RunningforMiles

Yesterday I called Delta to make some changes to a multi-leg itinerary for later this year. I wanted to drop a single intra-European leg to IST, but after hearing the fare difference decided to keep it. The reservations agent then said something that made my mind boggle, "just skip the leg, it won't affect the rest of your itinerary, the flights won't cancel out."

Now, I knew the fare rules well before I called, and I knew this was not remotely true. But I didn't know what to say. She was extremely nice and very helpful, but I couldn't help but imagine how much damage this "advice" could do if she was talking to someone who wasn't a FF and who didn't know better.

Previously, when I read stories online about customer disputes, I tended to assume that, in the majority of cases, the customer was wrong, misheard the agent, or there was some miscommunication. I couldn't believe the agent was telling me something so fundamentally wrong—and something so basic.

I know virtually all here have probably received misinformation or have been lied to at some point by a rep, but has anyone else received such blatantly incorrect instructions that could ruin a trip?

gpez

Even reps are human, training sometimes isn't great, misunderstandings easily become fact.

I make it a point to always challenge things (respectfully!) I hear that I believe are wrong. Asking for confirmation from a coworker or supervisor is not out of line. Something as simple as "interesting, because I understand that skipping a leg will put the remainder of the trip at risk. Could you double check that?" No need to accuse, no need to play the FF card.

Heck, I'm human too and have learned a thing or two. More often than not the rep will get new information and be better informed for the next caller. I had this exact situation come up not too long ago on another carrier where a policy was changed recently and the agent wasn't aware. 30s on hold and a quick check with a coworker and everything was cleared up.

RunningforMiles

Couldn't agree more, this is generally the approach I take and I didn't challenge her. I was nonetheless surprised as this is something very basic and not some new policy, or obscure or complicated rule.

mnbp

Is there some subtlety here in terms of OP's original booking where the agent was actually correct in the OP's specific case? OP refers to a multi-leg itinerary, and includes IST which DL no longer serves. Would the DL res system actually know if a KL segment was dropped? I'm genuinely curious.

TTT

Yes, they would. Had an experience with a missed KLM flight that cancelled the remaining Delta flights almost immediately. Took a few hours on the phone (while speeding to the Tolouse airport) to get it fixed. Even at the airport the AF rep had lots of keystrokes to get me a BP.

btonkid12345

I had a similar situation yesterday. It involved SDC with the dreaded RP class.

Hypothetical I gave the rep: I buy ATL-OAK in Y and use RUC to get into F. If I want to SDC to SJC or SFO as the DM benefit, I already know it's based on there being any seat availability in first. I just wanted to see if I would be subject to ATL-OAK routing restrictions, given I was interested in ATL-JFK-SFO.

Rep. claimed that given I was looking at a multi-segment trip (something like, ATL-DTW-SLC-OAK) as that's all that was available now with RUC space, I could SDC to any itinerary to SJC or SFO as long as it also included three total legs. She claimed I could not change to a 1-stop itinerary. She also claimed RP space needed to be available on the flights I change to, but if it was, I could fly ATL-JFK-LAX-SFO.

I know the RP error is common, but I think she was confusing the "no moving to nonstops with a connecting itinerary" as the "three segment to three segment" rule is a new one for me. I decided not to fight it, as I was exhausted, and she didn't sound particularly friendly - plus, I hadn't even booked yet, so it's not like she was making notes in an existing PNR about this "rule."

Anyone heard of this one before?

appleguru

Nope, that's a new one for me... I have had a couple of agents try and tell me that the "new rules" we're that I couldn't SDC from a nonstop flight to a connecting one (the reverse is actually the rule); a HUCA got that one sorted...

Zorak

I have definitely read on FT reports that policy changes are coming, that would prohibit SDC from non-D1 to D1, or SDC that changes the number of segments. I forget if both were posted by the same person. One of the people saying at least the former is sethb, and at least to me he doesn't seem like the sort of type to just make random stuff up. But as with most things of this nature I wouldn't be surprised if the timeline were vague, and its rollout and application were erratic and inconsistent on a case-by-case basis.

btonkid12345

I was thinking the question of transcon would be a wash as I was applying a RUC anyways, and that would work for the route anyways. It's just I'm coming up on the expiration date and an agent suggested applying it to a flight that would clear now (and the transcons would not). By changing it same day I would likely have cleared at the gate, too, with the RUC, so wash.

And I hope they would be OK with the one stop to SFO, but if they insist, I can stop in LAX too.