RSSrsvp

My wife and I are both GM’s and we are traveling with her using a AMEX platinum card companion ticket on a 2 leg itinerary. LAX-ATL-FLL. We would like to take an earlier flight for the second leg, ATL- FLL in order to arrive home 1.5 hours earlier than the original itinerary that was booked where we were limited to the availability of flights.

Can we do SDC? If yes can we contact Delta within 24 hours of the first flight or do we have to wait for 24 hours or less on the second flight? Also is it possible to do a change before the 24 hour window as they are waiving change fees where are we limited because this is a companion ticket?

MSPeconomist

You can *both* SDC together by calling 24 hours before the departure of the first original flight; the new flight(s) can be anytime during the same day. You need two coach seats in the same inventory class and there's a fee (IIRC $75 each unless each has high enough DL status).

If you try to change earlier, there could be a fare difference and you both need to be rebooked together and in an inventory class that allows use of the companion cert. If this is the return portion of the RT, it could be easier. AFAIK the cert itself doesn't have an advanced purchase requirement or other restrictions but some of the applicable fares do.

You could also try to make the changes yourself on the DL app, but be careful about whether you're doing a SDC (normally done during OLCI) versus simply changing (DL might call it modifying) flights.

RSSrsvp

This is the return portion of the trip. I texted DL earlier today and was told to try SDC based on the departure time of the first flight. The rep also said there might be more availability if I contacted them based on the departure time of the second flight. Does that make sense to you?

MSPeconomist

The logic of it would be that at the departure time of the new flight you want, other passengers will be trying to SDC from it to another flight, which might create more space in the inventory class you require.

OTOH, it might be less risky and not more expensive to simply see what it would cost to change now, after the outbound flight has been flown. With no change fees but charges for SDC, it could make sense to pay the fare difference and be confirmed now on the flights you want.

RSSrsvp

The DL rep told me this morning that because there was an AMEX companion ticket involved he couldn’t do any changes today and my only option was to wait and try SDC.

jrl767

AmEx companion ticket inventory rules *say* L/U/T/X/V but in reality only a subset of those buckets actually qualifies ... once you're inside the SDC window, though, that subset limitation *may* go away

RSSrsvp

Good point!

The second flight departs ATL at 10:35 PM so if I wait for the window on that flight to open is it correct that I can call DL after 7:35 PM PST?

jrl767

yep, and you *might* be able to do the single segment on line at that time

that said, on the "nothing-to-lose" principle, I'd certainly try both (call and online) at the window for the first flight as well

RSSrsvp

When I tried to make a change today the website wanted me to change the 1st flight first which I didn’t want to do. So if I wait for the second flight’s window to open I won’t have to deal with an added and unnecessary step.

I will definitely try both the phone and online approach.

jrl767

if you're *NOT* flying tomorrow, I can understand why the website behaved that way (you're still outside T-24 for the first flight, so it's a change rather than SDC) ... if you *ARE* flying tomorrow, SDC for the second flight should certainly work at its T-24

MSPeconomist

When you say first flight and second flight are you talking about a connection on the return portion of your ticket, or is the "first" flight the outbound flight? I don't think so, but I'm a bit confused at this point.

RSSrsvp

Yes, I am talking about the 2 legs of the return.