Delta Changed our flight!

[seashoreCM]

Choice 1 -- Hand pick alternate flights and ask to be switched to them. The airline should accommodate you if the cabin is not sold out, no more money changes hands.

Choice 2 -- Pick cheaper flights, pay the change fee, and modify your reservation accordingly. This should work if the allotment of seats at that price is not sold out.

A long time ago, airlines would give you a voucher for the difference (good for future flights) upon request if you found a price drop on the (exact) same itinerary. The purpose of this was to encourage you to buy early and put the dollars in their coffers sooner. Apparently some airlines find that strategy not so favorable given that they discontinued the practice.

To combat the discontinuance of that practice, you try not to buy so quickly and instead wait for fares to come down.

I If I book paying $50 or $80 each more for our family of 5 and the airline moves me to the flight I could have booked for less money but chose not to, I would not be happy having paid more for a time that worked better for us. This happened with us on American and I held firm--our original flight was still available but nearly full--and they finally changed us back. We had booked 4 months prior when it was nowhere full and did not appreciate the involuntary bump.

They may not move you in advance if your original flight still exists. I would avoid accepting any advance offers for such except for a more favorable flight time, since it may become a he said she said about whether they actually did offer you any compensation over the phone.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Why should they pay the difference when they did not request the change???
If Delta moves them to a cheaper flight, I think she is due a refund of the difference.

Right. They didn't request the change. There's no valid reason they SHOULD pay Delta any difference between the flight they reserved and the flight on which they're now booked if the new flight were more expensive. Equally, there's no valid reason why Delta should pay THEM any difference between the flight they reserved and the flight on which they're now booked.

The OP still would have been entitled to a $20 per person credit - the difference between the $170 price difference and the $150 change fee - if she had been assertive, but she apparently chose not to push for it.

 

[sydneysmom]

Right. They didn't request the change. There's no valid reason they SHOULD pay Delta any difference between the flight they reserved and the flight on which they're now booked if the new flight were more expensive. Equally, there's no valid reason why Delta should pay THEM any difference between the flight they reserved and the flight on which they're now booked.

The OP still would have been entitled to a $20 per person credit - the difference between the $170 price difference and the $150 change fee - if she had been assertive, but she apparently chose not to push for it.

No, I didn't.....for $ 20 it didn't seem worth it to go through all the hassle. I was just glad that they could move us so that we could actally get on a connecting flight. ( since the first time it changed we would have missed our connecting flight)
What upset me was that I didn't even get an email or anything letting me know that the flight changed. And yes, I do think if it's Delta's issue, they should alter the price and give a discount. I didn't ask to have our flight moved.

 

[maxiesmom]

No, I didn't.....for $ 20 it didn't seem worth it to go through all the hassle. I was just glad that they could move us so that we could actally get on a connecting flight. ( since the first time it changed we would have missed our connecting flight)
What upset me was that I didn't even get an email or anything letting me know that the flight changed. And yes, I do think if it's Delta's issue, they should alter the price and give a discount. I didn't ask to have our flight moved.

You don't know if that flight was cheaper to begin with, you only know what it is now. Could be your new flight was more expensive when you first made your reservations. Maybe look at it as if you are actually getting a deal will help you not to feel so bad.

The thing is, your trip is still over 2 months away. It could very well be that your flight changes again. Keep an eye on it.

 

[kaytieeldr]

What upset me was that I didn't even get an email or anything letting me know that the flight changed.

Respectfully, you didn't give them time. Most airlines have hundreds of flights daily. They need to notify passengers of flight changes in the order affected. Say Delta made this same change to this specific flight every day starting July 1 (I don't know that they did, it's just an example). They need to notify the July 1 passengers first, then the July 2 passengers, then the July 3 passengers... meanwhile, if they have other flight changes - very likely - they need to notify all THOSE passengers, again in the order affected. They would get to you, they really would. I've monitored my flights on JetBlue and found changes - rarely, but it happens. I accepted the change in one case and called to make a change in the other. About a week later, I got an e-mail from JetBlue telling me my (original) flight times had changed It really didn't bother me, I caught the changes in June and my trip was in September.