New booking policy for Delta Comfort+ seats on domestic flights

[nkereina]

Just wanted to pass this info along so others don't find out the hard way like I did

Last week, Delta changed the way they handle the booking of their comfort+ seats. If it's a domestic flight after May 2016, you now have to book the comfort+ fare class from the time you initially book. If you look online, you'll now see the economy fare, comfort+ fare, business class fare, etc. You will get a comfort+ seat on all legs of the flight rather than picking and choosing like before. The fare is higher than standard economy fares, so the additional upgrade fee you previously would have paid for the comfort+ upgrade has been removed.

We booked our flights to Honolulu yesterday and booked standard economy. Our TA then went back in to upgrade us to comfort+ and when she couldn't, she called and that's how we found this out. If we wanted to upgrade to that fare class, it would have been another $800 total for the two of us, round trip. Not sure how that compares to what it would have cost if the previous process was still in place, so I can't say if the new process is comparable in price or not.

 

[happymommy]

Honestly, that's roughly what it cost for us to upgrade to economy comfort from BWI to HNL. It was almost $200 each way per person, so it's not that much more now I guess.

 

[Yellowjj]

Curious why you used a travel agent?

 

[nkereina]

Curious why you used a travel agent?

15 day trip to Hawaii so we wanted someone to handle all the legwork for us (tours, transfers, car rental, multiple hotels, inter-island flights, etc). Plus, we used a large travel company that has contracts with several of the hotels we chose that come with added perks and special rates.

TA or not though, the topic of my original post is the same no matter how one books. We would have run into the same thing if we had booked ourselves.

 

[Yellowjj]

15 day trip to Hawaii so we wanted someone to handle all the legwork for us (tours, transfers, car rental, multiple hotels, inter-island flights, etc). Plus, we used a large travel company that has contracts with several of the hotels we chose that come with added perks and special rates.

TA or not though, the topic of my original post is the same no matter how one books. We would have run into the same thing if we had booked ourselves.

I've just come off a 17 day, multi state vacation where I planned everything myself including tours/hotels/tickets/car rental. Way cheaper than a TA. Travel Agents are only useful when you can't commit the time to doing it yourself.

As to running into a problem, Delta CSR's can better change a ticket bought through Delta as compared to a TA and can actually waive fee's. I'd be willing to put money on your cost not being $800 when all was said and done to upgrade.

 

[happymommy]

Actually, $800 sounds about right. It involves two pretty long flights. Yes, it's a rip off, but I've paid it one way and the seats were nice.

TA like Costco sometimes can get you much better packages than doing it all yourself. Don't knock the OP for using one. I rarely ever do use one, but have booked our Disney cruise through Costco, which got me a $600 Costco card for doing so. Also some airlines can get you packages with airfare and hotels to Hawaii for less than the airfare costs. You have to shop around for sure!

 

[nkereina]

I've just come off a 17 day, multi state vacation where I planned everything myself including tours/hotels/tickets/car rental. Way cheaper than a TA. Travel Agents are only useful when you can't commit the time to doing it yourself.

As to running into a problem, Delta CSR's can better change a ticket bought through Delta as compared to a TA and can actually waive fee's. I'd be willing to put money on your cost not being $800 when all was said and done to upgrade.

I definitely don't have time to research, book, and plan the minutiae that is involved in a two week trip so using a travel agent is a choice I made which I am happy with. The travel agency I used happens to have contracts with some of the hotels I chose, which means the rates ARE less than published ones I saw myself online when I looked. I even got perks like a free room type upgrade, discount on spa services, free cabana rental, etc. Delta also had contracted rates with the agency I chose, so the fare I booked with Delta was less than the published standard economy fare on Delta's web site. When I got home, I looked on the web site and the fare for booking the comfort+ seat priced out to be about $800 more, so it was an accurate quote. I certainly didn't lose anything by going with a travel agent and would have been in the same boat (and out a few more dollars) if I hadn't used one. Perhaps you should look into using a TA because it seems as though you don't know much about the leverage an agency can have when they are large enough to contract with major players in the travel industry, and what they can actually offer.

This thread wasn't intended to debate the pros and cons of a travel agency, so I apologize for it getting so off topic. Just wanted to give an FYI to any potential Delta customers to consider seat options before that initial booking!

 

[maxiesmom]

Thanks for the warning nkereina. I fly Delta a lot, and a few times I have booked economy and then upgraded to comfort+ later on. Not too happy that they have made the change, but at least I know and can plan for it.

 

[Yellowjj]

I definitely don't have time to research, book, and plan the minutiae that is involved in a two week trip so using a travel agent is a choice I made which I am happy with. The travel agency I used happens to have contracts with some of the hotels I chose, which means the rates ARE less than published ones I saw myself online when I looked.

That's fine but the second line of my post clearly states that it may be beneficial for people who don't have the time. Obviously that would be you.

I even got perks like a free room type upgrade, discount on spa services, free cabana rental, etc.

Not to knock you but it's hawaii...that's like me saying I went to Vegas and got free chips, limo transfer, with a view of the strip and VIP casino passes. Some of these destinations are simply bundled that way.

Delta also had contracted rates with the agency I chose, so the fare I booked with Delta was less than the published standard economy fare on Delta's web site. When I got home, I looked on the web site and the fare for booking the comfort+ seat priced out to be about $800 more, so it was an accurate quote. I certainly didn't lose anything by going with a travel agent and would have been in the same boat (and out a few more dollars) if I hadn't used one.

This I will say congrats on.

Perhaps you should look into using a TA because it seems as though you don't know much about the leverage an agency can have when they are large enough to contract with major players in the travel industry, and what they can actually offer.

This I have a problem with. People assuming. How do you know I haven't been using one? Like I said earlier, for me it was cheaper doing it myself and getting what I wanted than what my TA wanted. This is probably true for a lot of people, which is why TA have dwindled down compared to the 90's. For the record, my family has been using travel agent's since before I was born. I only took over when I turned 18 and got a credit card. In every instance since then, I have never been quoted a better deal for flights/car rentals/hotels. The only usefulness was you didn't need a credit card for a hotel/car in Florida. So people who didn't have one could rent a car and check in to a hotel.

This thread wasn't intended to debate the pros and cons of a travel agency, so I apologize for it getting so off topic.

Agreed.

 

[nkereina]

This I have a problem with. People assuming. How do you know I haven't been using one? Like I said earlier, for me it was cheaper doing it myself and getting what I wanted than what my TA wanted. This is probably true for a lot of people, which is why TA have dwindled down compared to the 90's. For the record, my family has been using travel agent's since before I was born. I only took over when I turned 18 and got a credit card. In every instance since then, I have never been quoted a better deal for flights/car rentals/hotels. The only usefulness was you didn't need a credit card for a hotel/car in Florida. So people who didn't have one could rent a car and check in to a hotel.

Have you never used Orbitz or Expedia? Because those are travel agencies and they offer some great deals. It's unfortunate that in your experience a savings never worked out for you, perhaps it was the agent or perhaps the destination. But if you have that kind of experience with travel agencies, then I'd think you'd understand their benefits and the instances in which they can do better than what you're seeing online yourself.

If TA's don't work for you, that's fine. To each their own. I have had great success with them, but that's not to say TA's will do better every time. For this trip in particular, it was worth my while.