abcz

I thought the same thing, and I searched the forums for similar instances. Honestly, I might not have known about the DOT regs if it wasn't for the other issues going on in the news right now. I don't know the particulars, but based on what another passenger told me, she was stopped from getting on the same flight and was given a $200 voucher (which she accepted). I'm not sure if she was there within the 15 minute cutoff, but it seems like they were very itchy to drop people that day. Maybe people are accepting less than they are owed, I don't know, but I'm not going to stop until I'm properly compensated. I didn't even ask to be compensated for the poor customer service in the last correspondence I sent, just what the DOT regulations say.

Widgets

If they were itchy, they wouldn't be dealing with chump change . $800 is cutting it close. $1,000 vouchers is being itchy to drop people.

Widgets

I agree. The story doesn't add up to me. I could understand one gate agent taking gate control early, but not the ticket counter, supervisor, and Customer Care saying that's normal and offering nothing. That's not how the situation would play out anywhere I know. It would be a call to the gate to tell the gate agent to release control, followed by retraining. I feel like this could be an attempt to portray the specific airport or airline as normalizing DOT rule violations in order to avoid denied boarding compensation.

My reservation is that this is the first complaint about this I've ever read. If all these different departments were telling the same story that gate control at D-60 were standard procedure, then Delta would be known for playing loose with denied boarding rules. I've never heard a similar substantive complaint... but there can always be a first time.

rucksack

I'm skeptical that DOT would side with the OP given that the regulation requires that the passenger comply with the airline's check-in rules. It would be very difficult for the OP to prove that s/he did.

@Widgets, can you explain why some airports have earlier check-in deadlines (i.e. 45 mins rather than 30 without checked bags)?

Widgets

I'm only speculating. Airports with a 45-minute without-bags cutoff are:

• ASE (Aspen, CO)
• HNL
• LAS
• MIA
• JFK
• LGA
• SYR
• TLH
• DCA

Most of these airports are large, have long TSA lines, or require extra processes at the gate. If an airline doesn't think it's reasonable to get from the ticket counter, through the security checkpoint, and to the gate, then a longer cutoff might be imposed to help ensure that passengers aren't checking in and then missing their flights because it took too long to get to the gate. That looks bad on the airline because there'd be complaints like "why did you let me check in if it was too late to get to the gate?"

Years ago, my airport would be willing to check people in way past the cutoff time, but the story goes that they stopped after passengers would get to the gate and got mad that they didn't hold the flight for them, since they knew they were coming. Having a stricter cutoff alters the perception and should reduce the number of complaints. Missing your flight at the ticket counter is different from sprinting to your gate and pounding on the door while you watch your flight push back from the gate.

davetravels

How soon we forget!

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...departure.html

abcz

I recorded my conversation with the 1st manager who confirmed this. I also have correspondence from a twitter rep who confirmed that they were in the wrong.

Also there might be the possibility of getting the information legally via discovery. I wouldn't allow them to lie either way you slice it, and I hope they wouldn't!

Widgets

I do recall that one, but AFAIK the checkin cutoff wasn't being adjusted, especially at U.S. airports. They were just posting an early ETD to get people to rush to the gate and wait.

abcz

I am just a stranger on the internet, but this is what happened. The gate agent, the rebooking agent, and the manager of the rebooking agent all said 60 mins. And when I protested, they told me to "look it up." I was trying to catch the next plane and didn't have time to argue so I just went through security.

I have never been driven to post on a forum about poor customer service I received, but believe it, this has been the worst experience of my life even without the DOT thing. At first I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt, but the manager who called me recently was the 1st person to admit to me that they did not follow procedure (besides the twitter agent).

Widgets

It would be helpful to know the airport, or at least the destination, and if you required any special services like a pet or unaccompanied minor service.

abcz

No special services, just me and a carry-on that could fit under the seat. This was JFK.

The only things I'm leaving out of the story are things that happened AFTER being denied that would make the company look worse but are ultimately immaterial to the main issue.

jadenus

What, do you think he's making it up, is going to call in to Delta and say FT member so-and-so told me it's IDB and the agent will say "Good enough for so-and-so, good enough for me!"?

MSPeconomist

What was the route? For many international flights, the check in cutoff is 60 minutes regardless of whether or not you have checked bags at most airports.

I've seen outstation staff leave the check in area early to do gate and baggage work, but this wouldn't apply at JFK.

Did you try OLCI or to check in using the DL app?

MSPeconomist

IME the kiosk refuses check in when you are close to the deadline but maybe five minutes or so before that deadline. It's very frustrating in that it can then use take five minutes to be able to talk with an agent, and by then it's past the deadline. If you're close, it can be a better strategy to skip the kiosk and go directly to an agent.

The OP should try to check whether the originally purchased flight was full or not, although sending it to gate control early could be an indication that it was indeed oversold.

Remember that if the flight wasn't oversold, DOT IDB regulations don't apply and the OP is probably at the mercy of DL for a customer service gesture. However, if the ticket was really refunded so that the OP flew later on the same day for free, that sounds pretty good, although of course the OP would have preferred to take the earlier flight.

Still, you can file a more general complaint with DOT. They shouldn't look fondly on the idea that flights are being closed early even if it wasn't officially an oversell situation.

OP could try posting flight number and date here in the hope that someone can see whether the flight was full, whether standbys were boarded, whether nonrevs were boarded, etc.

ADDED: I'm puzzled how the OP managed to get on a flight today after being rebooked onto tomorrow's flight. Was the OP put onto the standby list for the later flight(s) at the same time? If so, it sounds like tomorrow's flight was either the first one that could be confirmed or the first one with inventory in the same fare class as what was originally purchased.

abcz

I know they were turning people away at the gate for my flight. Whether they will admit it was oversold is another issue. That's part of the problem. If they don't count the people they turned away, who actually followed procedure in their calculation then that's a huge loophole and dishonest in my opinion.

Rebooking gave me the option of

A: Waiting for my flight the next day with no promise of compensation.

or

B: Placing myself on standby for the next flight and testing my luck.

Well I ended up testing my luck and by the end of the day I got on a flight, but it was hours of me running from gate to gate and being turned down, while trying to figure out what I would do if I had to stay overnight. This is after the rebooking agent told me that putting me on the next flight out (the next day) was a courtesy and they didn't really have to do anything for me. Poor customer service.