RealHJ

Sounds like the Delta system being truthful and honest. At least on phone there can be >24 hours queue. In messaging they always dump everyone out in the evening and clear the queue.

RealHJ

Two confirmed workarounds for the ridiculous Delta phone and messaging reservations hold times:

Option 1: use the "Hearing & Speech Impaired" chat from https://www.delta.com/us/en/need-help/overview . That is considerably shorter wait times (but still likely in 10s of minutes).
Pros: get through in a few 10s of minutes vs. waiting for hours or even days via normal messaging or phone.
Cons: you'll get a Tampa agent.*
*IME Tampa agents have been always the most genuinely helpful and determined to help, so my experience with TPARES is positive, unlike that of many others here. However, Tampa agents are clearly lacking the tools, knowledge (training) or access to actually do their job. Expect even a routine cxl/sched change reissue to take 10s of minutes or even hours, as the Tampa agent has to call for help and is stuck in the internal queue.

Option 2: call the corporate CS number, 1-800-455-2720 (7am-11pm ET), and select "comment/complaint" and then "past travel" (or something else, doesn't really matter). After a much more reasonable few minute hold you'll get through to a CS agent. Explain the obscenely long reservations wait times and implore the CS agent to help you get through to reservations. The CS agent can put you in queue for the non-customer-facing reservations agents, like international tickets/manual reissue, where there should be a shorter hold than the customer-facing queue. As long as you ask them nicely and explain that you've tried and failed to get through the normal channels, they should do so, but YMMV.
Pros: quickest method to get through to Delta (US) reservations; ability to get through to a more experienced and empowered agent, who can help you quickly and doesn't need help/internal escalations.
Cons: none really, other than the risk of CS not putting you through to an internal reservations queue, or dumping you in the general reservations queue. Be kind to the CS agent and politely ask to get through to international manual reissue or some such group that is not customer facing, to avoid the long public queue.

Hope this helps others stuck in the being unable to contact Delta reservations purgatory.

SeaHawg

Adding to the data points:

90 min callback time for Mrs. SeaHawg who is a PM

No weather near any hubs today.

My response times as a Silver with UA and Gold with AA are almost instant over the past three months. DM with DL and 10 minutes has been the fastest response this year.

Unacceptable- We’re a year plus into this, and at least three of the four airlines I currently have status with have it figured out. DL gets a couple more months before I pull the status match card.

sydneyracquelle

I called a few weeks ago, was quoted 30 minutes, I hung up and called 5 minutes later, the wait was now 90 minutes. Totally random.

jamesteroh

I don't think anyone is surprised the competition is doing better than Delta.

It's only been two weeks since Delta started serving soda when LCC's like Spririt and Southwest have been doing it for months.

beachmouse

Got an e-mail survey today about my recent experience contacting Delta. Harsh words were used on my end about the hold/wait time and I made sure to praise the CS rep who finally picked up for me because she did a good job. Since Delta does seem to somewhat read those surveys, I figured it was okay to vent a little even though nothing's going to change for another month or two until they can train and re-staff to better levels.

rylan

Unfortunately I don't have any faith that anything will change over the next couple months. Delta made these cuts a year ago and they've had the entire time to see the impact and hold times and has not improved the situation for their customers.

spongenotbob

Current hold time for PM: 5h22m.

What's happening out there? Some storms in Dallas. Some low ceilings in SEA. Nothing unusual. https://www.fly.faa.gov/ois/

Just another day in Delta call-center land.

Pianoman109876

Current hold time for PM: 4h 36 min.

Called the Singapore number, had an agent in 20 seconds, full problem completed in 6 minutes.

Billy Mumphrey

2 hour 30 minute expected wait for a DM.

ezefllying

As a former United loyalist (Premier Platinum) who came over through a status match last year, the hold-time situation has been somewhat beguiling. When I fell from 1K to Platinum on United, my hold times — at peak times — increased from 20-40 seconds to 1.5-5 minutes. Those waits frustrated me, especially when I was calling from an airport as a flight got delayed and I wanted to beat out everyone at the gate for rebooking.

But this is just another ballgame. And it's bizarre, because I've thought of Delta as the customer-friendly airline while United supposedly isn't.

And it must be hurting Delta. A couple days ago, I had to cancel a flight scheduled for eight hours later. Tried to do so online: Website couldn't, since I'd been (sort of automatically) checked in. Called: Seven-hour wait or something like that around 11 PM. Tried to text: Closed for the night.

So I submitted a manual refund request, meaning that Delta hadn't canceled my check-in, flight, or upgrades by departure time. It may have deprived them of the chance to upsell someone to my seat.

spongenotbob

So I missed my call-back (can you believe it? I was actually working when they called!).

New call-back estimate for PM: "More than 9 hours".

PS: Yes I know about Singapore. I am calling Delta to respond to a voice mail the Delta refunds department left me. I doubt Singapore can handle that.

I am, honestly, very tired of dealing with this. My business travel is finally starting to pick up, mostly domestic though. Maybe I'll just fly WN for a while.

DCAhome

Flight tonight was DCA-DTW-BOS. Mechanical on DL 900 to DTW so I tried to call the DM line. 6 hour 10 minute call back. No help at the gate. No help at the Skyclub. Finally got a rebooking option for the next day via the app. This level of service - particularly for DM is embarrassing.

MCO Flyer

Lol DL PR is trying to salvage themselves on Twitter from all the angry comments/passengers complaining with this automated video message showing how you can “self change your flight on DL.com” yourself. Too bad DL doesn’t show the error messages that almost always pops up saying you can’t change your ticket online and must call reservations! What a joke! I’m sure Ed will be bragging about his “fake customer satisfaction polls” with some media outlet next week.

spongenotbob

Yep, this is when it really comes home to roost. I've been stranded twice in the past few months due to DL IRROPS ... in the past this would have been no big deal ... now I get to call DL and get a 3-5 hour wait, or use the app to select an alternate flight maybe 2-3 days from now. Not cool.