Flight Delayed, Options
 

I'm booked on the 6am DL5535 YYZ-JFK tomorrow (Feb.21), and it seems like there's a 2 and a half hour delay. I'm trying to get rebooked on another airline, but the first agent claims AC is fully booked for YYZ-LGA (which doesn't seem to be true at all looking at Google Flight), and the second agent claims it's weather related (but no other airline is showing any delay for flights around the same time from Toronto to New York, e.g. AC 700). The second agent then claims "the plane could be delayed by weather because it's coming from another airport that's not in Toronto or New York", which doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

Am I SOL and stuck with DL5535?

Have you checked the Fly Delta app? Sometimes, once a delay is posted, you can actually rebook yourself.

Yeah, none of the Delta flights would put me in JFk any earlier than the delayed flight.

There is a giant weather system affecting the midwest and North east USA today. Many of DL's hubs, including NYC/MSP/DTW are all being affected by this weather, even ATL is being impacted indirectly due to planes/crews being disrupted elsewhere in the network. This means your plane is likely being impacted at some point in it's journey today, which will affect its ability to leave on time from YYZ tomorrow morning. It could be that it was scheduled to overnight in YYZ tonight, but won't make it there until the morning, due to delays in NYC. Or it could be getting in late tonight, and due to crew rest issues won't be ready to go out until after the 2.5 hour delay. Whatever it is, DL already knows it's going to be late, so is proactively posting the delay now.

With regards to being put on another airline, it is weather, so they aren't going to put you on another airline unless you are a major VIP or a very compelling reason. Your best bet if you need to get to NYC is to try and get on something tonight. Alternatively you can take a full refund of your DL ticket and apply those funds to fly on another airline (AC YYZ-LGA). A lot can change with this weather system still, so don't be surprised if it gets delayed further, or if the other airlines start posting delays later tonight, depending what happens with NYC market and their inbound flights/crews.

Edit: current JFK status, for reference (also YYZ is affected right now too....)
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...a220f2eff2.png

And current misery map from flight aware
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...a1f8338b76.png


With regards to your flight specifically (DL 5535 YYZ-JFK), its inbound flight JFK-YYZ (DL 5541) was originally scheduled to fly tonight 1521-1724, then stay the night in YYZ before making a return. It's been delayed until 1800-2003 (due to weather at JFK). So there is no plane available in YYZ to operate your flight until 8am, which is why you're delayed tomorrow morning.

The first YYZ-LGA flight with Y availability tomorrow is at 09:05. The two earlier flights are selling in J only. Thus, you choice is arriving at LGA at 10:33 if UA will rebook onto AC or sticking with what you have and arriving at JFK at 10:34. There is a 1-minute difference. Not sure it's worth the switch if you need to be at JFK.

I'm booked in J with Delta.

Looking out the window in NYC right now, I would generally advise against coming in tonight, but this evening's 8:25 pm WestJet 1216 to LGA is currently delayed to 8:50 pm but has not been cancelled. Inbound aircraft is in the air now from PUJ. Showing 5 open seats in Y right now.

Thank you all for the help. Seems like flights out of YYZ are mostly cancelled or delayed tonight as well, so I'll have to take my chances.