Delta/Song Rant

[patchchild]

Argh. I really have to wonder about the airlines sometimes. A group of four of us booked our flights to Orlando about four months ago. It was great, we got a 9:00pm flight out of Boston. That way, all of us could work that Thursday, then fly down. We'd have all day Friday for fun, rather than losing the morning by flying out then. Now, without telling us at all, Delta cancled our flight. The latest departure is now 3:00pm. We already have hotel and car reservations which would be a pain to change so now we all have to find a way to schedule another vacation day.

I can't believe Delta feels it's fine to NOT contact people when they cancle flights and move them 6 hours.

 

[DebbieB]

They should have contacted you. I would keep close watch on the schedule, there may be more changes as they try to stay afloat (they are in bankruptcy). Also keep in mind there may be a pilots strike coming. You may want to get your money back and try to book another airline. They should give you a refund with a 6 hour change.

 

[kellyf2626]

We have also run into a similiar problem with Delta/Song. We purchased tickets for Thursday, April 20 to Orlando at 8:30 and departing Monday night at 6pm to come home. Well, they have changed our flight about 5x now - and we were never notified!! Luckily, we checked online one day about 2 months ago, and noticed the times were different!! The most recent alteration to the schedule shows us leaving on Monday evening from Orlando at 8:30ish, and not arriving in Boston until 11:30 at night. Seriously??? I will not get home until 1am now, and need to be at work the following morning at 7am. Now I am contemplating taking another vacation day that Tuesday we get back, due to the late arrival time back in Boston.

It is soooooo aggrevating!! Luckily we had gone on-line to check the flights - or we would have never even known until we checked the day before we left!! I don't understand how they can just change/cancel flights like that??? I should have just waited and booked SW!

 

[brentalex]

It is amazing that they have not notified people, especially if a flight is cancelled. We are flying out on the 14th on Song and our flights have changed too many times to count. Each time we lost our seat assignments. However, I had been checking on the flights almost every day since I first made the reservations. Each time they changed them, I contacted them and got the seat assignments back. I knew that there was a chance that schedules would change because I had bought the tickets so early, so I made a point of checking them. But it does stink that they can change the flights, and not tell you at all. When were you supposed to find out, when you showed up at the airport for a non existant flight?

 

[PURTYPAT1]

I flew out of LGA last month. I made reservations with AA airlines months ahead of time. They changed my flight twice. I was suppose to leave at 6pm & ended up leaving at 11am. If it wasn't for these boards, & the warnings I wouldn't have checked & not known. AA never called me, I called them

I guess it happens with many of the airlines.

Patricia

 

[bicker]

They're supposed to contact you three weeks prior to your flight, if your flight is cancelled before that point in time. I've never had either AA nor DL fail to contact me. YMMV.

 

[kellyf2626]

They're supposed to contact you three weeks prior to your flight, if your flight is cancelled before that point in time. I've never had either AA nor DL fail to contact me. YMMV.

Well, it's nice they contact you...but 3 weeks doesn't give you a lot of time to make other plans. Especially if you are flying during a busy time of year - you may not have any other options!

 

[lauren0309]

I booked for Song for April 17th about 6 months ago. I just checked online and so far my flights and seats are exactly the same. I guess I should start checking every day. And with the impending strike, who knows what will happen.

 

[bicker]

We don't pay airlines enough to contact us more often than once. Leisure travelers who are very sensitive to the timing are well-advised to check their flights themselves, regularly. It's a small price to pay for the insanely low fares we're charged.

 

[PCFriar80]

I guess I'm confused? The last flight out of BOS to MCO is 3:00 PM? Do you mean non-stop? I'm sure there are connecting flights, either ATL or CVG that depart BOS late in the evening. I realize that connections are not as great as non-stop, but if it fits your schedule you need to contact Delta and have them book you on the last flight BOS/ATL/MCO or any other connecting city. They changed the schedule, you're in control!

 

[JoeCathyAngelina]

I check our Song flights every day to make sure we have a flight and seats. Since last August they've cancelled or changed the times on our flights about 10 times.
My biggest concern is checking our flight home while we're at Disney. Other than calling Song every day I'm open for any suggestions.
Good Luck all,
Joe

 

[safetymom]

Once you buy a ticket on any airline you should be checking to see if there have been any changes. It isn't a good idea to wait for the airline to contact you. The sooner you call them the better chance you have of getting what you want.

 

[KimWDW]

Ick, I'm staying far away from Delta in 2006. They need to get their act together.

Come on JetBlue... where are your fall fares?

 

[goofy4tink]

You know...I'm, or should I say 'was'...a huge Song fan. I'm booked on Delta for our May trip and then again in Oct. But, I have just about had it with them. I do realize that changes are to be expected..I check my itinerary every single day, at least once. But, since today is Sunday, I know that the chances for Delta flight changes are about 90%. Yep, there are changes to our flight in May (now at about 6 changes since I booked in late Jan). But, the 'big' change, requiring me to to call and get my seats reassigned is a one minute difference in arrival time at my home airport, leaving from Tampa at the exactly same time. Now, come on Delta...how in heaven's name do you know that it is going to take one min. longer to make the flight from Tampa to Boston? And why do I need to call you for this one!!! It's getting a bit ridiculous at this point. JB is looking better and better everyday. Now, just watch their prices skyrocket since we're all jumping ship with Delta!!

 

[bicker]

how in heaven's name do you know that it is going to take one min. longer to make the flight from Tampa to Boston?

Rather, they are allocated specific take-off and landing slots, and sometimes have to shuffle them around to get things to fit together best. They can always slow down a little to fit their aircraft into the appropriate slot, if they have to.

And why do I need to call you for this one!!! It's getting a bit ridiculous at this point.

Well, it's sobering, though, thinking about the fact that the next-most-likely alternative is that the airline won't even exist. A one minute flight schedule change seems pretty good in that context! :roftl:

JB is looking better and better everyday.

JetBlue has always looked good. Airlines always look good when they're young.

Now, just watch their prices skyrocket since we're all jumping ship with Delta!!

That's a necessary part of what's going on. It isn't possible to operate an airline profitably, long-term, given the current airfares.

 

[tkldisney]

We had the same thing (cancelled flight) for our trip in May. We were not notified, just re-booked on another flt. We had non-stop flts, DAY-MCO and they put us on connecting flt through ATL. That wasn't going to work for me, so I called and re-booked (at no charge) the same original flight (don't know why it was cancelled just on Tues.) for Monday. I had to change from POFQ to POR because AAA discount wasn't available for Mon. That really didn't bother us since it's just me & sister. The good thing is we now have an extra day in WDW which we wanted anyway, but did not want to pay fee to change flt, this way we didn't have too!

I also check my flts 3 times a day now, because we within 44 days.

 

[LOVETHATMOUSE]

Ok - we have never flown anything but Delta or Song, but I think this is our last flight with them after our May 2006 trip. For one, they have never notified us after they changed the flight from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm. I was lucky enough to be able to get a 5:00 pm flight instead which was better for us (after speaking to 3 operators overseas who couldn't do a thing, they FINALLY transferred me back to the states where they did the whole switch in less than 5 minutes) Fine - we got our flight/seat assignments and things were happy with the world. Since then 3 times they have changed our flights by 4 minutes each and yes, we have to call every time to get our seat assignments. I wish we were flying out tomorrow so I wouldn't have to do this every week. Delta - get it together!!

 

[patchchild]

It's good to know that I'm not the only one having these issues. Or does that make it bad that I'm not the only one?

I've always been such a fan of Delta/Song. They've been great in the past, but this is a little nuts. I still can't believe that 3:00pm is the latest they're flying out of Boston. I double checked on their website and there is nothing listed after that time, direct or indirect. Yuck!

Hopefully, they'll move my flight around again and I can just rebook it for early that day. Since we all have to take the day off anyway, might as well get the best out of it that we can.

 

[BigTigger]

I had posted a few weeks back on this. In a nutshell, after May 1st, Song is folded back into Delta. Delta is using the 757's from Song at non-peak times for other runs and does not have enough replacement smaller planes (MD-88's) to move to the old Song runs. So from May 1st to June 7th, the last direct flight each night from BOS to MCO - flight 1899 at 7:30 pm - is a hit or miss on whether it will occur. I fly Delta a lot and have platinum status with them, so I asked special member services to get me a real answer on this problem as I have 3 flights in limbo in May and early June. There answer was to expect most to be formally cancelled in the next few weeks. Look for a replacement flight in the 5 to 6 pm timeframe to come on the schedule by mid-May through early June and the 7:30 flight to resume on MD-88 equipment on June 8th.

As far as the increased prices, JetBlue has already pumped up prices for the released schedule through September. Even with flexible timing, it's impossible to find many $79 fares anymore. Most roundtrips are over $200 now. The only good news is AA is increasing Miami service from Boston and if you don't mind a BOS to MIA to MCO rounting, you can get a roundtrip under $150.

 

[bicker]

Just don't count on it for long. Eventually the airlines will get their act together, and the result will be more reasonable fares -- in Boston, that means in the $250 range, roundtrip, at the least.