My Delta Contingency Plan

[dpayne1969]

This agent was mistaken about that

well great there goes that silver lining.LOL>I thought that was to good to be true.I would like to know what others are doing for their back up plans especially those with kids.

 

[bicker]

The silver lining is that the strike against the airline probably won't happen, and the airline probably won't go out of business.

I think most folks are just sitting tight, and hoping for the best.

 

[K&K]

What if you are flying on a delta connection carrier? I am Flying on Delta connection Atlantic Southeast Airlines, but the eticket and everything says delta, and I purchased it at delta.com. If Delta does strike will the connection carriers be grounded as well?

 

[bicker]

Unlike Chautauqua, ASA is much more closely aligned with Delta, and will be more likely to be operating only if Delta is operating.

 

[K&K]

But isnt ASA owned by Skywest?

 

[bicker]

Yes, it is.

 

[aloysius1992]

Stand by for us would be horrid. We are traveling in a party of 11. 6 adults, one who will be 7 months along, and then 5 kids (7,5,5,3,3). I couldn't ask any of the kids to sit by someone they don't know, would airlines really make a small child sit away from a parent? I could understand where the whole family couldn't sit together, but to seperate small children from mom and dad. I believe in God, I think now is a good time to start praying. If its supposed to happen, it will.

Our experience has been that other passengers have always been generous enough to switch seats to allow kids to sit with parents.

Could backup tickets just be bought for the pregnant lady?
If book on SouthWest and don't need their tickets, they can be cancelled and a credit issued for another flight within the year.

 

[coinkc]

Here's a thought that worked for us and maybe can help some of you. check your Delta flights daily!

If they change the flight times more than 90 minutes you are eligible for a full refund. Call Delta and ask to speak with the customer service department. Explain that the changed flight times are unacceptable for your trip and that you want a refund to make other arrangements.

I did this last Sunday as they had changed both of our non-stop flights to connecting ones with layovers. Also we would not be arriving in Orlando until 4 hours after we were originally scheduled. I was able to get a refund of our original purchase price (l did lose $100 on a change ticket fee that I had already paid after I changed our dates but that was my fault).

Do know however that if you booked through Disney (we actually booked through AAA) that the tickets are paid for with a check so it takes 2 weeks to get the refund check and the refund will go to Disney. For us, they are just going to apply it to our balance due. For others, they have to wait for WDW to refund it to them. This is true no matter how you pay for your package through WDW (I paid by credit card through Disney who paid Delta with a check).

Hope this makes sense and helps someone! Strike or no strike, it made me feel TONS better to know that I didn't have to worry about Delta cancelling or changing flights for the next several months. Also, I was able to purchase new tickets on another airline (Midwest Express) before the other airlines raised their prices which I think is inevitable if Delta does stop flying.

 

[wdwfamilyinIL]

I have been praying for a change in flight times for a month now, and so far we got 5 minutes. Any other time our flights would be changed left and right, shows how my luck goes.

Thought about backing up tickets, but the budget is a little tight.

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

Also, I was able to purchase new tickets on another airline (Midwest Express) before the other airlines raised their prices which I think is inevitable if Delta does stop flying.

SO, if Delta does not stop flying, do you think they will have to lower prices to earn back customers/confidence??

 

[bicker]

If they change the flight times more than 90 minutes you are eligible for a full refund.

Actually, that's not exactly true. Rather, they "promise" that they'll make you happy or give you a refund, if they change your departure or arrival times by more than 2 hours. (Some airlines are 4 hours... Delta's good that way.)

SO, if Delta does not stop flying, do you think they will have to lower prices to earn back customers/confidence??

If they get all the concessions they're asking for from their pilots, maybe, but probably not. The whole point of this exercise is to try to get out of bankruptcy. It wouldn't make sense to dig themselves deeper into debt.

 

[coinkc]

Actually, that's not exactly true. Rather, they "promise" that they'll make you happy or give you a refund, if they change your departure or arrival times by more than 2 hours. (Some airlines are 4 hours... Delta's good that way.)


If they get all the concessions they're asking for from their pilots, maybe, but probably not. The whole point of this exercise is to try to get out of bankruptcy. It wouldn't make sense to dig themselves deeper into debt.

Both people on the phone from Delta told me it was 90 minutes. I called once to see if I could cancel and then the next day to actually do it. Either way, it worked out for us. We were actually leaving at the same time just arriving later due to the connections.



I personally think that whether or not Delta will lower their fares to earn back confidence will depend on how many people stop flying them during this uncertainty. Once it is determined that they will not cease operations (at least for a while) they may have to offer some lower fares to gain back the confidence of their customers. Or at least fares that are comparable with other airlines.

 

[bicker]

I just checked Delta's tariff again... it's two hours. That's great if you can get them to reduce that to 90 minutes for you!

Surely, Delta couldn't expect to set fares higher than other airlines. I agree that they'll be offering fares comparable with other airlines.

 

[RoseRoni2]

If they go down, I have non-refundable tickets am I going to be screwed, I dont have any money to buy more tickets.

 

[dpayne1969]

If they go down, I have non-refundable tickets am I going to be screwed

well from what i understand thanks to the boards is we should be offered to fly on standby by other carriers who fly our route for a small fee of course which i believe is 50-100 pp.

 

[kcouture]

I did the same w/SWA refundable on 5/31 - 6/10 flights. Crossing my finger that Delta does not strike - for me, and mostly all the poor people in Atlanta who will be out of work.

 

[bicker]

well from what i understand thanks to the boards is we should be offered to fly on standby by other carriers who fly our route for a small fee of course which i believe is 50-100 pp.

Well, it isn't that simple. Travel expert Edward Hasbrouck says:

This law provides no protection at all to many ticket holders, and only very limited protection to the rest. It was intended to reassure travellers, not really to protect them. Its main effect was (and still is) to give travellers a false sense of protection. It applies only to other airlines based in the USA flying the same route, and only if they have space available after selling as many tickets as they could to their own paying passengers. If a major airline went out of business, many passengers would have to wait weeks for seats to be available, especially at that airline's hubs. Particularly on international routes, there is often no other USA-based airline flying the same route.

 

[Hensandchickens]

Crossing my finger that Delta does not strike - for me, and mostly all the poor people in Atlanta who will be out of work.

Not everyone who works for Delta is in Atlanta. My sister is a gate agent in Columbus and she has already been told that if there is a strike, she will not have a job.

Have you all heard of the power of positive thinking? They are not going to strike!

 

[wdwfamilyinIL]

I sure hope your right, I try to remain positive but so far nothing but negative news fills the air. It would be sad for the pilots to strike and cost how many their jobs, I only hope that they realize they are "playing god" with a lot of people's lives and not just their own.
I will keep hoping and praying that by this time next week we are all breathing signs of relief.

 

[bicker]

I only hope that they realize they are "playing god" with a lot of people's lives and not just their own.

That's not their responsibility. That's the responsibility, solely, of the judge, the mediators, and the regulators. If either the airline or the union factors that into their decisions, except narrowly with regard to how publicity will affect their position, they're violating their fiduciary responsibility to their constituents.