mridley2

Booked travel NYC to TXL in July 2016 a month ago. My return is booked at TXL-AMS(KLM)-LHR(KLM)-JFK(on DL).

Delta schedule change on LHR-JFK now gives me a connection time in LHR of 55 minutes which is not going to work (and is below the MCT) for KL to DL T4 to T3 transfer.

Called Delta today and i'm being told that only when low level award space is available on KLM/AirFrance can I rebook my flights. Well that's not available and with only 7 months to go before vacation I'm not certain it will ever open up.

I left the original (now illegal MCT) as is but from the experts, What are my options?

My current thought is to resume the planning process and look for low level mileage award TXL-NYC and then call delta to book the flight once I find it. Are there other more creative ways? I pushed Delta agent and two supervisors pretty hard this evening but the consensus seems to be that i'm screwed..

Thanks

davetravels

Sounds like the simple solution is for DL to put you on a later LHR/JFK flight (if there is one), since they can open up award availability on their own planes - - or on a Virgin flight.

I go to TXL frequently, including an award trip I have there for August. Just last week - TWICE, I was able to make some changes to my award ticket, as availability changes frequently. One change was my AF CDG/TXL J class flight after 2 nites in Paris - a later / better flight opened up, and, on my outbound, I was able to change from PIT/MSP/CDG to PIT/JFK/CDG saving me 2 hours!

I also found some potentially better flights just a few minutes ago that I'm thinking about changing! Keep checking availability as frequently as you have time, or try'n change the LHR/JFK part to later.

Maybe I'll see you there!

MSPeconomist

OP won't have free changes oon ward tickets after this month.

DL can always open up low award inventory on its own flights in response to schedule changes, but it cannot force partners to provide inventory.

Assuming that there's no low availability on AF/KLM that the OP can use, I see two options:

Take whatever DL flights there are from TXL or some nearby (DUS, FRA, and MUC would be the obvious choices, but there might be something better) convenient airport (ground transportation by train or whatever at your own expense) to the USA and then connect on DL to NYC if needed.

Keep the TXL-AMS KLM award flight segment you have, and force DL to give you a DL operated AMS-USA flight, followed by a DL domestic connecting flight back to NYC.

currentjer

My advice is find availability on a partner to a city that has Delta service (to JFK direct or otherwise).

FCO, CDG, AMS, MAD, SVO are the usual suspects for EU gateway cities - or even XX-XX-DL in the very worse case scenario. Think creatively. Remember, you can also use SXF airport, which will open up the Aeroflot options for you. For example, Berlin-AMS/SVO/XXX-IST/XXX-JFK might work if you cannot find anything else from a European gateway city. Partner availability in O/Z (Business) or U/X (Economy) is critical for this to work. Once in a DL station, getting back to NYC on Delta metal shouldn't be too difficult and an agent should be able to open up a seat for you.

us2

The most obvious solution is to keep the TXL-AMS leg and find something on DL metal from AMS to the US and on in to NYC. I'm surprised AMS-JFK wasn't offered up right away. Skipping LHR will save you the UK APD, too. Alternatively, try AF to CDG and then back to the US.

Alternatively, in addition to the FRA, MUC, etc. options already suggested, see if anything is open on PRG-JFK. The train ride isn't that long.

3Cforme

OP shouldn't have been paying UK APD on a connection through LON.