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Consolidated Delta Schedule Change Discussion Thread

Old Jul 10, 2016, 5:48 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
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:
  • 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
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:
  • 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
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Consolidated Delta Schedule Change Discussion Thread

Old Nov 28, 2015, 7:37 pm
  #61  
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Originally Posted by CosmosHuman
I'm no elite. It's my first Delta flight since age 10.
Ah. Got ya. Well there is the direct Chisholm PM number but that is never published on massive boards like FT as it would kill it.
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Old Nov 28, 2015, 10:08 pm
  #62  
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Originally Posted by kjnangre
I really need to reschedule one of my upcoming trips to later in the day, but the fare difference is huge (more than double the original fare).

DL keeps teasing me with 5 minute schedule changes but won't give me anything long enough for me to switch flights!

Should I ask for compensation??
Ask and ye shall receive. Poof - A change of aircraft to CRJ-200 for all flights on the route. Bam you can make a change but will you really still want to fly there?
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Old Nov 28, 2015, 10:42 pm
  #63  
 
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5 min change on my connection in NRT next weekend!
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Old Nov 29, 2015, 11:08 pm
  #64  
 
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Originally Posted by CosmosHuman
Now, I don't have the ability to run through airports, like I used to. I can relax and chill out.
That you, OJ?

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Old Nov 30, 2015, 10:08 am
  #65  
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Originally Posted by Renes Points

PS - DM's CO-terminal (ie less that 100 miles) changes alive and well! ^
Co-terminals have nothing to do with less than 100 miles.
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Old Nov 30, 2015, 2:43 pm
  #66  
 
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Ugh, my SYD-LAX flight in Feb now arrives 2 hours earlier at 6am and an 1 1/2 hour layover is now 3 1/2 hours. And they kicked me out of my seats. Luckily I caught it quick enough to put them back in.
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Old Nov 30, 2015, 4:46 pm
  #67  
 
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Originally Posted by amanuensis
Gosh, I don't even remember that commercial, but the car is cool.
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Old Nov 30, 2015, 7:31 pm
  #68  
 
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How far out are the schedules set in stone for? I know it used to be 60 days.

CMH-ATL is running up to 3 757s a day in January, depending on day of the week. Gonna party like it's 1999!
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Old Dec 1, 2015, 4:21 am
  #69  
 
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Hi FT'rs,

I love those schedule changes! (When they're to my advantage). Checked my HNL flights & coming home the time changes had us missing our connection by 1 hr. We got a MUCH better flight earlier in the day with lie flats. Plus, we get home 5 hrs earlier!

Gotta love it!
Travel safe
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Old Dec 1, 2015, 11:10 am
  #70  
 
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our SYD-LAX-JFK layover went from 3 hours when we booked to 5 hours 20 min over a number of saturday schedule changes. Now have a 2 and a half hour layover, and a 2 seater instead of a three seater on the way back. Wins all around
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Old Dec 2, 2015, 12:44 pm
  #71  
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Originally Posted by JSprague24
How far out are the schedules set in stone for? I know it used to be 60 days.
Under a week.
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Old Dec 5, 2015, 10:48 am
  #72  
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Just bump'in the thread as see more have loaded in again today 5DEC15. @:-)
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Old Dec 5, 2015, 12:27 pm
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Equipment change from an A330-300 to 767. C+ starts at row 12. Seatguru shows that row not so good. Please help me decide on a seat. The row 12 is next to the toilet. A few rows have no windows. It is wide open at this time. JFK to CDG on 2-28-16. I'm 5'8" and female. Looks like the 767-300ER 76ZV2.

Last edited by CosmosHuman; Dec 5, 2015 at 12:36 pm
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Old Dec 5, 2015, 6:10 pm
  #74  
 
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Originally Posted by CosmosHuman
Please help me decide on a seat. The row 12 is next to the toilet. A few rows have no windows. It is wide open at this time. JFK to CDG on 2-28-16. I'm 5'8" and female. Looks like the 767-300ER 76ZV2.
It all depends what is important to you. 12B and F are great for legroom (no bulkhead) but are next to the restrooms. If you want a view out of the window, then 13 or 16 A/G are good, and if you want to sleep and do not care about the view, then 14/15 A/G are just fine. On overnights I prefer window seats as then I can sleep with my head against the wall. Just a personal preference. 12A/G are bad on matter what (no place to put your feet and stretch your legs).
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Old Dec 5, 2015, 7:25 pm
  #75  
 
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I took 15A for now. I can sleep against the wall.
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