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
#1261
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: ANC
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 1,856
Looks like DL went from 1x ATL-VLD to 2x ATL-VLD. It's a little annoying for me as the 1x left at 3 PM arriving me there when I wanted to get there and now the flights are in the morning and evening but I'm glad to see more frequencies especially on routes to smaller airports.
#1262
Join Date: Mar 2020
Posts: 85
They have Thursday the 4th penciled in to start DL287, every other date for this flight cancelled over the weekend, and it coincides the return flight on the 6th. Still no word if they received approval, though, but I feel more confident since they made this change on the weekend just a few days away, and it meets the Chinese regulation.
#1263
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: NYC, SHA/PVG, PEK/PKX
Programs: DL PM, AS 100k, National EE, Hertz PC, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 93
They have Thursday the 4th penciled in to start DL287, every other date for this flight cancelled over the weekend, and it coincides the return flight on the 6th. Still no word if they received approval, though, but I feel more confident since they made this change on the weekend just a few days away, and it meets the Chinese regulation.
#1266
Join Date: Mar 2020
Posts: 85
#1267
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Here Today Gone Tomorrow
Programs: NW Silver, CO Silver,SPG Gold, USMint Presidential, Chase/BA 100k, Airtran Wendy's cups
Posts: 815
I was canceled on DL metal from ICN-ATL and rebooked onto KE. I purchased premium select and rebooked into Y since KE doesn’t have a premium section. Am I entitled to any recourse such as a voucher or refund for being downgraded? My coworker said they should upgrade me if they can’t accommodate my service I purchased.
#1268
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: BOS
Programs: AA PP, DL PM
Posts: 2,086
I was canceled on DL metal from ICN-ATL and rebooked onto KE. I purchased premium select and rebooked into Y since KE doesn’t have a premium section. Am I entitled to any recourse such as a voucher or refund for being downgraded? My coworker said they should upgrade me if they can’t accommodate my service I purchased.
#1269
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: DL PM; IHG PlatAmb; Hilton Dia; Marriott Plat; Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,320
I was canceled on DL metal from ICN-ATL and rebooked onto KE. I purchased premium select and rebooked into Y since KE doesn’t have a premium section. Am I entitled to any recourse such as a voucher or refund for being downgraded? My coworker said they should upgrade me if they can’t accommodate my service I purchased.
#1270
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: NYC, SHA/PVG, PEK/PKX
Programs: DL PM, AS 100k, National EE, Hertz PC, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 93
When I spoke to them recently on a similar issue, my options were: (1) stay in Y and request a partial refund for the downgrade after I flew, or (2) switch to a different routing that has premium select. I had picked out the route I wanted, which was actually on a different day, and was rebooked no problem.
#1271
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: DL PM; IHG PlatAmb; Hilton Dia; Marriott Plat; Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,320
#1272
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: ANC
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 1,856
I was canceled on DL metal from ICN-ATL and rebooked onto KE. I purchased premium select and rebooked into Y since KE doesn’t have a premium section. Am I entitled to any recourse such as a voucher or refund for being downgraded? My coworker said they should upgrade me if they can’t accommodate my service I purchased.
#1273
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: IAH
Programs: Delta Platinum & 2MM, Marriott Lifetime TIT, Hertz Pres Club, IHG Gold, *A Gold
Posts: 1,253
You are definitely at least due the fare difference between what you have been rebooked into and what you paid, I believe per DL's contract of carriage (assuming you bought the ticket from DL). If you call DL, they may be able to book you in a higher cabin, though it will likely be more difficult because they moved you to a partner. Perhaps have an all-DL alternate routing with PS in mind before you call, if you are willing to connect for a more comfortable flight.
#1274
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: SJC/YUL
Programs: DL PM, Marriott Gold
Posts: 3,878
DL has a system for downgrade refunds. It does not include screenshots. I doubt they'd be interested in your screenshot