hsvflyer

Guess you could call this a public service announcement.

Scedule change Saturday. It has hit us again, for the second time this year. Both flights we have been impacted with were from Amsterdam to Atlanta, and in both cases, our flight was changed from an A330, to an A350. However we were booked in premium select, and the A350 that was substituted, was the former LAN A350, with NO premium select.(again!) So, we are now rerouted, PRG-AMS-DTW-ATL-HSV. Still have premium select, but get an extra flight. We are only a little over a month out (December) , so beware, schedules/equipment are still changing. We are fortunate I guess, that we were rebooked with premium select seats, albiet with an extra flight to ATL, and of course at this late stage, the Mrs and I are no longer sitting together for all the flights. She's really not happy.

I looked at changing flights, and only thing else available, was a connection PRG-CDG-ATL-HSV, still leaving around the same time and the arrival in HSV is the same.(almost 5 hours later) Still do not get to sit together (thats life I guess), but have not decided if I want 4 hours in CDG, 3 hrs in ATL, vs 2.5 hrs in AMS, 2.5 hrs in DTW, and 2.5 hrs in ATL.

Nothing like schedule change Saturday.

Orange County Commuter

Just keep watching your seats. . I have a flight later this month and I originally did not like my seat but over the last few weeks lots of things have changed and I now have a seat I am much happier with. so you may still be able to get seated together.

ATOBTTR

My personal opinion would be for the option via CDG and then ATL unless the CDG-ATL leg is in AF PE with the lousy AF PE seat. While DTW is equipped to handle snow, if a connection in DTW can be avoided from December through February, it's probably worth taking an option that can avoid an unnecessary connection through DTW where winter weather can be an issue when there's an option on the table that would allow you to skip it. Do you have SkyTeam Elite Plus status to get lounge access in CDG?

Other options:
-You wouldn't be able to do it online but you could probably get DL to rebook you in and out of BHM or BNA, if this option would be a consideration for you (you would have to call).
-If your schedule has the flexibility and if it'd be of interest, see if you could fly to AMS or CDG and then taking an overnight layover if it would mean a flight with better seat availability while also giving you a night in Paris or Amsterdam to explore the city.

hsvflyer

Good suggestions

Actually our outbound flight from HSV-ATL-FRA will earn Gold. (Train to Prague via a couple of other stops)

I had thought about the lounge access in CDG but really didn’t know how long it will take to change my status to Gold. Will be in Germany/Czech 9 days.
It’s Hop to CDG, then DL to ATL

ATOBTTR

As long as HSV-ATL-FRA is booked through DL, your flights should post to your account fairly quickly and your status soon update soon after that (usually within a day) While DL IT is DL IT, in theory (and usually practice) your status should update and move you up to GM well before your return.

busdriver11

CDG can truly suck for connections. You may not have much time in the lounge with a four hour connection anyways.

Firstboss

With lounge access from STE+ or Premium Select (?), those hours in AMS and especially CDG are quite nice. And extra segments turn into the last time mileage run before the program changes from Jan

lindros2

United just declared that Premium Plus - “the upper middle class cabin” - is the most profitable….

with coach food service, limited amenities, and few FA’s, I can see why.

and by playing Russian Roulette with schedule and aircraft changes, I can also see why.

findark

It's also because calling it "Premium Economy" (as a generic term) has been a marketing coup since "it's just Economy" so people think it's not excessive to pay for, even when (especially on DL) people can be paying leisure J rates for it.

EBiafore99

When you say there is nothing available, do you mean sold out, or were you looking at fare changes? Since DL did a schedule change, you should be able to change to any flight with seats in Premium Economy. My guess is sold out, but just wanted to confirm.

hsvflyer

Delta changed equipment from AMS-ATL to a A350 with NO Premium Select on board. It has not had the retrofit as of yet to include the premium select seats, so, the computer assigned us PRG-AMS-DTW-ATL-HSV. The only option I could find on line to change from PRG (with a 4 hours in CDG), wanted $400 to change, and arrival time in HSV will still be the same. So for the time being we are stuck with the extra flight from DTW-ATL.

ATOBTTR

This is the DL website being wonky and an agent would be able to override this so just call in. In theory the website should override the fare difference if making a change following a DL schedule change and the website has been improved to allow for changes following a schedule change without incurring the fare difference but obviously not in your case. However if you call in let the agent know of the schedule change and the addition of an extra leg and then provide the new desired itinerary, an agent should be able to rebook you to the option via CDG and then ATL for no fare difference (the exception being if you booked a mileage ticket - a mileage ticket would be subject to availability on partner operated legs which DL cannot force open on its own).

moondog

Personally, I'd suck it up in normal economy on the more efficient routing and try to get some sort of money or a TC from Delta in exchange for the downgrade. EC261 could also apply.

RhinoDL

Absolutely agree HSVFLYER should call in; with a change over 2 hours I've found Delta to be pretty flexible on what they are support (beyond what you can find on-line). Last month the wife and I were placed in D1 on Delta metal from CDG to ATL when the original AF flight (paid with points 9 months ago) was cancelled a few weeks out. Looking at BHM and especially BNA is a good idea too as BNA has more options. If you do get stuck with separate seats I would just use the https://www.expertflyer.com/free-program seat alert option to run checks and notify you in case something opens up.

moondog

Disagree. If the ticket is to HSV, I would be pretty insistent on this part of the CoC. Would you really want to drive for 2 hours after at TATL journey? And, it's not like there are TATL flights to BHM or BNA (well, apart from BA).