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I could do a Delta schedule change Saturday post just about every week as there is hardly EVER a week that goes by that something does not change on us. The regional partners tend to be the worst offenders but that is not to say Delta mainline is not just as guilty. But here is the thing about these changes I so hate:
- Delta often does not tell us
- Delta often changes our seats and does not tell us
- Delta, most times, does not alert us on our trips list at My Delta
- Changes can mean missed connections
- We have to often fight to get what we should get free!
These really are the main bullet points of why I, in so many ways, hate Delta for what they do when it comes to schedule changes. Oh sure I can go look at a reservation and see the “green wording” that a change has happened and Delta has just made the changes for me (without telling me btw) but if you have a trip booked months and months out is this change number 1 or 2 or 3 and what impact could it have on other flights on other itineraries you may have?
Take my latest one for example. I have one more of the sweet 250 SkyMile “sale” fares from YYZ to collect some MQMs for almost free. I have to get to YYZ with time to clear customs and then catch my 6PM flight back home. Now notice the red box and the arrival time I booked and then the auto-change Delta did for me and my arrival time. Yep, 3 hours and 15 minutes later than booked and most importantly arriving 15 minutes after my return flights have departed. I was given ZERO, NADA & NO notice by Delta about this change.
Again the only way I knew anything at all had changed was the lovely green wording about the change when I went into My Delta and the trip list and looked at the reservation. If only Delta were not so maddeningly nasty to Award Wallet they would have alerted me in a DAY to ANY of the changes (they did before and do for other airlines). But NOOOOOOOOO Delta has to block such a useful service and sure does not provide anything like that free to us from Delta.dumb. Thanks Delta – see ya got my back here (oh wait, that guy quit).
So here is what you have to do my frequent Delta travel friends. First off, wherever you save your emails, create a folder to save all the reservation emails you get from Delta. You REALLY need this so you can compare what is now live on Delta.dumb to what you booked as well as if there is change number 1, 2 & 3 to know what the grand total sum of all the changes is. Next, each and every week, take the time to compare what has changed this week, that is, has there been yet another change that Delta has not told you about. Lastly, please check your seat as well that you so carefully selected. That can often change EVEN when the aircraft does NOT change for minor schedule changes.
Yes folks this is maddening and even reps can tell you lots of bad information about how much time you need to get a free change but if you read the linked posts above about Schedule Changes and Delta you will have the knowledge to come out ahead! – René
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You could have put ‘United’ in every place you put ‘Delta’. My pt is its not DL alone.
That said every person should expect this to happen when they book a flight/trip way in advance of the actual flying date. Would you prefer the airlines to only allow say a 30 day advance possibilty to book a flight? That they can almost promise no changes to its time table, I dont
@isaac – It is not about the changes, it is about notice. Does UA tell you? If not, you can use Award Wallet to alert you (unlike Delta).
Ah yes the sweet pleasure of logging in to your account a week prior to the flight just to find that your exit row or aisle seat has been mysteriously changed to a middle seat farther back in the plane. Since it is a week prior to flight time there are absolutely no desirable seats remaining. When the call is made to Delta the result is due to an equipment change … (my thought is so what?) Then there is nothing the CSR can do about it.
Granted this happened more while I was still a lowly Platinum working up to Diamond. It also seems that a Diamond Elite was given my preferred seat choice.
Delta just like these political candidates we must listen to ad nauseum promise everything, say we are getting more than everything, but tell non truths fluently. Questionable integrity seems to be ok with Delta in daily business just as it seems to be with politics. Is this the new norm?
I had a couple schedule changes that appear to be strictly flight number changes, but same time, and my seat hasn’t changed. What if any are the practical implications?
@Oliver – See linked posts for all the rules and what you can and can not do especially if the new flight is another airline aka regional partner! #Hint
For one trip, Delta changed the plane from a CRJ2 to a CRJ7. I want to try to get us to C+ as that is what we booked for the other segments if not First class as our RUs cleared for the previous flight. For another trip, my flight leaves MSP even before I leave my hometown airport !
Thanks for the reminder to check. I had a schedule change for a January flight and called and now I get home an hour earlier, so this worked in my favor.