Robert Leach

No, I don't. But on the other hand, do I think they've thought of it yet? Maybe, maybe not. They obviously hadn't thought out the standby fee thing or else they wouldn't already be changing the rules (if indeed the rumor appearing in this thread is true).

If they confirm people in the coach cabin regardless of what class they were originally booked in, and if the only inventory left to confirm them in is Y, then I presume when the customer strides up to the gate podium and his res is pulled up it will show him in Y. I'm just not sure the agent would do a bunch of research to prove whether or not he's true Y versus confirmed standby Y. It's not unlike irregular operations when a flight is cancelled and the customer on the L fare gets rebooked in Y on the next flight. You can upgrade in that scenario as well.

The bottom line is I just think all of this stuff blew up so quickly and the bandwagon was speeding so fast down the road that they jumped on it without doing much thought. We're now starting to see the actual regulations take shape.

UnofficialDLHelper

RE: Standby Policy for all nonrefundable type fares is changing to SAME DAY CONFIRMED option. Effective January 1, 2003

If seats are available in the coach compartment – not just in the original booking class – customers now will be permitted to confirm their seat within three hours for the $100 fee verses standing by. Note that the three hour window is measured from the departure time of the flight requested; not before the departure time of the flight originally booked.



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I'm only here trying to shed light on DL issues brought up on this board. I do work for Delta, but I don't represent DL's final word when answering a question. Please e-mail Customer Care with your questions. www.delta.com/email

keithguy

Thanks for the confirmation and clarification, UnofficialDLHelper.

- Oops, I read the initial 3 hour window wrong.

This makes a bit more sense now as it is no earlier than 3 hours for the flight requested. This means that passengers can do the same day confirmed for any flight of the day.

About the rebooking in Y class, I figure that DL would just create an extra L/U/T class seat and reaccomodate the passenger in the original booking class. I doubt it'd be so easy to get rebooked in Y class, for the sake of medallion upgrades, bonus promotions, etc.

This is good for those who would be willing to pay for this. However, a concern of mine would be the lack of available seats for rebooking on later flights. Say one of the frequent ATL-BOS flights cancel due to a mechanical, normally, passengers would be rebooked on the next flight(s), but with this same day confirmed option, there might be less seats on the next flight for rebooking.

rcs85551

There is already a good bunch of action codes for overbooking (schedule changes, irop protections) - I believe Delta will introduce yet another action code for their agents to enable them to overbook the original booking class.

Tolarian Wind

Keithguy

I read this to mean that if you were scheduled for the 9AM flight and wanted to take the 4PM flight instead you would have to wait until 1PM before you were allowed to confirm this. You cannot call at 7AM and confirm the afternoon flight.

indufan

Isn't it funny how the same words can be interpreted differently? OK, you folks from DL, let's see if I have this in my brain right. At 7 AM for the 4 PM flight a change could be made for $100 if the same fare bucket is available. Or, of course, for any additional increase in fare. At 1 PM, if the original fare bucket is empty but there are seats available, a seat could be confirmed for $100, period. At 12:59 PM the charge is, say $482 and at 1:00 PM, it's $100?



[This message has been edited by indufan (edited 10-11-2002).]

Delta3MM

Most of you are aware you can request an award from United for travel on mainline (non RJ) Delta. I've used this on occasion.

Changes can only be made by United. However, I was misinformed by a reservation agent that I could use the standby confirmmed option three hours before I really want to travel. Apparently this is not true.

For the last several days, I've been trying to get a friend of mine home quicker on Sunday. The only routing available on Delta for United award was a double connection leaving a 8:15AM from LAX and arriving at 10:57PM into CHS. I tried calling several times, but no other award seats opened up. Several Delta agents told be I could still use the standby confirmed option for $25 3 hours before departure.

So, this morning at 3AM, I woke up, called SMS and requested his flight be changed to the 6AM departure. They said seats were available (I told them this was an award ticket) and they put me on hold while trying to get seat assigments. After a long hold the agent came back on saying that the standby confirmed option was not possible with a United award ticket - ticketing changes had to go though United. It took that agent nearly 45 minuites to reverse the changes, and even called me back, rather than have me wait on the phone, since I had to get going to get him to the airport.

I still felt that my friend would get on an earlier better connection - that the check in agents would not look so closely at his ticket. This was indeed the case. He did get on the 6AM flight (in coach rather than first as ticketd), and was waitliested for first (and did not make it - no status). I am supposing that there was award inventory in coach - but I don't know that for sure. They did make this change without the $25 charge - so I doubt it was a standby confirmed change. No wavers - no favors.

So my friend did get home at 4PM rather than 11PM, in coach rather than first - but that's what he wanted. He could have waited for his 8:15 AM flights and got home at 11AM with his double connection in CVG and ATL.

Also, for those of you ever using the Delta/United awards - the airline you ticket from follows their normal rules. That means if you ticket on Delta for a United ticket - no United express service on the routing - you can have a stopover (Delta allows this) - $25/ $75 fees for ticketing 7/3 days before travel - routing changes are allowed, just no change in Destination once ticketd (i.e. you could change an award from CHS - IAD - LAX to CHS - ORD - LAX without penality - something you CANNOT do on United).

If you do the other way around - United ticketing an award on Delta - no Delta connection carriers (eliminates many destinations) - no stopovers - no charge for ticketing a few days in advance - NO ROUTING CHANGES WITH OUT A FEE (i.e. CHS - ATL - LAX to CHS - CVG - LAX -- $100 fee).

I'll modify this e-mail if someone has other information that contradicts what I believe to be true. (I have done most of this myself).

Billy

happydad100

I am flying from SLC to LGA and then (2 days later) to Europe. I'd like to fly on the non-stop from SLC to JFK. I am on an award reservation (the SLC to JFK isn't available). Can I do same-day confirmed on the domestic portion of this reservation? I'm getting different answers from Delta. Also, can I change airports (arriving at JFK instead of LGA).

Thanks for your help!

Happydad

dspringer28

Tomorrow AM I going home from PDX. Right now my Routing goes PDX-CVG-ATL-AUS. I get into AUS at a little past 10PM. However, I have a long layover in ATL because I will not take a CRJ ATL-AUS, so I’m waiting for the MD80 a few hrs. later. So here’s my question, I’ve found a routing that keeps the original PDX-CVG flight, but than CVG-ATL-DFW-AUS that gets me in at 8:40. All the connections are legal, but I don’t think the routing is, so actually changing the ticket is out of the question. Is there any way I could get on these flights using SDC or standby, all the flights look pretty empty in F and Y (I’m on an A fare). I know the routing is funny (both the way I booked it and what I want to change it to), I need the extra MQMs and also, It’s very hard to get PDX-AUS without a long RJ flight.

NHFL9

You could try and change to PDX-ATL-AUS on DL 1276/1819 which gets in at 10:22, not sure if you're on the longer routing for more MQMs or not. As for the illegal routing, maybe you could convince an agent at the airport to do it for you. (Find either the dumbest or nicest one ) I've actually gotten away with changing my destination a few years ago without incurring any fees or paying a fare difference at the airport (even got put in Y from L, she must have been new or something), so you never know. Good luck!

dspringer28

I am doing PDX-CVG-ATL-AUS for the extra MQM, so I don't want to cut out a stop. But adding in the DFW stop is more for the arrival time, but the about 1000 MQMs will not be frowned upon.

indufan

Some travel chick tried to explain SDC on CNN Headline News a little bit ago. And it didn't go so well. That was part of a larger segment on the Delta fare changes. They are getting great PR out of this one.

DLfan

I agree. I've seen this reported today on Fox and NBC Nightly News. FNC had it on their news crawler all day. I'm all for a simplification of the fare structure, but this may ultimately prove to be the nail in the US coffin.

Traveller

What's SDC mean?

I know I've seen it before but can't think what it means.

indufan

Same Day Confirmed.