Non-Revs Win During IRROPS
In an IRROPS scenario like the one I just had, it's best to fly non-rev.
DL 2819 SEA-ATL today had issues finding a working 739. Fearing cancellation, and in hopes of making it home that night, I re-booked SEA-SLC-ATL. But leg 1 suffered a mechanical. I would have missed the last connection home. The DM line told me DL 2819 would go out 75 minutes late with unclaimed seats. I sprinted back and pleaded with a redcoat to be re-issued a 2819 BP. Neither she nor a supervisor could unlock DL's unrelenting system block. Inside 30 minutes before a re-scheduled IRROPS departure, it automatically denies new seat assignments. Or does it? A Delta non-rev had no trouble getting a late BP on 2819 after I was denied. Show an ID, get a BP. Hardly an equitable outcome. |
Widgets. . . . . Are you around? ? ?
:) We should get him a beeper! ;) |
Good lord, story of my life. Delta has always been good to loyal paying customers but lately, the tide has turned. Delta has gone the way of United complete disregard of the regular and most profitable customers...
|
Originally Posted by LegalTender
(Post 27414070)
Inside 30 minutes before a re-scheduled IRROPS departure, it automatically denies new seat assignments.
Or does it? A Delta non-rev had no trouble getting a late BP on 2819 after I was denied. Show an ID, get a BP. This sounds like a one-off problem with DL2819 and/or the gate agents responsible for it, not a general problem with DL policy favoring nonrevs over paid customers. |
If the nonrev was already on the standby list, then he or she can be seated at any time. Did you ask to be put on the standby list, or did you ask to be confirmed?
|
Originally Posted by Widgets
(Post 27414167)
If the nonrev was already on the standby list, then he or she can be seated at any time. Did you ask to be put on the standby list, or did you ask to be confirmed?
|
Here's my recent similar story - if you haven't already read it, where I was trying to get on a delayed flight on stand-by AFTER the scheduled departure time, and the GA was willing to take a non-rev OFF THE FLIGHT. I declined.
The main difference with this OP is that the OP was originally on the same flight to begin with. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...on-monday.html |
Originally Posted by Widgets
(Post 27414167)
If the nonrev was already on the standby list, then he or she can be seated at any time. Did you ask to be put on the standby list, or did you ask to be confirmed?
DL 2819 had unclaimed seats 25 minutes before it departed. The non-rev might have been standby, but there was no pre-printed BP for him at the counter. After presenting Delta ID, one was generated. All other standbys had been accommodated during the delay. |
Originally Posted by LegalTender
(Post 27414311)
Wasn't allowed on the standby list. Nothing could be 'activated.' The IRROPS was purportedly under gate control but the redcoat and gate agent said they had no authority. Both were stymied by phone supervisors.
DL 2819 had unclaimed seats 25 minutes before it departed. The non-rev might have been standby, but there was no pre-printed BP for him at the counter. After presenting Delta ID, one was generated. All other standbys had been accommodated during the delay. If you were at the gate, then you shouldn't have had gate control problems since the gate agents there are the ones with control. If you weren't at the gate, then any employee wouldn't be able to help. Even after arriving at the gate, the primary gate agent would have to reissue your ticket for a later nonstop flight (which might require a call to ticketing support) and then add a standby segment for the current flight, and then activate the segment so you can appear on the standby list. An active employee who arrives at the gate only needs to give his employee number and phone number. A jump seat rider provides even less. If you're trying to be added to a flight within 30 minutes of departure, it's usually wasting time to ask for help from anyone except the actual gate agent. Once on a delayed flight 6 minutes before departure, I added and seated an OAL flight attendant but had to refuse an OAL revenue customer requesting help since reissuing in time would have been impossible. The fact that accommodating nonrevs is overall faster than accommodating revenue passengers is unfortunate, but it's a structural difference since accommodating someone who doesn't need a ticket is inherently simpler than someone with a ticket. |
Originally Posted by Widgets
(Post 27414419)
If you were at the gate, then you shouldn't have had gate control problems since the gate agents there are the ones with control. If you weren't at the gate, then any employee wouldn't be able to help.
You could say whether IRROPS impacts the gate agents' authority, but a lack of it was the line they gave me. And both were working their butts off to get me on board. Tugging a serviceable 739 to a gate from the hangar can take an hour with crews now working ramps on three concourses. Rapid SEA expansion has at least that downside. |
AFAIK you can't try to get a flight after the original departure time has gone by, even if the delayed ETD hasn't come yet. Most likely the nonrev was already checked in for the flight and was just getting a seat assignment.
|
The last time I was in a similar situation, the GA told me to "just board" (wrote a seat number on a piece of paper for me), and that she would sort it out in the system after the fight departed. Took about 30mins for my itin to get correctly sorted on the DL app. Not sure how common this is...
|
Originally Posted by N639DL
(Post 27414824)
AFAIK you can't try to get a flight after the original departure time has gone by, even if the delayed ETD hasn't come yet. Most likely the nonrev was already checked in for the flight and was just getting a seat assignment.
|
Originally Posted by N639DL
(Post 27414824)
AFAIK you can't try to get a flight after the original departure time has gone by, even if the delayed ETD hasn't come yet. Most likely the nonrev was already checked in for the flight and was just getting a seat assignment.
Upon landing in DTW, my connection to SFO - the last of the night - was blown, but there was a delayed MSP flight (zeroed out) that could still connect to a flight to SFO. As soon as I got off the plane, I got a call from a Detroit area number on my cell phone... it was the Performance Leader for DTW (which as far as I can tell is the next step above a Red Coat), who asked if there was anything I needed. I told him of my plan and that I was on my way to the gate for the MSP flight to try and see if I could get on. He said he'd meet me there. I beat him by a few minutes, and as I waited, the gate agents were telling other passengers the flight was full. He met me shortly thereafter and started talking to one of the gate agents. She did some typing as he watched over. She must have needed approval for something, because at one point she pointed at the screen and he said "do it." A few minutes later, I was confirmed, and in F. (I had booked an expensive coach fare and been upgraded on the original flights.) I have no idea what they did, but they got me on that seemingly completely full flight after its scheduled departure, and in F. I was blown away... all I did was send a fairly routine "I'm going to misconnect, what are my options" tweet to DeltaAssist. Never could I have imagined what would happen next... And to demonstrate how wildly random and arbitrary Customer Care is when writing in, I sent a glowing compliment about what is unarguably the single most positive experience I've ever had flying Delta. The rep who received the email latched on to the fact that my flight was delayed, and gave me a five figure sum of miles. That I didn't ask for. For a weather delay. |
2819 today wasn't even close to canceling, it was just a matter of getting the airplane from the hangar to the gate. It's unfortunate we delayed that long for it and I'm sorry they couldn't get you on the flight. As others have said, non-revs cant even be checked in by a gate agent less than 30 min prior so that person had to have listed prior. We managed to end up only 40 minutes late to ATL. I hope you were able to make it home.
|
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 11:01 am. |
This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.