Compensation for uncommunicated gate change?
#31
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 366
Is there an issue with the boards not being updated? Certainly. However, there's nothing legally that Delta is required to give, and getting you to your destination and giving a $150 voucher seems adequate, especially if the delay was only a couple of hours.
Cutting it that close, even assuming it was a full 15 minutes before departure and not 13-14 minutes rounded up, is still a bad idea. Especially with a tight connection, check the gate area first and then see if there's time to grab a snack or something. Things change and always aren't communicated perfectly, and cutting it to the last minute will cause issues. If a line is longer than expected, a moving walkway is down, or something isn't communicated on the boards, you'll hit a snag once in a while.
Frankly, you're almost certainly not going to get any cash compensation from Delta. You might be able to push and get a few more Delta miles or get them to give miles instead of a voucher, but if you've sworn off Delta and a voucher/points are worthless there's not going to be anything that you'll get that's worth spending your time arguing for with Delta.
Cutting it that close, even assuming it was a full 15 minutes before departure and not 13-14 minutes rounded up, is still a bad idea. Especially with a tight connection, check the gate area first and then see if there's time to grab a snack or something. Things change and always aren't communicated perfectly, and cutting it to the last minute will cause issues. If a line is longer than expected, a moving walkway is down, or something isn't communicated on the boards, you'll hit a snag once in a while.
Frankly, you're almost certainly not going to get any cash compensation from Delta. You might be able to push and get a few more Delta miles or get them to give miles instead of a voucher, but if you've sworn off Delta and a voucher/points are worthless there's not going to be anything that you'll get that's worth spending your time arguing for with Delta.
#32
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Somewhere
Programs: Delta Plat
Posts: 3,349
I'm curious had the gate change not been announced why were you the only one at the gate?
#33
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: DL Silver, Avis President's Club, Hertz President's Circle, Global Entry (Former AA Plt/Gold)
Posts: 4,417
I'd say the $150 was more than sufficient. Schedules aren't even guaranteed, if your flight from the original gate was delayed for the same hours you waited, they would owe you $0. Not updating the board and doing it verbally is pretty lousy and that's probably why they agreed on a customer service gesture to you.
Heck, I've read BA passengers with no IFE over the Atlantic get 5000 Avios. What's that, $50?
Heck, I've read BA passengers with no IFE over the Atlantic get 5000 Avios. What's that, $50?
#34
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Tahoe
Programs: Delta DM for now
Posts: 474
I believe that the GIDS at the original gate was not updated because it's pretty common for those to be wrong when changes happen, but I find it hard to believe there were no announcements made across the PA or the screens in the airport weren't updated.
It's a tough lesson to learn, but ultimately it's up to the pax to know when and where they need to be. Obsessively checking the app or checking the boards in the airport, and getting to the gate in time for boarding to begin, and not 15 minutes before departure will go a long way in getting you to your destination. This could happen with any airline, and not all of them would issue you a $150 voucher.
It's a tough lesson to learn, but ultimately it's up to the pax to know when and where they need to be. Obsessively checking the app or checking the boards in the airport, and getting to the gate in time for boarding to begin, and not 15 minutes before departure will go a long way in getting you to your destination. This could happen with any airline, and not all of them would issue you a $150 voucher.
#35
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: 26,948
Also what did the display behind the GAshow at old gate? It should've shown X city now departing from Gate X. It's not like agent could process passengers at new gate without logging in and pulling up flight at new gate.
#36
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: WN, DL, UA, AA, Hilton, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 1,303
I believe that the GIDS at the original gate was not updated because it's pretty common for those to be wrong when changes happen, but I find it hard to believe there were no announcements made across the PA or the screens in the airport weren't updated.
It's a tough lesson to learn, but ultimately it's up to the pax to know when and where they need to be. Obsessively checking the app or checking the boards in the airport, and getting to the gate in time for boarding to begin, and not 15 minutes before departure will go a long way in getting you to your destination. This could happen with any airline, and not all of them would issue you a $150 voucher.
It's a tough lesson to learn, but ultimately it's up to the pax to know when and where they need to be. Obsessively checking the app or checking the boards in the airport, and getting to the gate in time for boarding to begin, and not 15 minutes before departure will go a long way in getting you to your destination. This could happen with any airline, and not all of them would issue you a $150 voucher.
It shouldn't happen but I've seen stuff go sideways.
#37
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: RDU
Programs: DL DM+(segs)/MM, UA Ag, Hilton DM, Marriott Ti (life Pt), TSA Opt-out Platinum
Posts: 3,218
Former agent hat on. Every time a gate change is made numerous terminal-wise announcements are made. Local ops does everything possible to keep gate changes nearby the orig gate, but this isn't always possible. Late gate changes (i.e. within an hour of departure) usually lead to delays. There were likely many other pax who weren't yet at the gate who somehow found out about the change. If the monitors were in fact wrong (that's what camera phones are for), that's on DL, but the greater responsibility is on the pax in this case. DL has a 15-minute no show rule. Showing up at D-15, means you were at risk of being "15-minute ruled" anyway. Even if the 15 minute rule weren't there, showing up at D-15 doesn't leave you any wiggle room. https://www.delta.com/us/en/check-in...estic-check-in
Just out of curiosity what flight were you scheduled on?
#38
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 3,097
FWIW, if the screens honestly weren't updated then I don't blame OP at all, but I think he should be more than happy with the compensation he was already offered and shouldn't expect any more.
#39
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 3,097
If the monitors were in fact wrong (that's what camera phones are for), that's on DL, but the greater responsibility is on the pax in this case. DL has a 15-minute no show rule. Showing up at D-15, means you were at risk of being "15-minute ruled" anyway. Even if the 15 minute rule weren't there, showing up at D-15 doesn't leave you any wiggle room. https://www.delta.com/us/en/check-in...estic-check-in
#40
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 2,881
I thought most boarding passes advise to check the airport flight information display screens since gates can change.
#41
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 233
Come on, it's one or the other. You can't honestly disbelieve him AND think that showing up at the gate 15 minutes before departure is criminally irresponsible.
FWIW, if the screens honestly weren't updated then I don't blame OP at all, but I think he should be more than happy with the compensation he was already offered and shouldn't expect any more.
FWIW, if the screens honestly weren't updated then I don't blame OP at all, but I think he should be more than happy with the compensation he was already offered and shouldn't expect any more.
#42
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Treasure Coast, FL
Programs: DL Diamond, Marriott LT Plat, HH Diamond, Avis Preferred Plus, National Executive
Posts: 4,577
#43
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 366
What was his responsibility? Assuming the general facts of the OP's post are true (being at the gate at T-15, and not a second later, and that the information boards and the board at the gate all showed the wrong gate having the flight,) there's nothing more that he has to do.
But, assuming that the OP wants to have the best chance of making his flight, he should have done a few things differently. First, if he's arriving at the gate at T-15, the gates as advertised were close-ish, and it only took a few minutes to get a cup of coffee, the connection time was likely only about 30 minutes. That's not enough time to make a pit stop when flying an airline he hasn't flown in years, which may have different practices than he's accustomed to. At a connection, if you want to have the best chance of making it you go to the gate first, make sure there's no unexpected changes, and then if time allows go and grab food/drink/whatever. Then you go back to the gate around the start of boarding (usually T-40ish) and wait for the boarding call.
Cutting it close means that there's the risk of even one more unexpected issue causing a missed flight, with the only clear remedy being taking the next flight with available space and dealing with the delay. There's nothing more required by law or by Delta's contract of carriage.
#45
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: DCA
Programs: DL DM, AA EXP, various hotel
Posts: 2,227
Are folks here not reading the OP? S/he clearly stated that the departures board still had the original gate after the flight had already departed from the new gate, and that a camera phone photo of that is what convinced Delta to compensate here at all.
$150 seems about par from what I know, but do people really not understand why the OP is miffed here?
$150 seems about par from what I know, but do people really not understand why the OP is miffed here?