jerry90210

Had a delta flight and I got a text message 3 hours before the departure to my phone which is notification that it will depart in 3 hours. I know that is normal. Then I noticed I got an earlier message around 20 minutes before that from Delta which said my flight got cancelled. For some reason, that earlier message didn't even show up on my iphone notifications until that second message showed up. It might have been there but it didn't show up in my notifications. Around this time I was almost at the airport and figure might as well go there just to confirm. I get there and am told the flight has been cancelled and to go to delta booking. I found out the flight is rebooked for the following day but at a very early time.



So I have to make any changes to it today if I don't want tomorrow's rebooked flight which is an early time? What happens if you do nothing and don't show up? I assume I could choose any other available time or days without any additional fees? Could I cancel and get a refund or ecredit? But if I'm planning to go there soon, makes zero sense to cancel since there should be no changes fees even if the new rebooking cost more right? This ticket was booked over a week ago and I planned to fly today before the end of the year but it got cancelled literally 3 hours 20 minutes before departure but I didn't know until 3 hours where I was near the airport already. They told me I could book with another airline to that same destination today and when I checked on my phone, they did have that flight few hours later. The flight wasn't that much more than what I paid with delta but my concern was if if they cancel and then I have would another cancelled ticket. If it matters, I always book basic economy so my concern was if that happens with the other airline, then I would get flight credit with them? Do people here book another airline while at the airport in cases like this? Or do most people just go back home or their hotel and go to the rebooked flight?



I know there is lot of cancellations during the holiday season. But what frustrates me was I was almost at the airport and then noticed the earlier text message of the cancellation. Thus I basically just went there anyway to confirm since I was close already. Now had I saw that earlier text message, I wouldn't have left the house because of this. I know you are suppose to get to the airport 3 hours before an international flight. But with these cancellations, does it make sense to not get there earlier? For example had I planned to get there say 2.5 hours before my flight and gotten that 3 hour departure message from delta and thus would have seen that earlier message that flight is cancelled, then I wouldn't even have left the house. Does anyone know when is the latest delta or any other airline can cancel your flight? How common is it now to get to the airport and say just 2 or 1 hour before departure, they cancel it? Because I think the best thing to do now is wait until you get that 3 hour departure message from delta and make sure there is no cancel text message... only then you leave to the airport? Or that doesn't matter because they still might cancel it after the 3 hour notification message?

jerry90210

Okay so when I checked my delta account earlier, it had me rebooked for the next day in the morning which I didn't like and will make changes to it.


But now when I check my delta account, they rebooked me for today... at a different airport in the same city? That flight is not even a direct flight. Do I need to make changes to this or is this a system error? Why did they rebook my flight from tomorrow morning to today which I cannot get there obviously. Can someone answer this question? I won't get charged if I don't show up right? I was planning to make the change later tonight but now it shows I have a rebooked flight departing soon in another airport no less?

jerry90210

Can someone here tell me what I should do now? Why did they rebook me for a flight at a different airport for today when I never did this? I'm back at home right now. Do I need to cancel or rebook it before that flight departs? I was planning on making the change later tonight from that original delta rebook of tomorrow morning as I'm not for sure which day I want to rebook though it will most likely be tomorrow but different time. There is a very long delta hold time on the phone and by then, this flight which Delta apparently rebooked for me would have departed.


Can someone who had this happen to give me advice on what to do here? Why in the world does it show a I have a flight departing soon at another airport in the same city when I didn't do anything to this?

steex

This is more information/questions than I can process quickly, but here's a few thoughts:

• Your flight could be canceled at any time, there's no minimum timeframe to this. The obvious examples would be mechanical problems or weather issues encountered at the time of departure - that could very well result in a cancel with no notice. If the airline finds out 90 minutes before the flight that a crew member has tested positive for covid and they can't find replacement, the likely outcome will still be a cancel.
• Delta may have rebooked you to a co-terminal airport to try to get you out ASAP - I've not had it happen without my request, but not hard to imagine it happening. I've certainly had swaps between ORD/MDW, SFO/SJC/OAK, or NYC airports intentionally.
• Once things have gone wrong, the Delta App is usually pretty decent about allowing you to search for new flights (either from same airport or a suitable alternate). I would suggest being proactive to find a new flight you like NOW rather than waiting. The longer you wait, the more seats on other flights are taken up by other people in your same situation trying to rebook.

Edit to add: In general, I would be proactive about checking your flight status during the hectic holiday travels with frequent covid cancellations, not rely upon being notified.

MSPeconomist

Be careful since you have a BE ticket and the rules on those have changed.

You can always get a full refund when your (original or rebooked) flight is cancelled; it's a DOT regulation and they seem to "enforce" it by fining the carrier if necessary.

When your flight is cancelled, you can normally ask to be rebooked on any DL flight that's reasonable. You don't have to take an early bird flight the next day or a long connection or an RJ segment or anything else you might not prefer if something else is available that's better for you. Sometimes DL will rebook on partners or other carriers with which DL interlines. Otherwise, don't expect DL to reimburse the cost of a second ticket you purchase yourself (vs refunding the first ticket).

If there's a FF reason for wanting to travel in 2021, you can request ORC = original routing credit for what was originally ticketed, provided that DL rebooks the new flights and that they take place as soon as reasonably possible. It won't work if you travel much later or cancel the trip, or buy your own new ticket.

xjaehyun

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exwannabe

Whatever happens here is "on DL", it is up tp them to fix it.

By law all DL must do is refund your cash if you can not fly (does not matter when you elect to not show or cancel).

In practice, DL is fairly good about offering you a choice on other flights that are about the same as what you bought.

Best solution is to decide what is best for you. If you want to make the trip, and DL has a flight that works, call and ask for that. If you would rather just throw in the towel, ask for the money back.

No need to worry about the departure time of the re-scheduled flight, that was DL's bad.

jerry90210

Okay so that mistake where the system rescheduled me is apparently a system issue I was told.


But are you telling me in situations like this, you could actually get your money back to your credit card and not ecredit if you no longer choose to fly because of a cancellation like this? That is regardless if your ticket is a basic economy which has restrictions? I went and rescheduled it the next day. They told me the farthest they could go is one more day... except after that... you pay any additional fees because that would be a voluntary change. That is how it is with delta with cancelled flights right?


Apparently it seems that message that I got where the flight is cancelled, which was around 3 hours 20 minutes before the flight departure... I didn't see this notification until 20 minutes later when I then got the 3 hour notification departure notification from delta. Had I noticed this, I wouldn't have went to the airport. That cancellation text message could literally happen anytime? You could get that message the day before the flight, 3.5 hours before your flight... even an hour before your flight? How common is this at the airport right now where you could get to the airport 3 hours before and then say 2 or even 1 hour, they cancel it? I know there are lot of cancellations right now but does anyone know what the average time notice it is? Obviously if I get the message the night before or earlier in the day, then it wouldn't be that bad because I wouldn't have to take a cab there. But that 3 hour notification departure notification text message from delta is automatic right? Even if there was a cancellation text earlier, it pretty much disregards it? I notice I even got a text message that the flight will be departing soon even though it already got cancelled.


How do people handle this then when they get to airport only for a bit later to know their flight is cancelled? Do some people just stay overnight at the airport? Obviously if you are at your home city and can go home, obviously you would do that. You gotta pay for a cab to go back home and to the airport the next day. Now if you are on vacation, do most people just stay overnight at the airport as oppose to going to find a hotel for the night?


In situations like this, airlines don't reimburse you right unless it is more than x amount of days? Such as someone that is coming home from another city or vacation and then need to book a hotel for a few days because of this?


Also what tips do you have for checking updates on your upcoming delta flight status? Do you need to log into your delta account on the app to check it constantly if any changes there is? But even if there is, you will get that notification text message right? Or does a cancellation show up on your account sooner than when that text message arrives? I'm wondering if it is a better idea to get to the airport even a bit later now because of this in case of a cancellation. Has anyone here had multiple cancellations multiple days in a row?

exwannabe

This is the classic "hang up and call again".

Yes, DL can say you only have a one day window. But they would rather rebook you at 2 days than give the money back. Some agents will grasp this, some will not.

All that notification stuff does not matter at all. DL is at fault for not flying you from the original airport at about the original time. That is is. Their lack of notification is "bad" and you an be pissed but it matters for nothing. Their notification of the change does not make them innocent for trying to fly you out of the wrong airport.

Just stick to your guns with the agent.

jerry90210

I never heard the term hang up and call again. That is interesting but that would mean waiting longer to speak to someone. Well DL typically rebooks you the next day or following day at the latest right?


Well what is the best way for me to get notification faster in case delta cancels again. For example, I didn't even notice that notification from delta on my phone in the first message of the cancellation. It was only after I got that standard 3 hour notification departure notification text message from delta, then I saw a notification 20 minutes earlier on my iphone that I had a message that the flight got cancelled. It is very possible he notification vibrated and I didn't notice it because I was doing something. But I never saw it on my iphone screen.


So check the delta app constantly then? I am curious if it showed cancelled even earlier than when I got that text message from delta.

kxc262

You can check on the app to see how far it will let you search.
My flight today was delayed and DL will let me rebook up to Jan 12th.

MSPeconomist

Especially now, I'd be checking flight status on the DL app frequently and probably use flightaware.com too. It's helpful to watch the inbound aircraft to (hopefully) learn early of potential problems.

It's also a good idea to babysit your itinerary just in case your seat has been changed, etc.

DenverBrian

For others who may be reading the thread, I think it's a great lesson in taking control of all avenues of redundancy you can. In this case, don't just have DL notify you via text; have them notify you via email also. And, especially during holiday periods, proactively check the DL app on your phone AND the DL website every few hours to ensure that your flight is departing when you think it's supposed to.

It's very possible it was your phone carrier and/or OS that glitched your cxl text and queued it up to pop after an erroneous "on time" text. Very hard to know if that was on Delta.

RRROOO

Delta is the one the easiest carriers to work with . Has the OP even bothered to look online to reschedule? Forget talking to an agent.

RobertS975

I am not sure that the HUCA tactic is feasible in this era of extreme difficulty in reaching a live person in the first place!