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The current ONLY way to see the “real” 1 hour Delta schedule change rules
Yesterday, like just about every Saturday of the year, I was hit with Delta schedule changes to some of my flights. But I also posted on the blog: “Delta removes link to 1 hour Schedule Change rules” because the direct link to the rule, that had been live for YEARS, was now gone. Most frustrating as there was now no simple way to prove to reps that 1 hour was enough to get whatever you want done free.
But late in the day reader E.W. pointed out in the comments section of the above post that you could still find the old 1 hour is enough wording but ONLY in the case that you have a schedule change that requires your intervention to approve – how sneaky Delta – hide what once was out in the public and open for all to see. Classic Delta. Maybe there is a way to extract a direct link out of the JAVA script that pops up the rules box when you click “Conditions Apply” but that is beyond my knowledge (any readers able to help?)!
Delta, I just do not get why you have to be so darn irritating and frustrating with so many things we would like to know. Look at this now growing list:
- Schedule Change “is” 1 hour (not 90 minutes). You now must have an active issue to see the info that is live but otherwise hidden on Delta.com
- SkyMiles award charts. Delta tells you they do not publish award charts. That is true, they don’t. But they DO use them – they just don’t want you to see them.
- SkyMiles award upgrade charts. Same as above. Delta uses them but does not want to you see them.
- Global Upgrade certs space. Delta graciously allows Diamonds to pick these upgrade from coach to Delta One business class seats certs but does not allow users to search for open space to use them – you have to call and hope or be wait-listed and then hope Delta IT (or reps) does not mess things up someway.
- Regional Upgrade cert space. Again same as above. If phone reps can see the space why can’t we as users.
- First (or C+) open seats. This is a hit and miss as the bug was never totally fixed and worse yet the problem spread to phone reps. There are few more frustrating things in my travel life than trying to change a seat and having to argue with a rep that yes the seat is in fact open and their Delta computers are lying to them.
- Married segment logic. This is, to me, one of the most maddening changes Delta made a few years back that crushed the real value of SkyMiles being any kind of “A” US News award winning loyalty program. An example would be Atlanta to Amsterdam you find LEVEL 1 space on Delta. Amsterdam to Rome you find LEVEL 1 space on KLM. But when you search both legs, that again clearly both have the lowest award points space (per the hidden charts) you then end up with a LEVEL 3 award as it prices as two separate tickets on Delta.dumb.
- Complicated itineraries. It never ceases to amaze me that I can search ITA matrix and find a valid routing for whatever trip I want and plug it in on say the Amex travel site and have issued a valid Delta ticket but if I try the same route on Delta.com it errors out.
Anyway, this is just the short list of a few things (did I miss any) that come to my mind when it comes to Delta either hiding, confusing or frustrating loyal flyers by not providing information we want and could really use.
But at least now we do know the 1 hour schedule change rule is still valid – we simply have no easy way of proving this to a phone or twitter rep when challenged to provide proof that this is, in fact, the rule. – René
