Schedule Change - Will DL Re-accomodate on Other Airline?
May 15, 2018, 6:46 am
#32
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Wouldn't there be some type of fare difference between the non-stop vs. connection? Don't non-stops usually end up with as slightly higher fares due to the convenience? Although this isn't the case on BOS-JFK-SFO D1, likely because DL wants to keep the JFK-SFO D1 for O/D traffic and not as a connection point, especially not for BOS.
Also, does DL really want to fly someone BOS-JFK in order for them to take up one of the JFK-SFO D1 seats, looks like they get a nice premium on those? May actually be better for DL to rebook OP on UA if they think they can get a higher price on the JFK-SFO seat, but of course reservations wouldn't have access to that information.
Also, does DL really want to fly someone BOS-JFK in order for them to take up one of the JFK-SFO D1 seats, looks like they get a nice premium on those? May actually be better for DL to rebook OP on UA if they think they can get a higher price on the JFK-SFO seat, but of course reservations wouldn't have access to that information.
Not necessarily. From MSP, on most domestic routes with nonstop service, the nonstops tend to be cheaper and, for instance, many G A P fares require the nonstops.
BTW, wouldn't a BOS-SFO flight basically fly over DTW and MSP? Someone earlier in this thread suggested that JFK isn't out of the way as DTW or MSP would be. [Of course, ATL would indeed be out of the way.] However, I understand that if one must make a connection, for premium cabin travel (especially if D1 is involved), it's usually better to have one short and one long leg, while many coach passengers would prefer that the connection be right in the middle. Another consideration might be MQM earning, where the 500 MQM minimum per segment can favor routings with one very short leg.
I notice that the OP is GS with UA but FO on DL. It isn't realistic to expect GS type handling when traveling DL as a FO. I wonder whether the difference in status is creating a desire to fly UA here for some discounted DL ticket price.
BTW, wouldn't a BOS-SFO flight basically fly over DTW and MSP? Someone earlier in this thread suggested that JFK isn't out of the way as DTW or MSP would be. [Of course, ATL would indeed be out of the way.] However, I understand that if one must make a connection, for premium cabin travel (especially if D1 is involved), it's usually better to have one short and one long leg, while many coach passengers would prefer that the connection be right in the middle. Another consideration might be MQM earning, where the 500 MQM minimum per segment can favor routings with one very short leg.
I notice that the OP is GS with UA but FO on DL. It isn't realistic to expect GS type handling when traveling DL as a FO. I wonder whether the difference in status is creating a desire to fly UA here for some discounted DL ticket price.
May 15, 2018, 8:20 am
#33
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Team - this is getting out of hand and not in the spirit of Flyertalk, sharing information or even "tales from the road warriors / road weary" among us.
I was fortunate to book a flight well in advance similar to the fares folks quoted re: B6 ($599-ish pricing). The flights now, on either UA, B6 or DL with a connection, are now several thousand dollars. Before I took the path of least resistance, I decided to explore my options (as they may be) based on what would work best with the least disruption possible.
pbarnette - I did not choose to ignore the rules or what it says, I acknowledged in my post that this was at Delta's discretion and since they have discretion, felt that it was worth asking. What is the harm in having a call to ask? What is the harm in sharing this information with the Flyertalk community?
MSPeconomist - I definitely don't expect GS type handling when traveling DL, and the desire was to fly DL1 for 3 main reasons: (1) The original flight schedule was ideal (UA did not offer a flight at that time, only earlier or later); (2) the price was the best in the market for a flat bed; and (3) the service on DL1 exceeds UA and B6 in my opinion (even with recent cuts).
I had 2 calls, 10 minutes each (so minimal time wasted). 2nd one I escalated to a superviser, explained the cost differential and was shut down. I was rebooked through JFK. Again, not a bad outcome, just not ideal. I sincerely appreciate everyone on this thread who took my questions seriously and at face value.
I hope Flyertalk can continue to be a welcoming place.
I was fortunate to book a flight well in advance similar to the fares folks quoted re: B6 ($599-ish pricing). The flights now, on either UA, B6 or DL with a connection, are now several thousand dollars. Before I took the path of least resistance, I decided to explore my options (as they may be) based on what would work best with the least disruption possible.
pbarnette - I did not choose to ignore the rules or what it says, I acknowledged in my post that this was at Delta's discretion and since they have discretion, felt that it was worth asking. What is the harm in having a call to ask? What is the harm in sharing this information with the Flyertalk community?
MSPeconomist - I definitely don't expect GS type handling when traveling DL, and the desire was to fly DL1 for 3 main reasons: (1) The original flight schedule was ideal (UA did not offer a flight at that time, only earlier or later); (2) the price was the best in the market for a flat bed; and (3) the service on DL1 exceeds UA and B6 in my opinion (even with recent cuts).
I had 2 calls, 10 minutes each (so minimal time wasted). 2nd one I escalated to a superviser, explained the cost differential and was shut down. I was rebooked through JFK. Again, not a bad outcome, just not ideal. I sincerely appreciate everyone on this thread who took my questions seriously and at face value.
I hope Flyertalk can continue to be a welcoming place.
May 18, 2018, 6:29 pm
#34
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BOS - JFK - SFO is 3086 (actual)
BOS - DTW - SFO is 2711.
BOS - MSP - SFO is 2713.
Two of those are "barely out of the way". JFK is the other one.
Last edited by sethb; May 18, 2018 at 6:33 pm Reason: added DTW line
May 18, 2018, 6:40 pm
#35
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May 18, 2018, 10:17 pm
#36
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Not a chance to be reacoomodated on UA in advance.
Recently I was scheduled to fly SEA-CDG-XXX on DL and AF in paid J. AF cancelled connecting flight due to strike one day before flight. SEA-AMS was already sold out in J and only other options on DL required double connection to AMS and KL AMS-XXX arriving 6 hours later then scheduled and missing a day at work. Despite multiple escalations to supervisor DL refused to rebook me on LH SEA-FRA-XXX which was available and would bring me to XXX about the same time as original flight. I was offered any JV/SkyTeam routing to anywhere in Europe... considered SEA-LHR on Virgin + out of pocket LHR-XXX, but connection was too risky. Ended up SEA-YVR-AMS-XXX but even that required additional supervisor approval because SEA-YVR-AMS apparently was not a valid routing.
Bottom line: DL is pretty flexible to rebook on its own metal or JV / SkyTeam partners, but not so much on other airlines if SkyTeam routing is available.
I think my chances of getting rebooked on LH would be better I just showed up next day at the airport with cancelled flight, but I knew flights would fill up with AF strike and did not want to risk.
Recently I was scheduled to fly SEA-CDG-XXX on DL and AF in paid J. AF cancelled connecting flight due to strike one day before flight. SEA-AMS was already sold out in J and only other options on DL required double connection to AMS and KL AMS-XXX arriving 6 hours later then scheduled and missing a day at work. Despite multiple escalations to supervisor DL refused to rebook me on LH SEA-FRA-XXX which was available and would bring me to XXX about the same time as original flight. I was offered any JV/SkyTeam routing to anywhere in Europe... considered SEA-LHR on Virgin + out of pocket LHR-XXX, but connection was too risky. Ended up SEA-YVR-AMS-XXX but even that required additional supervisor approval because SEA-YVR-AMS apparently was not a valid routing.
Bottom line: DL is pretty flexible to rebook on its own metal or JV / SkyTeam partners, but not so much on other airlines if SkyTeam routing is available.
I think my chances of getting rebooked on LH would be better I just showed up next day at the airport with cancelled flight, but I knew flights would fill up with AF strike and did not want to risk.
May 19, 2018, 3:06 am
#37
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Not a chance to be reacoomodated on UA in advance.
Recently I was scheduled to fly SEA-CDG-XXX on DL and AF in paid J. AF cancelled connecting flight due to strike one day before flight. SEA-AMS was already sold out in J and only other options on DL required double connection to AMS and KL AMS-XXX arriving 6 hours later then scheduled and missing a day at work. Despite multiple escalations to supervisor DL refused to rebook me on LH SEA-FRA-XXX which was available and would bring me to XXX about the same time as original flight. I was offered any JV/SkyTeam routing to anywhere in Europe... considered SEA-LHR on Virgin + out of pocket LHR-XXX, but connection was too risky. Ended up SEA-YVR-AMS-XXX but even that required additional supervisor approval because SEA-YVR-AMS apparently was not a valid routing.
Bottom line: DL is pretty flexible to rebook on its own metal or JV / SkyTeam partners, but not so much on other airlines if SkyTeam routing is available.
I think my chances of getting rebooked on LH would be better I just showed up next day at the airport with cancelled flight, but I knew flights would fill up with AF strike and did not want to risk.
Recently I was scheduled to fly SEA-CDG-XXX on DL and AF in paid J. AF cancelled connecting flight due to strike one day before flight. SEA-AMS was already sold out in J and only other options on DL required double connection to AMS and KL AMS-XXX arriving 6 hours later then scheduled and missing a day at work. Despite multiple escalations to supervisor DL refused to rebook me on LH SEA-FRA-XXX which was available and would bring me to XXX about the same time as original flight. I was offered any JV/SkyTeam routing to anywhere in Europe... considered SEA-LHR on Virgin + out of pocket LHR-XXX, but connection was too risky. Ended up SEA-YVR-AMS-XXX but even that required additional supervisor approval because SEA-YVR-AMS apparently was not a valid routing.
Bottom line: DL is pretty flexible to rebook on its own metal or JV / SkyTeam partners, but not so much on other airlines if SkyTeam routing is available.
I think my chances of getting rebooked on LH would be better I just showed up next day at the airport with cancelled flight, but I knew flights would fill up with AF strike and did not want to risk.
May 20, 2018, 10:27 pm
#38
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BOS-JFK-SFO is 2,773 actual miles. You earn 3,086 MQMs due to the 500 MQM minimum per segment.
May 20, 2018, 11:44 pm
#39
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Well that's a really weird use of "learn a lesson" then. I mean, I guess it's sort of correct in a hyperliteral sort of way, but as others have pointed out, it's generally used in a condescending way for situations where someone does something bone-headed that causes them to run into a situation where they should have already known the answer (and where the consequence is painful enough to cause them to not do it again (hence, "learn the lesson")), not for a case where someone is asking a genuine question about a relatively obscure situation.
May 21, 2018, 6:59 am
#40
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pbarnette - I did not choose to ignore the rules or what it says, I acknowledged in my post that this was at Delta's discretion and since they have discretion, felt that it was worth asking. What is the harm in having a call to ask? What is the harm in sharing this information with the Flyertalk community?
I had 2 calls, 10 minutes each (so minimal time wasted). 2nd one I escalated to a superviser, explained the cost differential and was shut down. I was rebooked through JFK. Again, not a bad outcome, just not ideal. I sincerely appreciate everyone on this thread who took my questions seriously and at face value.
I hope Flyertalk can continue to be a welcoming place.
I had 2 calls, 10 minutes each (so minimal time wasted). 2nd one I escalated to a superviser, explained the cost differential and was shut down. I was rebooked through JFK. Again, not a bad outcome, just not ideal. I sincerely appreciate everyone on this thread who took my questions seriously and at face value.
I hope Flyertalk can continue to be a welcoming place.
For the record, I think that's silly, and your situation is a great example of why. IMO, if an airline takes a reservation, chooses to change the schedule, and can't accomodate a customer on a similar flight, they should be required to pay for a ticket on another airline. If that's expensive, tough--the airline should not be able to shift the high cost of a schedule change onto the customer because they don't want to pay it. Lol to the poster who thinks adding a connection in JFK "isn't out of the way."
But this is not a HUCA situation--you're not going to find an agent who will do this. It's odd that you're insisting that you might, and there's no need to "share the information" with the flyertalk community, because everyone else posting in this thread advising you already understands the policy. Folks here are taking your question at face value. The answer is just not what you'd like it to be.
May 21, 2018, 8:37 am
#42
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The issue is that everyone here has told you, correctly, that Delta's internal policies do not allow for booking on another airline for an advance schedule change situation or when corporate sets of a protection agreement, generally when a route or destination is cancelled entirely.. The discretion in the CoC provision you site only applies to day of departure IROPS by firm policy.
For the record, I think that's silly, and your situation is a great example of why. IMO, if an airline takes a reservation, chooses to change the schedule, and can't accomodate a customer on a similar flight, they should be required to pay for a ticket on another airline. If that's expensive, tough--the airline should not be able to shift the high cost of a schedule change onto the customer because they don't want to pay it. Lol to the poster who thinks adding a connection in JFK "isn't out of the way."
But this is not a HUCA situation--you're not going to find an agent who will do this. It's odd that you're insisting that you might, and there's no need to "share the information" with the flyertalk community, because everyone else posting in this thread advising you already understands the policy. Folks here are taking your question at face value. The answer is just not what you'd like it to be.
For the record, I think that's silly, and your situation is a great example of why. IMO, if an airline takes a reservation, chooses to change the schedule, and can't accomodate a customer on a similar flight, they should be required to pay for a ticket on another airline. If that's expensive, tough--the airline should not be able to shift the high cost of a schedule change onto the customer because they don't want to pay it. Lol to the poster who thinks adding a connection in JFK "isn't out of the way."
But this is not a HUCA situation--you're not going to find an agent who will do this. It's odd that you're insisting that you might, and there's no need to "share the information" with the flyertalk community, because everyone else posting in this thread advising you already understands the policy. Folks here are taking your question at face value. The answer is just not what you'd like it to be.
May 21, 2018, 2:27 pm
#43
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In all fairness to the OP - I've had instances where I've asked questions in this forum that result in multiple posters telling me "nope, not DL's policy, can't be done, etc etc." only to continue the HUACA game and finally getting an agent who's empowered and makes the change with no problem. Now, I'm not saying OP's situation and ask will net him what he's looking for, but you can't just say "everyone else posting in this thread advising you already understand the policy" because they can and have been wrong before.
May 21, 2018, 4:30 pm
#44
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Sorry, no. There's a difference between playing HUACA until you get an agent to do something because it is possible and they know how to do it vs. trying to get any agent to do something they cannot because it's against company policy. This isn't about getting an answer I like, it's about getting the right outcome. I'm not sure what you're trying to get at, nobody is going to risk their job on a request from a random passenger. It's too easy to simply say no and Delta can see every keystroke in a PNR from each agent.
May 21, 2018, 5:00 pm
#45
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Sorry, no. There's a difference between playing HUACA until you get an agent to do something because it is possible and they know how to do it vs. trying to get any agent to do something they cannot because it's against company policy. This isn't about getting an answer I like, it's about getting the right outcome. I'm not sure what you're trying to get at, nobody is going to risk their job on a request from a random passenger. It's too easy to simply say no and Delta can see every keystroke in a PNR from each agent.