Delta bumps us off flight from Vancouver

[Viki]

I just checked our record on Delta and they had changed our return flight from Vancouver to Charlotte. We were to connect in Salt Lake City to a direct flight to Charlotte. We were removed from that flight and were put on a connecting flight to Atlanta that left Salt Lake City 3 hours before we even arrived. The Delta rep says "well, that won't work" :rolleyes:. Unfortunately there are no other flights to get us home that night. She suggested we spend the night in Atlanta or stay an extra day in Vancouver. Can they just take us off our original flight for no reason? I thought that I had this all worked out months ago. I just happened to check our delta booking online today and found the problem.:(

These are Frequent flyer award tickets.

 

 

 

Day Date Flight City Time Cabin

--- ----- -------------------- -------------------- ----- ----- --------

 

Sat 13SEP Delta 3964* LV Vancouver, BC Can (YVR) 1251P Coach

AR Salt Lake City, U (SLC) 359P

 

**Sat 13SEP Delta 1160 LV Salt Lake City, U (SLC) 450P Coach

AR Charlotte, NC (CLT) 1050P original schedule

 

 

changed to **Sat 13SEP Delta 696 LV Salt Lake City, U (SLC) 140P Coach

AR Atlanta, GA (ATL) 732P

 

 

Sat 13SEP Delta 1438 LV Atlanta, GA (ATL) 935P Coach

AR Charlotte, NC (CLT) 1049P

[flashdog_1]

What did the Delta rep say about WHY you were bumped? I've never heard of this except for employees on free or 20% fares, not frequent flyer miles.(That happened to me when I worked for an airline). Delta (a cc poster) where ARE you?

[pshaze]

It looks like they cancelled the direct flight from Salt Lake to Charlotte. They only appear to have flights that stop in Atlanta. There is a flight (848) from Vancouver to (1438) Charlotte with a stop in Atlanta that leaves at 11:45am and will arrive at 10:49pm in Charlotte. You should have enough time to catch this flight and it has plenty of seats available right now. Since they changed your flight they should honor your frequent flyer seat.

[flashdog_1]

It looks like they cancelled the direct flight from Salt Lake to Charlotte. They only appear to have flights that stop in Atlanta. There is a flight (848) from Vancouver to (1438) Charlotte with a stop in Atlanta that leaves at 11:45am and will arrive at 10:49pm in Charlotte. You should have enough time to catch this flight and it has plenty of seats available right now. Since they changed your flight they should honor your frequent flyer seat.

 

I certainly agree! I read on Delta's site recently that you can no longer book frequent flyer legs on the phone, that you have to do it on line. so if that flight that gets in at 10:49 doesn't show on availabllity for ff fares, then you'll have to get an exception made. Let us know if you are successful. We are on a flight out of Vancouver to Atlanta that leaves at 11:30 am. I booked it 9 months out, and they have changed it, too, by 15 minutes, and DID NOT notify me of the change, either. I only found out about it when I was emailing them about the new baggage rules and the agent noticed there'd been a change. And since the cruise is not for almost 3 months, they could do it again!

[PennyAgain]

Yes, they can cancel flights and muck up your plans. I just checked a reservation I have for flights and the times have changed with no notice sent at all.

 

This is the way things are now and are going to be for a long time to come.

[sparky-elpaso]

I just checked our flights and found just a couple of minor changes (thank goodness) in our US Airways flights. One flight number change on our flight from Vegas to Anchorage and a time change of just 5 minutes on the flight from Phoenix to El Paso - so no problems. But they didn't notify us in any way so it pays to check your reservations periodically.

[trooper 1]

(Edited) But they didn't notify us in any way so it pays to check your reservations periodically.

 

A strong second here. Because of what someone posted here several weeks ago I started checking our flights for an August cruise.

(Blank) Airlines has changed us three times already and no notification. We would have been very surprised and unhappy when we walked up to the gate.

[greatam]

As posted on the Cruise Air board, your Saturday flight-SLC/CLT-has been taken off the schedule. You were not "bumped". There simply is no original flight to fly.

 

You can either stay overnight in YVR, take a chance on the 11:45AM flight or spend the day in SLC, leaving on the red eye to CLT and getting home on Sunday.

 

ALL airlines change flight schedules. And it will get CONSIDERABLY worse in the near future until capacity is cut enough to make the airline profitable again.

[Budget Queen]

WARNING, you will not make a 11:30am flight out of Vancouver without getting US Direct. If you don't, you need a flight 1pm or later.

 

So verify it will be available to you and arrange this on your ship. You do have to purchase cruiseline transfers.

 

These schedule changes are the name of the game- they certainly can and do change.

 

Flights are running with full loads out of Seattle and Vancouver, 95%+++. So if you miss flights, do NOT expect, to be put on the "next flight" that will be full.

[Viki]

WARNING, you will not make a 11:30am flight out of Vancouver without getting US Direct. If you don't, you need a flight 1pm or later.

 

So verify it will be available to you and arrange this on your ship. You do have to purchase cruiseline transfers.

 

These schedule changes are the name of the game- they certainly can and do change.

 

Flights are running with full loads out of Seattle and Vancouver, 95%+++. So if you miss flights, do NOT expect, to be put on the "next flight" that will be full.

Thanks to all for the advice. Budgetqueen, I knew we would not make the 11:45 out of Vancouver. We missed our flight out of Seattle from our last Alaska cruise by 15 minutes. I don't want to go through that again. Could you please explain US direct? Thanks again for all the help!!!

[inkmahm]

Yes, they can cancel flights and muck up your plans. I just checked a reservation I have for flights and the times have changed with no notice sent at all.

 

This is the way things are now and are going to be for a long time to come.

ESPECIALLY for frequent flyer tickets. My husband and I both used miles to get to a little airport in NY for Memorial Day weekend flying through Detroit. The plane was overbooked from Detroit to Elmira and NW bumped the frequent flyer people first saying they were the "lowest class tickets." Since there were only two such seats on the plane and we had both of them, we were out of luck. Then someone didn't show up for the plane in time and we were seated in our original seats for the flight, so we still got to our location.

 

From that trip I learned never to have both of us fly on frequent flyer tickets at the same time. The NW worker was going to bump me first and when I complained that my husband would be flying on without me, she told me to go ahead and board the plane, she'd bump someone else. Then when my husband tried to board behind me, of course HE was the one she had bumped instead (we have different last names.) Also, I'll never use a frequent flyer ticket for a trip where I HAVE to be somewhere, like a trip to a cruise where I don't want to miss the ship. It is just too risky these days.

[DomPel]

We were on the Serenade of the Seas last week and purchased bus transfers to the airport. Our Delta flight was 11:45 and we intended to purchase the US Direct. We were told on the cruise that Delta does not participate in US Direct from Vancouver. We just used the bus transfer and were at the airport in plenty of time for our flight. We were off the ship by 8:15. Enjoy your cruise.

[citygirl]

what is US direct we are on an 11:35 am out of Vancouver on 8/17 to Philly and MUST make that plane, Thanks!!

[Shopinpat]

Just my 2 cents to everyone. Please continue to check your flights because they have changed ours 2 times and never once contacted us.

I am not sure whats going on but the last time I had a flight change they

notified us immediately. Looks like they will be changing flights around all

summer with the gas issue and trying to fill up the planes.

Feel sorry for the people that do not go on line. It will be a mess traveling

this summer/fall.

Pat

[flashdog_1]

We were on the Serenade of the Seas last week and purchased bus transfers to the airport. Our Delta flight was 11:45 and we intended to purchase the US Direct. We were told on the cruise that Delta does not participate in US Direct from Vancouver. We just used the bus transfer and were at the airport in plenty of time for our flight. We were off the ship by 8:15. Enjoy your cruise.

 

Delta DOES use US direct in Vancouver. I did it myself 3 years ago. Perhaps it was RCCL that didn't participate? If you read the website, it definitely says Delta is a participant. And in order to use it you do have to have bought the bus transfer. Glad you made it without using US Direct. They just take you to a different, supposedly shorter line, customs area for US Direct. The other ship that was with us was HAL's Statendam, so i can't corroborate RCCL.

[mdeane]

Welcome to the chaos....I was the one who posted a couple of weeks ago about Delta changing our flights. I purchased tickets in Jan. and carefully choose our seats (duh..to have good seats). Well they are no more. Delta kindly changed all our seats into not bad but horrible seats. I spent much time on the phone with corporate Delta who could not give me a reason for the change except that they changed the time of the flights. Yeah by a couple of minutes....same aircraft. I have finally moved to okay seats but not all together on some legs. We are on the Clt to Anchorage and Vancouver to Clt via Atlanta also. I will give Delta kudos for sending me an email telling me of the change. They tell me the changes are over for this quarter so we should not be changed again......we'll see.

[SEPyle]

Thanks for the reminder to check our reservations on a regular basis. I just checked mine again. About a week after booking our flights; I was notified our flight was changed by 12 hours. The original booking was for a non-stop flight around 10pm from Seattle. They changed it to 10am...of course since our ship debarks in Vancouver, it was an impossible connection. We ended up changing it to a 8:30pm flight, but with a stopover in Las Vegas. I originally booked the flights thru Orbits. With the changes they turned the booking over to USAir...not sure if that's a good or bad thing??? Actually I think air to anywhere/anytime/any shedule isn't a good thing this summer is it???

 

At least so far they haven't changed it again, so we'll just hope for the best...Isn't it amazing: We've all paid a lot of $'s for our flights and we feel like helpless pawns hoping the airlines don't change our flights making the connections impossible.

[bluefintuna]

We flew Delta to Fll from Boston in Jan. The flight changed twice and we received no notification. Only by going online did we realize these changes. There has to be passengers who don't check their flight times. Isn't there enough chaos with flying and airports without adding not notifying passengers of changes? Next they will be charging to use the restrooms.

[Jill the Pill]

what is US direct we are on an 11:35 am out of Vancouver on 8/17 to Philly and MUST make that plane, Thanks!!

 

US Direct lets you go through customs on the ship to cover both the ship and the airport. You clear customs on the cruise ship, then stay in a secure room. You are taken by a secure bus to the airport, and you (and your carry-on luggage) go to the gate. Your checked baggage is automatically transferred to the plane. We're planning on using it on the:( sad day when we fly home from our cruise.:(

 

I'll look for the link for you.

 

Jill

[PennyAgain]

Unfortunately you can't book US Direct prior to arriving on the ship. No one is able to secure a promise of having it as the ultimate decision is made by US Customs and Immigration. You have to buy the ship's transportation to even have a chance of achieving US Direct, but having done that you have no guaranty.

 

One of our family members really would have benefitted from US Direct in Vancouver, but even with her husband's continual tries to get US Direct they had to do it all the hard way and wait in those long lines.

 

You made need US Direct to make your flight. You may desire to have US Direct to avoid the long lines at the airport.

 

What you cannot get is a guaranty you will be able to do it.

[Jill the Pill]

Good to know. They didn't tell me that when we tried to book it, either at Princess or the travel agent. We have a 1:00 flight, so we should have plenty of time either way. US Direct would be a lot easier, though!!

[PennyAgain]

Jill, as soon as you board your ship starting asking about US Direct and book it as soon as you can. No one has figured out what the secret to success is. If you bag it, please post so others can follow your lead.

 

The one thing we do know is that there is a finite number of seats on the US Direct buses. No one knows how many buses each ship gets.

 

Good luck!

[buttah75]

US Direct is known as "EZ check" on Princess. If you say "US Direct" they usually have no idea what you're talking about.

 

I called today and was told it used to be the case that you could add it yourself prior to getting on the ship (on the cruise "personalizer"), but now you have to go to the Purser's desk once you're on the ship, and get it there.

 

But remember to ask for EZ Check.

[inkmahm]

Welcome to the chaos....I was the one who posted a couple of weeks ago about Delta changing our flights. I purchased tickets in Jan. and carefully choose our seats (duh..to have good seats). Well they are no more. Delta kindly changed all our seats into not bad but horrible seats. I spent much time on the phone with corporate Delta who could not give me a reason for the change except that they changed the time of the flights. Yeah by a couple of minutes....same aircraft. I have finally moved to okay seats but not all together on some legs. We are on the Clt to Anchorage and Vancouver to Clt via Atlanta also. I will give Delta kudos for sending me an email telling me of the change. They tell me the changes are over for this quarter so we should not be changed again......we'll see.

Speaking of seat changes... I have better luck booking directly through airline sites than booking through Orbitz or Expedia. I travel quite a bit and always try to book through Northwest or Midwest, if possible. For our August Alaska trip, I booked directly through Northwest and have been able to pick seats for all legs of our flight except Vancouver to Seattle. Those were assigned immediately to the back of the plane when I booked last November with no choice to me.

 

When I booked my inlaws flights for our August Alaska trip, I used Orbitz. I can't pick ANY seats for them at all. We're just told that seats are reserved but assigned upon check in at the airport. They are understandably worried that they won't even be able to sit together on the planes!

[Linda in MI]

We just got off the Sapphire Princess in Vancouver on May 31st. We were the last group to disembark the ship, and we were off around 9:45 a.m. We took a taxi to the Amtrak station, stored our luggage in the baggage room, and were riding the "Skytrain" around Vancouver by 10:45 a.m. (Our train to Seattle did not depart until 6 p.m.) I think that if you request an early disembarkation time, you could make it to the airport for an 11:30 a.m. flight.

 

Inkmahn: You can always go to an airline's website (or call them) to find out, or change, your seat assignments. If you do not have your confirmation number, you can find it as long as you know the credit card number that you booked the reservation with. Tell your in-laws not to worry. Even if they don't get their seats until the day of travel, chances are very good that they will be seated together. (I used to work for NWA.)

 

Linda