Delta changed our flight times again. Not usually a huge deal-until it is….
This scenario has probably happened to you more than once, as it has to us, on many airlines, if you’ve been flying for over 40 years, as we have. So-posted below is what happened today and what we did to fix it.
It got me thinking about what all of you forum users do, what you prefer when flying, what gives you peace of mind, or do you just roll with it??
Here’s what happened to us. We always fly from our local, small market airport to a hub-usually it’s the New York City area. The planes are small and so are the overhead compartments. We always have a connecting flight. We plan our itinerary to allow enough time for connecting to our next flight. If the airline changes it, usually it’s no big deal.
BUT this time, we had booked an outgoing flight from our home airport, departing at 1 pm, connecting through JFK airport in NYC, for a flt departing at 4:45pm for Amsterdam. This is happening in April 2024, btw, with enough layover to not have to run to catch it, and not too early so we can sleep at home longer.
First, the airline changed our initial flight time to 11 am, no biggie. Then they changed it to 8 am. Not ideal, but still acceptable. Then it was changed to 5:18 am. So we called to get ourselves changed to a flight now leaving at 1:05 pm from our local airport. Same airline, and it took about 2-1/2 hours to change, mostly spent on hold. Note this is very close to our original itinerary. Also, we can’t change it ourselves online because we have a different class of service for the first flight versus the second flight. We’ve tried it in the recent past.
Since our flights aren’t until April, we realize this could change again.
The airline did not alert us to the latest change. My husband regularly checks the outbound flights and he noticed our flight wasn’t shown. Then he went to the Delta app and updated it and the new itinerary showed up.
We asked the Delta rep today whether the airline would notify us by email of any changes. We were told that the airline will not necessarily email their customers until about a month before the flight. So it can be good to keep an eye on it. Maybe in some markets it would still be possible to book yourselves onto a more favorable itinerary a month out, but in our experience, those seats would be unavailable or the flights full.
Because we care where we sit on the plane and want the more comfortable options (aging bones I guess), and we are in a small market with smaller planes, we like to get a jump on choosing the seats. Yes, more costly. Also, we like to be sure we have space in the overhead, though we pack light and our bags are half the size of the rollaboards most people use. The overheads are more compact on the smaller planes.
Other things impact our itineraries, over which we have no control.
1. Weather. In early April, it could blizzard, rain or be 90 degrees, or be 47 degrees(the average temp for that time of year).
Changes in the industry Because of a shortage of air traffic controllers (retirements, etc.), the airports around NYC are all affected. So there aren't going to be as many options come January. Prices may rise.
Airlines stop or change service. One of our favorite airlines will no longer have flights to our local airport. So we probably won’t be able to use them any more, and….
Flights get changed or delayed or cancelled.
We do what we can to control the stuff within our control. We try to roll with it when we can’t.
What matters most to you when you fly? What does your typical or ideal flying routine include?