RCI/Delta air VERY WORRIED

[OHCruisinDad]

The DL 9766 sounds like a code share flight number. I bet its actually a flight operated by NW out of MSP. Try to go as early as possible. I've connected many time in ATL in less than an hour. As long as you are in on time you should be OK. Just be prepared in the unlikely event you are late or miss the connection. Know your options and use them to your advantage. :)

[JLC@SD]

Is one hour not enough time for you to connect in Atlanta? I connected in Atlanta with a 32 minute layover. It is very doable.

 

I would never chance a 30 to 60 minute layover......you could make it.....but your luggage may not make it....;)

[bplazo]

We had alot of problems with our flight last year They changed it without informing us,and also separated all four of us. However, that situation turned out nice because I did not have to sit with my husband, my teenage daughter and her teenage friend. What a nice peacefull flight!

[phoenix1181]

Flying out a day before is does NOT guarantee you'll be on your cruise. If flights are cancelled due to weather, the airlines cannot necessarily get you out later that day, or the next. Once a flight is cancelled and things start backing up, it's a crap shoot.

[LNLisa]

We are planning on going to the airport early to see if there's any availabilty on earlier flights...but the Delta rep said the earlier flights were overbooked....SCARY!

 

If you can get listed for the earlier flight as standby, then your checked luggage should make the earlier flight even if you don't. That might help to reduce the chances that your luggage won't make the transfer with you.

 

When I was a kid, we used to travel standby all of the time. There were many times when our luggage went on the trip without us! :D

[zebra36]

Exaclty. Maybe some around here would finally get enough common sense to realize that they don't know what everyone else's particular situation is.

 

Amen.

[uksaint]

Don't necessarily believe Delta when they say a flight is sold out. On my last trip to SJU (Feb07), I had booked six months out. A month before we were due to Fly my TA called and said Delta had cancelled the flight, and I was offered a completely unacceptable alternative the following day. I found another Delta flight which left only 75 mins after the original one I was booked on so I requested to be put on this. My TA then called me back to tell me that she had spoken with Delta and that flight was SOLD OUT. I discovered that this flight appeared to be still bookable online, and after three days perserverance, Delta eventually agreed to put us on the flight.

 

The Problem: When Delta said it was SOLD OUT, what they meant was there were no more seats in my fare class. The cheap seats were sold out. Not the entire plane.

 

Just to add further agony, Delta then changed the flight times on two more occasions before my departure day.

 

I will never fly Delta again if my plans involve a tight schedule of I need to make a connection. Saving a few $$$ is not worth the stress.

[mgkdk]

sorry duplicate message

[mgkdk]

I will never do this again! And I agree, the stress isn't worth it. Will check with Delta today as to "any" available seat. I know you can upgrade at the airport for a fee, wondering if a Delta rep could give me that price over the phone if I call EARLY am on Saturday.

 

Also like the idea of sending my luggage ahead of us using the standby idea.

[sassyj]

We booked air/sea through RCI (first timers, didn't know better).

 

We flew from MSP to Atlanta on Delta's air partner, Shuttle America, and we missed our connection. RCI only gave us 42 minutes for the connection in Atlanta and our flight out of MSP left late due to mechanical issues. They did NOT hold the plane in Atlanta like the flight attendant assured us they were doing. The plane was sitting at the gateway, but there was no gate agent to be found. We couldn't get on, along with 5 other people standing there. Our luggage did make the flight though. The later flight we were booked on ended up with mechanical problems as well, and we missed the ship by 10 minutes in FLL. We had to fly down to San Juan, our first port, missing two days of our cruise.

 

I'm crossing my fingers for you.

[hawt1]

Sassyj,

 

Curious if RCI Air took any responsibility for you in this situation or did they have the airline look after you? Did you get any refund at all from RCCL?

 

Thanks.

 

We have had similar problems and would try to always have more time than less for connectors...but sometimes you get what you get. There may be seats available but RCI Air can not access them as they only get the cheapest fare seats that there are.

[sassyj]

Sassyj,

 

Curious if RCI Air took any responsibility for you in this situation or did they have the airline look after you? Did you get any refund at all from RCCL?

 

Thanks.

 

We have had similar problems and would try to always have more time than less for connectors...but sometimes you get what you get. There may be seats available but RCI Air can not access them as they only get the cheapest fare seats that there are.

 

Yes, RCI took great care of us. They booked us in two rooms in FLL (it was my DH, and 3 daughters who were 16, 15 and 14), they flew us down Sunday morning (Christmas Eve) to San Juan on American Airlines. The Delta flight was much later and the agent wanted us to get to a warmer climate so we could feel like we were really on vacation. She was great. There was a gate agent at the airport in San Juan waiting for us. She put us on our own bus to the hotel. We had 2 rooms at the Sheraton at the pier in San Juan. The mishap ended up costing RCI $3100 in airline tickets and probably $400 per night at the hotels. At that point, I was glad we had booked through RCI, making them responsible for getting us there. They also refunded us $175 per person per day for the missed days of the cruise. And travel insurance covered all our meals and taxi to the airport Sunday morning. I'd have much rather been on the ship, but it was handled very well.

[hawt1]

Yes, RCI took great care of us. They booked us in two rooms in FLL (it was my DH, and 3 daughters who were 16, 15 and 14), they flew us down Sunday morning (Christmas Eve) to San Juan on American Airlines. The Delta flight was much later and the agent wanted us to get to a warmer climate so we could feel like we were really on vacation. She was great. There was a gate agent at the airport in San Juan waiting for us. She put us on our own bus to the hotel. We had 2 rooms at the Sheraton at the pier in San Juan. The mishap ended up costing RCI $3100 in airline tickets and probably $400 per night at the hotels. At that point, I was glad we had booked through RCI, making them responsible for getting us there. They also refunded us $175 per person per day for the missed days of the cruise. And travel insurance covered all our meals and taxi to the airport Sunday morning. I'd have much rather been on the ship, but it was handled very well.

 

Thanks, complete opposite of our recent experience where RCIAir said it was up to Delta to look after us and only wanted me to call back to tell them what we had arranged with Delta. They were indifferent and rude but we will see what happens with the complaint letter that I have sent them. Thanks for letting me know that we should have gotten better treatment than we got. We suspected that to be true but had no other experience to draw upon.

 

Sorry for hijacking the thread. Will turn it back to OP.