New "Enhancement" Regarding Award Travel
 

Hello all. I have LGA-ATL-DXB and return BE award ticket scheduled for the beginning of June. The original LGA-ATL flight I booked was 3:55, then with a 2:30ish layover connecting to DL 8 ATL-DXB. Yesterday, being a few days after ScheduleChangeSaturday™, I did a quick check of all my itineraries, and saw that I had been bumped to a 2:55 LGA-ATL. Figuring my 3:55 had not been canceled (LGA-ATL runs, and has run on an hourly basis on weekdays for years) I called SMS very curious about the change. I was told that I was bumped because there were no longer any seats available in F on the 3:55 and that is why I was bumped. I then proceeded to tell the agent that I still saw at least 9 seats for sale onthat flight. I was then told by the agent, "Yes, but those aren't available for award bookings." Called back several times and got similar results, even though in the past they were always able to override capacity controls because of schedule changes.
So my question is, now can you have a CONFIRMED award seat and be randomly bumped off your scheduled flights months in advance by Delta if they feel they will be able to sell the seats? I more than understand capacity controls, but I thought once you booked a flight, it was yours, as long as the flight still runs!

This should not have been changed if you had confirmed seats on the 3:55pm. I would ask for a supervisor. Also, next time you are at the airport, the CRC agents might be able to look at the record and see what happened. (It always seems easier to deal face to face.)

Call SMS again until you find someone to fix it for you.

OP, so what happened?

No reason why your seat should have been changed. Even it were sold out and overbooked, they owe you your original confirmed flight.

Not ticketed yet?

This sounds like some kind of glitch. Call and ask for a supervisor to fix it.

No, this was ticketed many months ago. I just got off the phone with Delta and the very nice agent said that the reason they were giving me the run around was because I was originally booked at 4 PM, and they moved all the LGA-ATL flights back by 5 minutes (4 pm now became 3:55, etc). Because of this ever so subtle time change, they were able to get around rebooking me on the flight I was supposed to be on. Nonetheless, the agent I just got off with did it, and now I'm back at 3:55...just hope he didn't put me in for the haraSSSSment!!:p

Worry Worry
 

I will BET that OP will see at least two to four more schedule changes BEFORE June. One of which will be seasonal time change.

As for SSSS -- OP and everyone else needs to learn how to travel LIGHT with STANDARD SIZE ONE BAG MAXIMUM 40 LBS. and learn to arrive at the airport EARLY so you won't need to worry your curls or short-hairs about TSA security, etc.

Well considering DL runs LGA-ATL on weekdays at something like 16x daily year-round, and has for the last 15 years or so, and they rarely make major schedule changes to their international flights, the most I think I will see is one of those b.s. 2 minute time changes.

As for your second part, do you work for the TSA? Cause that sounds a bit like TSA Public Relations BS.

I've always been fortunate in dealing with DL on awards in the event of a schedule change or irrops. They've always been willing to put me into any available (revenue) seat reasonably close to my original itinerary.

Did they change equipment?

Nope. Been a standard 752 the whole time. For anyone who has ever doine ATL-DXB, any suggestions on the best seats each way?

re: stupid time-change schedule changes
 

those unnecessary- famous 2 or 5 minute scheduled time changes :td:is what i was referencing -- sadly, it is just that tiny annoyance that CAN throw either a segment of the itin including CONFIRMED flight/seat assignments--into Chaos ...:(


Thank you for your courtesy. A polite inquiry, deserves a polite response. ^ NO I am NOT with TSA.

I dislike those morons as much as anyone. :td: :p

I'm in the fortunate position (also NOT a FAM or FAA) that I don't have to deal with any of their B.S. screening :td: and I pass through to the gate within 1-3 minutes tops WITHOUT having to join the shoe carnival or have my gear searched, either....^ :D

About 1 year ago I had an award ticket change that left me with to short a connection window (the next leg was SQ across the pacific, so didn't want to risk a 1 day delay). I noticed seats available on my preferred flight so called in.

The agent first said "nope, not available for award". I replied that DL had changed my flight making my connection questionable, can't they overide based on that. She said yes, given that situation it is in the rules.

So I think the story here is just keep on it, they can fix the problem with non-award inventory when DL changes your schedule.