Diamond Service/Support - always disaster or it's just me?
Jun 11, 2018, 10:06 am
#32
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: DL Scattered Smothered Covered Medallion, Some hotel & car stuff, Kroger Plus Card
Posts: 10,745
The rebooking tool depends on how it's processed. If the original flight is still in the reservation then the option should remain. The only time I've seen that go away is when rebooking with an agent. Otherwise it leaves the flight in record and processes it as a FIM. It doesn't even reissue the ticket unless required.
As for the other item, there's some differences with PE bookings with VS. Have you tried booking through VS and seeing how it books? It books into W on the DL flight. You are not booked on a VS, but rather DL fare.
As for the other item, there's some differences with PE bookings with VS. Have you tried booking through VS and seeing how it books? It books into W on the DL flight. You are not booked on a VS, but rather DL fare.
My point in both cases though is that there is some variability at play, which you seem to agree with after some back and forth. I'm not saying your experiences are incorrect or your reasoning is completely wrong, but I do think that answering questions in absolutes when the reality is YMMV can be misleading at times.
Jun 11, 2018, 10:33 am
#33
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Cape Town, WC
Programs: AF LTP, LH Sen, M Amb
Posts: 400
[...] so I called in. Annoyingly an agent argued with me over fare class availability (ala SDC and not for IRROPs) and had a long hold for a Supervisor.
[...] Supervisor argued my ticket was non-changeable (it wasn't, and even if it was that wouldn't matter for IRROPs) and so I told her she was wrong, her agent was wrong, and for proof of that to refresh her screen [...]
[...] Supervisor argued my ticket was non-changeable (it wasn't, and even if it was that wouldn't matter for IRROPs) and so I told her she was wrong, her agent was wrong, and for proof of that to refresh her screen [...]
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Jun 11, 2018, 10:45 am
#34
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Minneapolis
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Gold, GlobalEntry, Admirals Club, United Club
Posts: 1,948
Since people mentioned Twitter, are the Twitter reps the same regardless of status level? Or do elites (or specific levels of elites) get better/ faster responses?
Jun 11, 2018, 10:58 am
#35
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Cape Town, WC
Programs: AF LTP, LH Sen, M Amb
Posts: 400
I think they are all same reps (and not so many of them, as they identify themselves with 3 letters and occasionally I have reps I 'talked' before). Once you identify yourself they know who you're are, your status and so on. I can't really say if they provide better support to Diamond members, as I can nothing to compare with. Based on my personal experience they have always provided me excellent support.
Jun 12, 2018, 12:36 am
#36
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: ATL
Programs: A few
Posts: 133
Interesting, I have had nothing but good encounters so far this year; my last encounter was yesterday when the agent not only waived the 24hr change fee (I was outside the 24hr window by 4hrs), but also waived the difference in fare.
The encounter before that was with an agent that ran through about 6 different scenarios comparing possible fares and instruments to add my wife to an existing trip, call time was probably 30-40 minutes and she remained up-beat and pleasant the whole time (after which, I sent in positive email feedback because I couldn't find a JWD cert).
Granted, all of these were all on DL metal and weren't as technical as the OP's, but I can't help but wonder what the OP's definition of "Disaster" is ...
Seriously, and no offense intended here, but when when I read "Disaster", I'm envisioning a F5 tornado or a Cat 5 Hurricane, entire sides of mountains sliding down and demolishing thousands of homes at a time ....you know, things that are worthy of being labeled a true "disaster" ... not an airline reservations hiccup.
What am I missing?
The encounter before that was with an agent that ran through about 6 different scenarios comparing possible fares and instruments to add my wife to an existing trip, call time was probably 30-40 minutes and she remained up-beat and pleasant the whole time (after which, I sent in positive email feedback because I couldn't find a JWD cert).
Granted, all of these were all on DL metal and weren't as technical as the OP's, but I can't help but wonder what the OP's definition of "Disaster" is ...
Seriously, and no offense intended here, but when when I read "Disaster", I'm envisioning a F5 tornado or a Cat 5 Hurricane, entire sides of mountains sliding down and demolishing thousands of homes at a time ....you know, things that are worthy of being labeled a true "disaster" ... not an airline reservations hiccup.
What am I missing?
Jun 12, 2018, 2:41 am
#37
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Cape Town, WC
Programs: AF LTP, LH Sen, M Amb
Posts: 400
Loadmaster, well, disaster might not necessary mean a natural disaster. Wasting hours on phone with incompetent agents who make up their rules and cannot process operational rebooking is a disaster even for a passenger with no status, even more when we talk about Diamond line.
In my case this is not one off, but pretty consistent experience (again, I'm pleased to hear other people have much better luck than me). You can check my previous reports with applying GUCs:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/28775346-post26.html
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/29600721-post35.html
You should try this and then you'll get the idea - how frustrating it could be to waste hours on phone and being fed with wrong and mistaken information and made up rules (when you're 100% sure they're not correct). When I say hours I mean hours.
In my case this is not one off, but pretty consistent experience (again, I'm pleased to hear other people have much better luck than me). You can check my previous reports with applying GUCs:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/28775346-post26.html
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/29600721-post35.html
You should try this and then you'll get the idea - how frustrating it could be to waste hours on phone and being fed with wrong and mistaken information and made up rules (when you're 100% sure they're not correct). When I say hours I mean hours.
Jun 12, 2018, 7:40 am
#38
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: ATL
Programs: A few
Posts: 133
Loadmaster, well, disaster might not necessary mean a natural disaster. Wasting hours on phone with incompetent agents who make up their rules and cannot process operational rebooking is a disaster even for a passenger with no status, even more when we talk about Diamond line.
In my case this is not one off, but pretty consistent experience (again, I'm pleased to hear other people have much better luck than me). You can check my previous reports with applying GUCs:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/28775346-post26.html
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/29600721-post35.html
You should try this and then you'll get the idea - how frustrating it could be to waste hours on phone and being fed with wrong and mistaken information and made up rules (when you're 100% sure they're not correct). When I say hours I mean hours.
In my case this is not one off, but pretty consistent experience (again, I'm pleased to hear other people have much better luck than me). You can check my previous reports with applying GUCs:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/28775346-post26.html
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/29600721-post35.html
You should try this and then you'll get the idea - how frustrating it could be to waste hours on phone and being fed with wrong and mistaken information and made up rules (when you're 100% sure they're not correct). When I say hours I mean hours.
Jun 12, 2018, 7:42 am
#39
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: RDU
Programs: DL DM+(segs)/MM, UA Ag, Hilton DM, Marriott Ti (life Pt), TSA Opt-out Platinum
Posts: 3,226
In my case this is not one off, but pretty consistent experience (again, I'm pleased to hear other people have much better luck than me).
You should try this and then you'll get the idea - how frustrating it could be to waste hours on phone and being fed with wrong and mistaken information and made up rules (when you're 100% sure they're not correct). When I say hours I mean hours.
You should try this and then you'll get the idea - how frustrating it could be to waste hours on phone and being fed with wrong and mistaken information and made up rules (when you're 100% sure they're not correct). When I say hours I mean hours.
Jun 12, 2018, 9:27 am
#40
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,403
Interesting, I have had nothing but good encounters so far this year; my last encounter was yesterday when the agent not only waived the 24hr change fee (I was outside the 24hr window by 4hrs), but also waived the difference in fare.
The encounter before that was with an agent that ran through about 6 different scenarios comparing possible fares and instruments to add my wife to an existing trip, call time was probably 30-40 minutes and she remained up-beat and pleasant the whole time (after which, I sent in positive email feedback because I couldn't find a JWD cert).
Granted, all of these were all on DL metal and weren't as technical as the OP's, but I can't help but wonder what the OP's definition of "Disaster" is ...
Seriously, and no offense intended here, but when when I read "Disaster", I'm envisioning a F5 tornado or a Cat 5 Hurricane, entire sides of mountains sliding down and demolishing thousands of homes at a time ....you know, things that are worthy of being labeled a true "disaster" ... not an airline reservations hiccup.
What am I missing?
The encounter before that was with an agent that ran through about 6 different scenarios comparing possible fares and instruments to add my wife to an existing trip, call time was probably 30-40 minutes and she remained up-beat and pleasant the whole time (after which, I sent in positive email feedback because I couldn't find a JWD cert).
Granted, all of these were all on DL metal and weren't as technical as the OP's, but I can't help but wonder what the OP's definition of "Disaster" is ...
Seriously, and no offense intended here, but when when I read "Disaster", I'm envisioning a F5 tornado or a Cat 5 Hurricane, entire sides of mountains sliding down and demolishing thousands of homes at a time ....you know, things that are worthy of being labeled a true "disaster" ... not an airline reservations hiccup.
What am I missing?
Are you aware that DL policy is to use midnight of the day after booking to define the 24 hour period, not 24 hours from the time you called or clicked? I suspect you didn't get any special consideration.
BTW, the time zone of this midnight is a bit ambiguous in that apparently a DM agent in SLC can use local time, even if you're in eastern/central and both purchasing and departing from eastern/central. However, I don't think it's quite as liberal as the "it's 5 o'clock somewhere people" would say.
BTW, the time zone of this midnight is a bit ambiguous in that apparently a DM agent in SLC can use local time, even if you're in eastern/central and both purchasing and departing from eastern/central. However, I don't think it's quite as liberal as the "it's 5 o'clock somewhere people" would say.
Jun 12, 2018, 9:58 am
#41
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: ATL
Programs: A few
Posts: 133
Are you aware that DL policy is to use midnight of the day after booking to define the 24 hour period, not 24 hours from the time you called or clicked? I suspect you didn't get any special consideration.
BTW, the time zone of this midnight is a bit ambiguous in that apparently a DM agent in SLC can use local time, even if you're in eastern/central and both purchasing and departing from eastern/central. However, I don't think it's quite as liberal as the "it's 5 o'clock somewhere people" would say.
BTW, the time zone of this midnight is a bit ambiguous in that apparently a DM agent in SLC can use local time, even if you're in eastern/central and both purchasing and departing from eastern/central. However, I don't think it's quite as liberal as the "it's 5 o'clock somewhere people" would say.
In my last case, I was booked on a 13:00 flt he following day, called in around 0900 (28hrs before), I assumed that the change fee was only waived if < 24hrs from sched dept.
In any event, he still waived the fare difference, and while not a huge amount of $, it saved me from one more receipt-upload into the dreaded expense report
Jun 12, 2018, 11:29 am
#42
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Pagus Bracbatensis, Kingdom of the Netherlands
Programs: DL SPlat, KLM Bump, Privium Plus, GOES
Posts: 2,066
I wonder if Delta's call routing is sending you to an offshore res center since (I'm assuming here) you have a +46 phone number or you're calling from Sverige. I'm not saying that excuses their behavior, but it may explain the disparity between what you're experiencing and what others (mostly Americans I assume) experience.
Last edited by Grouchy; Jun 12, 2018 at 11:35 am
Jun 12, 2018, 11:40 am
#43
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Near ATL AVL GSP
Programs: DLDime & MM - Marriott LifePlat - Hertz Prez - Hyatt Dissapointedist
Posts: 224
Jun 12, 2018, 3:58 pm
#44
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio
Programs: DL DM, Former AA EXP now AY Plat, AC 75K, NW Plat, Former CO Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 27,042
interesting! Perhaps I've been led astray during previous situations in which the DM agent advised I was outside the window when making similar changes.
In my last case, I was booked on a 13:00 flt he following day, called in around 0900 (28hrs before), I assumed that the change fee was only waived if < 24hrs from sched dept.
In any event, he still waived the fare difference, and while not a huge amount of $, it saved me from one more receipt-upload into the dreaded expense report
In my last case, I was booked on a 13:00 flt he following day, called in around 0900 (28hrs before), I assumed that the change fee was only waived if < 24hrs from sched dept.
In any event, he still waived the fare difference, and while not a huge amount of $, it saved me from one more receipt-upload into the dreaded expense report
Jun 12, 2018, 4:46 pm
#45
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,403