Bought tix last week on Delta flight no longer exists

[Terry's Angels]

Has this happened to anyone. I recently bought tix for upcoming May trip and checked to see if fare had changed and found out that the flight I booked doesn't exist anymore. What am I supposed to do now - rebook for a fee, just be bumped to another flight? Any help would be great.

 

[DawnCt1]

I have had flights change and flight numbers disappear with all of the airlines. It is actually a good thing because they have to get you to your destination in basically the same time frame that they originally agreed to. So no, there is no charge for rebooking and you can negotiate a better flight time that perhaps you didn't want to spend the $$ on before. Call DL right away, the sooner the better.

 

[Terry's Angels]

Called and got onto a flight an hour later. I don't really like this at all because it means that I'll have to periodically check back to be sure the flight we were scheduled on actually exists. Maybe I should have paid more for SW

 

[tchrrx]

Do airlines inform you when this happens or will I need to keep checking online to make sure my flight doesn't change? I know sometimes flight times adjust a little, but I didn't realize that they sometimes disappear altogether.


ETA: I just checked the delta website & my return flight is no longer listed. Does this mean it's sold out & that's why it's not on there or what? Do I need to contact them about changing flights?

 

[DawnCt1]

Do airlines inform you when this happens or will I need to keep checking online to make sure my flight doesn't change? I know sometimes flight times adjust a little, but I didn't realize that they sometimes disappear altogether.

DL has always let me know. Do they have your email address?

 

[tchrrx]

They do have our email address, but I haven't received a notice yet. (Our flight is still 100 days out though.) If they cancel a flight, will I need to rebook another, or will they just move me?

 

[DawnCt1]

They do have our email address, but I haven't received a notice yet. (Our flight is still 100 days out though.) If they cancel a flight, will I need to rebook another, or will they just move me?

They will move you. Our flight to Hawaii, which we booked 330 days out was changed and moved 4 times. Usually its only by "minutes" and we were still notified. The best change was when we were booked with ff miles from Ct. to Atlanta to Cinncinati to Honolulu, which was a ridiculous route. The flight was finally changed so that we couldn't make it from Atl to CNN in time to catch the HNL flight. That was great news because then they had to eliminate a leg and it worked out for the better.

 

[DVC Grammy]

They do have our email address, but I haven't received a notice yet. (Our flight is still 100 days out though.) If they cancel a flight, will I need to rebook another, or will they just move me?

With Delta, you're better off checking their website for your flight than waiting for them to contact you.
On our (last and final) trip using Delta, our flights were changed a total of 4 times, and not once were we notified! Luckily for me, I had my wise Dis-folks; someone had posted that suggestion (warning?) to frequently check online when booking Delta.
Also, if you do see a change in your itinerary, immediately call them, since those assigned seats are sometimes lost, too.
Good luck.

(This is one of the reasons I won't be writing a "Dear John" letter to SW, I their service and dependability!)

 

[goofy4tink]

A few thoughts.....one, Delta is absolutely famous for changing, canceling, moving around flights!! That's one of the reasons I no longer fly Delta unless I really have to. I loved being able to book way in the future, but found that I had to check on my flights on a daily basis. I found that too many times they changed times by a few minutes, or changed equipment, which meant I had to call them. Only one time in all my years flying with Delta did they ever call me or email me. The one call I got was about 8 hrs before our flight, asking if we would consider giving up our seats because they had overbooked. The one email I got was about a week before flying. If you choose to book more than a month out with Delta, be prepared to check on you flight daily, or risk getting seats moved or canceled.

Now.....as for 'sarcasm' here on the boards....yes, there are some of us, myself included, who can be on the sarcastic side. There are times when someone innocently asks a question that can really push people's buttons. So, these folks, who have been down the same road repeatedly, may respond with a touch of sarcasm in their posts. I really think that most here, especially on the Transportation Board, are very nice and helpful. They usually welcome questions and answer in a very positive manner. This board is one of the most 'civil' on the DIS....let's keep it that way
.
Everyone....take a few deep, cleansing breaths......okay, now back to doing what we do best...help out other DISers in need of transportation info.

 

[PolyHereWeCome]

Terry's Angels - Hope all works out with Delta. Since both SW and Delta fly direct non-stop from our closest airport down to Orlando, I'm neutral toward which to choose. And they've both "got me" because they are the only games in town unless we use a different airport. I just pick based on best fares for the dates and times we want, and wouldn't generalize about one being better or worse.

 

[tchrrx]

If I call Delta, will I be charged a fee for 'changing' even though it's technically their fault? I know it seems to cost money to talk to a live person, but I'm not sure if I can email them about flights changing or not. I'm not real picky on seat arrangements, except that I want my DD to sit by me. If DH has to sit elsewhere, that's fine.

 

[seashoreCM]

If I call Delta, will I be charged a fee for 'changing' even though it's technically their fault? I know it seems to cost money to talk to a live person, but I'm not sure if I can email them about flights changing or not. I'm not real picky on seat arrangements, except that I want my DD to sit by me. If DH has to sit elsewhere, that's fine.

If your seat assignments are lost you must call (no email) to accept the change (and or choose a flight you like better) and have new seat assignments made.
There should be no fee to call them to reselect seat assignments even if you want a different flight than the flight they automatically reassigned you to.

 

[goofy4tink]

If I call Delta, will I be charged a fee for 'changing' even though it's technically their fault? I know it seems to cost money to talk to a live person, but I'm not sure if I can email them about flights changing or not. I'm not real picky on seat arrangements, except that I want my DD to sit by me. If DH has to sit elsewhere, that's fine.

You'll be okay. I had a flight just disappear once with Delta. They tried 'merging' us with another flight. Only issue was that the flight I was on was almost a full flight...the flight they tried merging us with was 3/4 full...you don't need to be a math major to figure out that that isn't going to work!!!! I ended up being put on the flight I originally wanted but was too expensive for me!! It didn't cost anything extra since they had canceled my original flight and I was 'willing' (to say the least) to take a completely different flight time!! But, you do have to call them and talk to a real, live person!!!

 

[Terry's Angels]

Thanks everyone for all of the information - obviously there are several folks out there who have questions about "disappearing" flights. Although many "vets" may have experience, several of us do not and informative, respectful and thoughtful info about this situation is great.

 

[goofy4tink]

Thanks everyone for all of the information - obviously there are several folks out there who have questions about "disappearing" flights. Although many "vets" may have experience, several of us do not and informative, respectful and thoughtful info about this situation is great.

I can't tell you the amount of insight and knowledge I got from this board when I first started going to WDW!!! There are a ton of really helpful, knowledgable folks here who are more than happy to help others make their way through the 'obstacle course' known as airtravel!! Hopefully you will find as much info and help as I did!!! Man.....I hate disappearing flights..been there, done that!!!!

 

[tchrrx]

Thank you everyone for your help. I just got off the phone with Delta & have new seat assignments. As of right now, our flight has only changed by 5-10 minutes. But, I now know how important it is to continue checking the delta site at least a couple of times a week for the next 99 days!

So...one more question....
Should I go ahead & book ME with the info I have so far or should I wait awhile in case the flight changes again?

 

[the Fidge]

THank you Terrys Angel, for asking this question. ONe of those things I did not think to also prepare for. I also appreciate all the great answers that gave such great information in case a scenerio like this should happen.

It is always so great to come here and learn from those that have been in similar situations like this before.

Thats why I love coming on to DIS to get kind and well thought of answers to any of my silly questions!

Always makes for happy planning of the happiest vacation for this family!

 

[rsschneck]

Has this happened to anyone. I recently bought tix for upcoming May trip and checked to see if fare had changed and found out that the flight I booked doesn't exist anymore. What am I supposed to do now - rebook for a fee, just be bumped to another flight? Any help would be great.

I have had this happen. In fact the last time the red-eye was totally canceled and they put us on an early morning flight the next day. Well, I explained I would be loosing a days vacation and so they extended our return date by one extra day. We book usually as soon as flights are announced or when I can get a great deal. I actually like that Delta changes their flights/times so often because they have always been VERY accomidating when they change your flights. Then you can get the times and connections that you want. I just keep checking my itineraries and call them when they have made changes. I make sure I have checked what flights work for me and have never had a problem getting what I wanted.

 

[rsschneck]

Thank you everyone for your help. I just got off the phone with Delta & have new seat assignments. As of right now, our flight has only changed by 5-10 minutes. But, I now know how important it is to continue checking the delta site at least a couple of times a week for the next 99 days!

So...one more question....
Should I go ahead & book ME with the info I have so far or should I wait awhile in case the flight changes again?

Call to make ME reservations about 6 weeks before. If there are changes you can call them with the updates. I would not make them to early in case of other flight changes.

 

[Letsbgoofy]

ETA: I just checked the delta website & my return flight is no longer listed. Does this mean it's sold out & that's why it's not on there or what? Do I need to contact them about changing flights?

I just got off the phone with Delta as my departing flight disappeared yesterday. They are restructuring and have made some big changes; at least at my airport. I got much better flights than what we had originally. We used skymiles and had 3 hour layovers in Atlanta both ways. Even though only my flights down to MCO had changed, the Delta representative changed my flights leaving MCO for me too!!

I check my Delta flights every few weeks. When there is a schedule change, I call right away to get the best available flights. Usually the change is only a few minutes, but your seats won't show up until you talk to them (they are still assigned to you).

If you aren't sure if your flight is sold out or has been eliminated, check the flight schedule section for your dates. It lists the flights whether they have seats left or not.

I have had many flight changes with Delta over the years. I have found that being friendly and polite goes a long way. Many times I have been given a seat on a better flight/connection even though my original flight only changed by half an hour.