match up with what an agent sees. I know it can be tempting to “fix” the issue, but best to just sit tight for a few days and then tackle it.
Feb 6, 2021, 5:03 pm
#1538
Join Date: Apr 2005
Programs: DL DM MM, Hyatt LT Globalist, SPG Gold, Marriott Gold, Hertz PC
Posts: 2,141
The change is for a flight on 4/1. It looks like the schedule reductions for 3/31 happened a few weeks ago and our current flights got the axe.
The only reason I’m considering trying to “fix it” sooner rather than later is that it’s for 6 pax in F to a destination that has been cut down to 1-2 flights/day. I’d prefer to avoid the squeeze on inventory and seat selection.
The only reason I’m considering trying to “fix it” sooner rather than later is that it’s for 6 pax in F to a destination that has been cut down to 1-2 flights/day. I’d prefer to avoid the squeeze on inventory and seat selection.
Yes, a zeroed out flight most likely means a pending cancellation. My experience is that for domestic flights this usually occurs after the weekend is complete. However I have seen international flights be zeroed out for 3-4 weeks before it officially cancels.
Exactly. I’ve learned that when a schedule change occurs that will require me to call in, to wait until at least Monday after Schedule Change Saturday. Before then things are very flux and often what you see on your end won’t match up with what an agent sees. I know it can be tempting to “fix” the issue, but best to just sit tight for a few days and then tackle it.
Exactly. I’ve learned that when a schedule change occurs that will require me to call in, to wait until at least Monday after Schedule Change Saturday. Before then things are very flux and often what you see on your end won’t match up with what an agent sees. I know it can be tempting to “fix” the issue, but best to just sit tight for a few days and then tackle it.
Feb 6, 2021, 7:52 pm
#1539
Join Date: Sep 2012
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 766
Feb 6, 2021, 10:34 pm
#1540
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: ANC
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 1,859
Good to know! My flights April 26 and beyond have too not seen any changes. So looks like they are only up to mid-april.
Last edited by GagaPilot; Feb 7, 2021 at 12:57 am
Feb 8, 2021, 9:06 pm
#1541
Join Date: Sep 2012
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 766
Has anyone seen route changes being made many months ahead? We are planning a trip MSP-PSP in November. I was searching for flights around when we were planning to depart to get a sense of what the pre-COVID timetable is and compare it to the current timetable. Previous searches included a once-daily non-stop MSP-PSP flight, which is now no longer listed as of the past few days. It seemed strange to me that they would have pulled the route this far in advance when there is so much certainty about demand. My only thought is whether it is a seasonal route that they are changing the available dates on, but it just seemed strange that they would tweak these routes that far in advance when even mid April is a huge question mark.
Feb 8, 2021, 9:14 pm
#1542
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: SJC/YUL
Programs: DL PM, Marriott Gold
Posts: 3,878
Has anyone seen route changes being made many months ahead? We are planning a trip MSP-PSP in November. I was searching for flights around when we were planning to depart to get a sense of what the pre-COVID timetable is and compare it to the current timetable. Previous searches included a once-daily non-stop MSP-PSP flight, which is now no longer listed as of the past few days. It seemed strange to me that they would have pulled the route this far in advance when there is so much certainty about demand. My only thought is whether it is a seasonal route that they are changing the available dates on, but it just seemed strange that they would tweak these routes that far in advance when even mid April is a huge question mark.
Feb 8, 2021, 11:41 pm
#1543
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: ANC
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 1,859
Has anyone seen route changes being made many months ahead? We are planning a trip MSP-PSP in November. I was searching for flights around when we were planning to depart to get a sense of what the pre-COVID timetable is and compare it to the current timetable. Previous searches included a once-daily non-stop MSP-PSP flight, which is now no longer listed as of the past few days. It seemed strange to me that they would have pulled the route this far in advance when there is so much certainty about demand. My only thought is whether it is a seasonal route that they are changing the available dates on, but it just seemed strange that they would tweak these routes that far in advance when even mid April is a huge question mark.
So, I can imagine MSP-PSP would be seasonal. Have you searched to see if its offered a week or two before/after your intended dates? (Not sure if you have the flexibility to find a nonstop).
Feb 9, 2021, 7:04 pm
#1544
Join Date: Sep 2016
Programs: DL DM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Titanium
Posts: 63
Has anyone seen route changes being made many months ahead? We are planning a trip MSP-PSP in November. I was searching for flights around when we were planning to depart to get a sense of what the pre-COVID timetable is and compare it to the current timetable. Previous searches included a once-daily non-stop MSP-PSP flight, which is now no longer listed as of the past few days. It seemed strange to me that they would have pulled the route this far in advance when there is so much certainty about demand. My only thought is whether it is a seasonal route that they are changing the available dates on, but it just seemed strange that they would tweak these routes that far in advance when even mid April is a huge question mark.
Since living in ANC the last couple of years I have seen route changes (both additions and deletions) many months out for a few of our seasonal destinations such as ATL and SLC. With ATL they always shifted the seasonal start/end dates, and even more so since Covid. With SLC its a random "phantom" route that shows up during parts of the summer, and randomly throughout the year.
So, I can imagine MSP-PSP would be seasonal. Have you searched to see if its offered a week or two before/after your intended dates? (Not sure if you have the flexibility to find a nonstop).
So, I can imagine MSP-PSP would be seasonal. Have you searched to see if its offered a week or two before/after your intended dates? (Not sure if you have the flexibility to find a nonstop).
MSP-PSP had been a seasonal route prior to Covid and its a little surprising Delta originally had a daily flight running through the summer. The routing is expected to return in DEC like it normally would.
A bit off topic but several interesting leisure routes added from MSP this summer. PWM, PVD and MYR to name a few.
Feb 12, 2021, 5:16 pm
#1545
Join Date: Sep 2012
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 766
The challenge is that we have a tight schedule that may make a connection prohibitive. I may have to fly to SNA and have a car service do a ground transfer. I’d just be disappointed if they then reinstate the direct flight to PSP, though I guess I can always cancel and rebook.
Thanks, all!