SDC - New policy for paid First?

Old Nov 6, 2017, 6:07 am
  #1  
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SDC - New policy for paid First?

This is a first for me: On a paid First fare SJC-ATL-MCO. My flight gets in to ATL a bit early and I have 2.5 hours to my original ATL-MCO flight, or there is an earlier one leaving in 1.5 hours. I see there are 3 open seats on the earlier flight.

I go to the SkyClub and ask to SDC to the earlier flight as there are open seats. She types around, and then says she can't find my fare class. I state "Fare class does not need to be available in first, only in economy, and there are 3 open seats". She says no, asks the lady next to her who says the fare class must be available "but sometimes they do it". So I thank them and leave, and call the Diamond line and walk to the gate.

The Diamond line can't do it. Puts me on hold while I walk, and comes back and said she just spoke to ticketing and you can't SDC in the middle of a trip. I say that's not true, since I do it all the time coming from Intl destinations. She says "oh, intl tickets are different". But she offers to put me on standby.

I get to the gate, talk to the GA and she shows me her screen that I'm #12 on standby, bc all the upgrade clear before me and basically i'm standing by for an economy seat.

Please comment and tell me what the hell just happened to me?? thanks
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Old Nov 6, 2017, 7:03 am
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IMO you got three agents who clearly don't know the policy.

The first two agents in the club were wrong. But do you really expect them to know the ins & outs of SDC? They don't likely know them.

The DM line should have been able to get you into F as well. You had a horrible agent there.

This is all assuming you know there was fare class availability in the cabin and not just looking at three open seats on a seat map because the seat map is not an indicator of what DL is willing to sell on the flight. If they were willing to sell seats on F then you should have been able to get one.

The best solution: HUCA.

-RM
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Old Nov 6, 2017, 7:57 am
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There were 3 seats available for upgrades (ie available). I was at the gate with the gate agent that actually let me look at her screen. The DM line agent was super nice and put me on hold to go to manual reticketing....what do you do when 4 people don't know the rules??
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Old Nov 6, 2017, 8:06 am
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Originally Posted by RobOnLI
The first two agents in the club were wrong. But do you really expect them to know the ins & outs of SDC? They don't likely know them.
The airlines make these overly convoluted rules and expect me to know them, so yes, I expect their employees to know them.
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Old Nov 6, 2017, 8:22 am
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Originally Posted by RobOnLI

The first two agents in the club were wrong. But do you really expect them to know the ins & outs of SDC? They don't likely know them.
Yes, I would expect club employees to know basic SDC procedures. It is written in plain English on their own damn website. DELTA IF YOU ARE READING: just more evidence of ATL employees slipping and providing sub-par service. Please get some training or secret shoppers or something into that hub ASAP - there are just too many incidents were poors service from ACS agents there! I would even happily be a volunteer secret shopper whenever I fly through ATL for you all to make this better.

OP - I would have shown the club employees their own rule on their own website to correct them on the spot. I would have then asked them to please reissue the ticket (manually if they had to) right then and there.

"Here is your own website stating that what you both just stated is actually the opposite of the policy. The flight I want leaves in under an hour and I am a DM who values my time, so please have yourself or a supervisor (or have them call the gate) please reissue this ticket now so I can be on my way. Thank you."

It does become difficult when calling around when the GA takes control, as every minute becomes precious until they clear upgrades, and its too risky to chance agent roulette on the phone if an airport agent with a terminal is right in front of you.
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Old Nov 6, 2017, 8:25 am
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Originally Posted by FlyingDL4Fun
There were 3 seats available for upgrades (ie available). I was at the gate with the gate agent that actually let me look at her screen. The DM line agent was super nice and put me on hold to go to manual reticketing....what do you do when 4 people don't know the rules??
You write in to Delta to complain about how, in this instance, their service was unacceptable and not becoming of a brand that claims to be premium - and especially for one of their top customers.

You should also ask for a $200 downgrade voucher if you flew ATL-MCO in Y instead of F. I actually called the DM line once when this happened to me and a supervisor just issued it over the phone - no complaint needed

You could also ask for a re-fare but I bet the $200 will be more in absolute value
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Old Nov 6, 2017, 8:26 am
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Originally Posted by indufan
The airlines make these overly convoluted rules and expect me to know them, so yes, I expect their employees to know them.
Can I get an AMEN! Totally agreed. Completely unacceptable that the agents in the club - which costs some folks $59 to get into - are so poorly trained.
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Old Nov 6, 2017, 8:42 am
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Originally Posted by btonkid12345
DELTA IF YOU ARE READING: just more evidence of ATL employees slipping and providing sub-par service.
I disagree. They aren't slipping. They are better but they aren't perfect. I routinely get ATL employees that do excellent work and do know rules. I do think Delta Connection gate agents need significant improvement.
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Old Nov 6, 2017, 8:47 am
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Originally Posted by btonkid12345
Can I get an AMEN! Totally agreed. Completely unacceptable that the agents in the club - which costs some folks $59 to get into - are so poorly trained.
If there's one place in the entire system that NEEDS to know accurate SDC rules, it's in the SkyClubs, with people who are at the airport - ready to fly!
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Old Nov 6, 2017, 8:53 am
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Last edited by Xeno; Nov 6, 2017 at 10:42 am
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Old Nov 6, 2017, 8:59 am
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I find club agents are often marginal at best. The DM line is a much better option - but some phone agents also lack training. Oddly enough, the PM desk agents are sometimes better than the DM agents. But I find it worthless to argue with them. Much better to say thanks and HUCA
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Old Nov 6, 2017, 9:01 am
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This is largely a failure to invest in IT. Front line agents have less training than in the past and should not need it. Rules-based features such as SDC are what software exists for. All an agent should need to do is to pull up what the customer wants to do and the software ought to determine whether that is doable and what it costs, if anything.

The downside of this will be less front line discretion. No more agents saying that they will do "X" as a one-time gesture.
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Old Nov 6, 2017, 9:07 am
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Originally Posted by Often1
This is largely a failure to invest in IT. Front line agents have less training than in the past and should not need it. Rules-based features such as SDC are what software exists for. All an agent should need to do is to pull up what the customer wants to do and the software ought to determine whether that is doable and what it costs, if anything.
The rules say that one can't change origin or destination airport. The OP was seeking to SDC (not standby) after he had already departed the origin.
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Old Nov 6, 2017, 9:18 am
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Originally Posted by RobOnLI
IMO you got three agents who clearly don't know the policy.

The first two agents in the club were wrong. But do you really expect them to know the ins & outs of SDC? They don't likely know them.

The DM line should have been able to get you into F as well. You had a horrible agent there.

This is all assuming you know there was fare class availability in the cabin and not just looking at three open seats on a seat map because the seat map is not an indicator of what DL is willing to sell on the flight. If they were willing to sell seats on F then you should have been able to get one.

The best solution: HUCA.

-RM
Why wouldn't the SC agents know the rules. Some seem to want to make excuses for poor service. A few clicks on delta.com and the policy is clear and concise:

If you have a premium cabin fare, -- including Delta One™, First and Business Class -- you may make a same-day confirmed change as long as a seat is available in the premium cabin.

https://www.delta.com/content/www/en...l-changes.html

There is zero excuse for an agent to not know this in late 2017 other than poor training.
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Old Nov 6, 2017, 9:21 am
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Originally Posted by indufan
I disagree. They aren't slipping. They are better but they aren't perfect. I routinely get ATL employees that do excellent work and do know rules. I do think Delta Connection gate agents need significant improvement.
How long have you been flying thru ATL as a Medallion on DL? In the last 6 years since I have, I have noticed a marked decline.

ACS agents were stellar across the board. They were the model hub. They always were friendly, went above and beyond, knew the rules and even made exceptions when appropriate, and always thanked us for our Medallion status.

Some of these good employees are still left. But I would say its not 50/50 if you get an ACS agent that knows the rules, let alone goes above and beyond. I can't remember the last time this year - whether checking in at SKY, dropping bags, entering a SkyClub, or boarding a flight in ATL - that I have been thanked for my status. Delta still asks on the surveys if the employee did this, so clearly it is still part of their training and they just aren't performing.

I had an ATL-RDU-PHL flight earlier this year; 35 min connection in RDU, and ATL-RDU was delayed by more than 35 minutes. So clearly I would misconnect. It should have been easy for the SkyClub agent to rebook me ATL-PHL - after 10 minutes she couldn't. She sent me running to the gate and told me to call the DM line en route. Luckily I had an excellent phone agent who had my ticket reissued just as I ran up to the gate. But that was completely unnecessary - why are their agents in their worldwide hub who cannot perform a simple rebooking of a domestic IRROP ticket?! The phone agent commented that whatever the SkyClub agent did convoluted things and made it even MORE challenging for the phone agent to complete my rebooking.

DMs have talked about multiple instances of SHENA and standby lists happening in ATL. Years ago, the mouths kf even regular GAs would drop with these kinds of unacceptable behaviors. Now, it happens often enough where they just shrug it off.

ATL used to be the model hub but, compared to its standard years ago, its just not that anymore. And its sad.
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