Delta experts...Help

[jacksonsmom]

I have a question, Delta changed our deputare time by about an hour so now we will be leaving at 7:35 in the morning. That is just too early for us, as it was 8:30 was pushing it.

Is there anyway I can call Delta & try to get a later flight the same day??
Who do I talk to about this?
Can this even be done without a major hassle?

Thanks

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Just call Delta's 800 number, that can be found on their website, or, you may already have it, and speak to an agent. Explain that that flight is not acceptable and you would like to change it.
If there is space available, I would imagine they will change you.

 

[Nathan's Grandma]

I would go on Delta.com first and search flights to see what is available in your area and go from there.

I check our flights every single day and Delta just cancelled one of our flights from Dayton, OH to MCO. Our only options they could give us was a 5.5 hour lay over in Atlanta or leave MCO at 6:00 a.m.

I refused both and she said they would refund my money (tickets cost 189.50 each.) I explained that was not an option either. She said I was not working with her and I very nice but very firmly told her I was the customer and they had to work with me.

I asked to speak to a supervisor and she said hold on and ended up booking us with straight through flights from Cincinnati, Oh with no cost to us.

It just happened to my boss on Sunday also. They called her and said she could fly out on Saturday but not Thursday (tomorrow.) They are very good Delta customers and she told them she paid 655.00 for her ticket and they better find her a flight. She is leaving tomorrow an hour early and took the last seat on the plane but they never offered it to her.

Be firm and nice and you should get what you want.

Good Luck!

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by Nathan's Grandma
I would go on Delta.com first and search flights to see what is available in your area and go from there.

I check our flights every single day and Delta just cancelled one of our flights from Dayton, OH to MCO. Our only options they could give us was a 5.5 hour lay over in Atlanta or leave MCO at 6:00 a.m.

I refused both and she said they would refund my money (tickets cost 189.50 each.) I explained that was not an option either. She said I was not working with her and I very nice but very firmly told her I was the customer and they had to work with me.

I asked to speak to a supervisor and she said hold on and ended up booking us with straight through flights from Cincinnati, Oh with no cost to us.

It just happened to my boss on Sunday also. They called her and said she could fly out on Saturday but not Thursday (tomorrow.) They are very good Delta customers and she told them she paid 655.00 for her ticket and they better find her a flight. She is leaving tomorrow an hour early and took the last seat on the plane but they never offered it to her.

Be firm and nice and you should get what you want.



Good Luck!

Anyone that flys with Delta is a "good customer".

"strong arming" someone that cannot fight back is a nasty thing to do. State your purpose and climb the chain, but, don't play stupid games and treat someone like they were less than a human being to get your own way. I have a definite adversion to treating some hapless individual who chose to be in a position that deals with the public ( been there done that) like they were less than a human being. Treat them like you would like to be treated and the world opens up. They don't really care if your grandmother, aunt, uncle, mother or father are great anything customers, what they care about is how YOU TREAT THEM!!!

 

[Nathan's Grandma]

I am assuming you are not referring to what I said because the words you used are nowhere in my post. I kill people with kindness everyday as they are screaming at me because of something they do not like. People sit at my desk and ask me all the time, how you do that when they can hear the person on the other end of the phone. You treat with kindness but you should be firm; this is what I wrote.

Actually, when I called at 7:00 a.m. on Sunday concerning our flights the person I spoke to was not polite from the word go. I was always nice but firm. They were offering to fly us from Dayton and back to Cincinnati. Our cars would be in Dayton, not Cincinnati. She apologized to me for treating me like she did when I had been very nice to her. She said they were canceling flights by the hour and they were just frustrated. I then asked her name and told her I would write a letter saying she did a great job. (This was before they changed us to Cincinnati.) I did write the letter. I never once implied that someone “strong-arm” another person because I would not do it myself.

Have a blessed and Happy Easter.

 

[Eeyore1954]

Originally posted by GAIL HAYDEN
Anyone that flys with Delta is a "good customer".

"strong arming" someone that cannot fight back is a nasty thing to do. State your purpose and climb the chain, but, don't play stupid games and treat someone like they were less than a human being to get your own way. I have a definite adversion to treating some hapless individual who chose to be in a position that deals with the public ( been there done that) like they were less than a human being. Treat them like you would like to be treated and the world opens up. They don't really care if your grandmother, aunt, uncle, mother or father are great anything customers, what they care about is how YOU TREAT THEM!!!

I think you need to re-read Nathan's Grandma's post again. I didn't get any impression that she was "strong arming" anyone or playing stupid games or treating someone like they were less than a human being. This post is coming from way out of left field.

Just my 2 cents... but I totally agree with Nathan's Grandma -- you have to be kind but firm when dealing with the airlines. Certainly they are having a difficult time, but nonetheless it is no reason for them to fail to recognize that YOU are the customer.

Now the OP complained that their flight was changed to an hour earlier -- 7:35 a.m. (and that's too early?!?). JMO, but that's hardly a major inconvenience to raise a big issue about. You are still on a flight going to where you want to be. If you didn't want an early flight, you shouldn't have booked an 8:30 a.m. flight to begin with. Book what you want to fly with the understanding that in today's travel environment, changes can and do occur frequently. If you like to sleep late, don't book a morning flight. That's just common sense.

 

[jacksonsmom]

Thank you everyone for your advice.

Eeyore1954--

Yes, 7:35 is too early, when you live 2 hours away from the airport, have to be there at least 90 mins beforehand.
An hour may not seem like a big deal to you & it really wouldn't be for me either, but I have a 3 year old son to worry about.
I am sure the other air passengers would NOT want to hear him whining all through the flight because he is extra tired.
And YES, an extra hour of sleep can do him wonders.

And as far as him sleeping on the plane, I know he won't. We have been on plane rides before, he NEVER falls asleep on planes.

I would not have cared if they moved the flight up an hour, but back an hour DOES pose a problem.

 

[Eeyore1954]

Originally posted by jacksonsmom
Thank you everyone for your advice.

Eeyore1954--

Yes, 7:35 is too early, when you live 2 hours away from the airport, have to be there at least 90 mins beforehand.
An hour may not seem like a big deal to you & it really wouldn't be for me either, but I have a 3 year old son to worry about.
I am sure the other air passengers would NOT want to hear him whining all through the flight because he is extra tired.
And YES, an extra hour of sleep can do him wonders.

And as far as him sleeping on the plane, I know he won't. We have been on plane rides before, he NEVER falls asleep on planes.

I would not have cared if they moved the flight up an hour, but back an hour DOES pose a problem.

Given your experience, given where you choose to live and given that you have a 3 yr. old son -- why in the world would you book an 8:30 a.m. flight -- especially given what is happening with the airlines these days?

Another option is to put your son to bed an hour earlier the night before, make your 7:35 a.m. departure and in the future, book a later flight. Don't let this learning experience escape.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Nathan's Grandma
Nope, my response was a bit of advice in general, not directed at you.

 

[jacksonsmom]

Well, call me stupid or whatever, but I have not been on a flight since 9/11 or before the airlines took a major nosedive. (no pun intended)

I guess I did not realize how common it is to get your flight changed. I knew if you made it months in advance it could very well changed but I only made made these a few weeks back for a June trip. I thought I would be fairly safe from flight changes.

Yes, I guess this has been a learning experience.

 

[Snoozan]

Another option would be to arrive the night before and stay in a hotel right near the airport. I know some of these hotels have deals where they keep your car while you're gone, so you really end up spending just a bit more than keeping your car in a parking lot.

 

[jacksonsmom]

Thanks Snoozan

We have been talking about that this morning.
I think that might be a good option for us.

Now just trying to find a cheap, but decent hotel near
the airport

 

[erikthewise]

Last year Delta's policy was that you could get a refund if your departure time changed by more than 90 min. It was very useful to us, but that policy may well have changed (along with everything else).

Looking for a cheap but decent hotel... if there's a Hampton Inn at your airport, take it. Not dirt cheap, but reasonable, and very dependable. Also free breakfast at 6:00AM, though you'd be hard pressed to take advantage of it for a 7:35 flight. Maybe grab a couple muffins as you board the shuttle. (They may be out somewhat before 6)

 

[shovelhd]

jacksonsmom,

Delta changed our flights yesterday from 10:40am to 6:50am. I also have two young children. Count yourself lucky. We hemmed and hawed over cancelling and rebooking, getting a hotel, etc. We decided to just get up early and go, and get the whole nasty thing over with. What really stinks is that my two kids are disabled and one of them is going to have to sit alone. We will try to arrange seats together at the gate but there's only a 20% chance of doing that.

Chris

 

[sherrie]

How are you finding that your flights have changed. Where do you check. Do you get emailed. Thanks, Sherrie

 

[Nathan's Grandma]

Sherrie,

I go to Delta.com and enter my skymiles number and password and bring up our Itineraries ("Your Itineraries" listed on the home page in the left column.) If a flight has changed it will show.

I made reservations for four of us and it brings up our flights and seating arrangements. If you don't have a skymiles number sign up for one on the home page and then call delta's 800 number and tell them you want an reservation # put on the new skymile's number.

I used my grandson's middle name on his skymiles number application but not on his ticket when I purchased it. They told me on the phone to use his middle name for now on when making reservations. They were afraid it would not attach and if it did not call them back. It did attach so now I can look at all three reservations made for this trip.

 

[seashoreCM]

To Shovelhd:

>>> only 20%

Particularly when disabled persons or children are involved, airlines are very likely to dishonor other pax' seat selections to enable families to sit together.

If one of the seats is isolated and the children are small, a parent should sit there and check on the rest of the family as needed. If enough parents do this, it will eventually dawn on the airline that re-arranging seating before departure is better.

>>> how do you find out flights have changed...

It helps to find out in advance via the airline web site what alternate flights you like are available so you know what to ask for in case yours have changed.

 

[shovelhd]

I found out that our flight was cancelled and our seats reassigned on an earlier flight because I have been checking every week via the airline's website. One night I got the bad news.

I negotiate multimilliondollar deals as part of my job, but after three management escalations, I couldn't get anywhere. They simply cancelled a fully booked flight and rebooked our seats on an earlier one. The only recourse is at the gate. Everyone I talked to was sympathetic and understanding but there's nothing they can do.

I really only need to move one seat, the one for my twelve year old. My seven year old will have a seat next to my wife. I will try to move him near me or them. Or maybe we'll just sit on the can.

I hate flying. Always have, always will.

 

[kdudley3]

I understand your frustration. This is also happening to me. And I'm not happy with it either.

I just wish people wouldn't bicker on these bords. Aren't we just supposed to be here to inform and help each other?

Telling you that you shouldn't live that far from the airport, have your kid go to sleep an hour earlier does nothing to help you solve your problem. (Some kids are on a schedule and won't go to bed an hour earlier, especially if they know something BIG is going on the next morning re:xmas)

Anyways, I think that going to a hotel the night before is the best way to go. Try priceline. I also know that if you ask for a corporate rate that it's usually one of the cheapest. They don't ask you for any kind of info proving that you're part of a corporation. (No flames, Yes, I am the president of my own corporation).

I understand and I hope everything works out well for you and your family. Have a GREAT vacation !!!!!!!!!!

 

[jacksonsmom]

Thank you for your response & understanding, Kdudley3.

Yes, we have decided we are going to stay at a hotel close to the airport. We have already booked one for only $38.00 a night. Not bad!
This way I can allow my son to sleep longer then even orginally planned.
It probably works out for the best

Let's just hope they don't change it again!