Delta?
Oct 3rd, 2014, 04:09 AM
#1
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Delta?
I will try to make this short.
Few months ago we booked a R/T from Sarasota to Atlanta.
It's a very short trip and basically it was to visit with our daughter and SIL and granddaughter for a day (it's her 1st B-day
and then attend DA BEARS vs Atlanta Falcons game.
We have tickets for the game.
It was suppose to be a 1pm game but just today FOX and/or NFL changed the game to 4pm game.
Our booked flight out of ATL is scheduled for 7pm so obviously we can't make it in time. There is another flight at around 9:45.
So the question is to Delta experts, what is the official "same day change, broken car excuse delay" with Delta, assuming there are seats available on the later flight?
Few months ago we booked a R/T from Sarasota to Atlanta.
It's a very short trip and basically it was to visit with our daughter and SIL and granddaughter for a day (it's her 1st B-day
and then attend DA BEARS vs Atlanta Falcons game.We have tickets for the game.
It was suppose to be a 1pm game but just today FOX and/or NFL changed the game to 4pm game.
Our booked flight out of ATL is scheduled for 7pm so obviously we can't make it in time. There is another flight at around 9:45.
So the question is to Delta experts, what is the official "same day change, broken car excuse delay" with Delta, assuming there are seats available on the later flight?
Oct 3rd, 2014, 09:23 AM
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Read the rules for Same Day Confirmed (or Standby if there are no seats available) at https://www.delta.com/content/www/en...l-changes.html
Basically can be done with a $50 fee (assuming you have no Delta status).
Basically can be done with a $50 fee (assuming you have no Delta status).
Oct 9th, 2014, 12:32 PM
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I think it depends greatly on who you talk to and what you say. I have had agents who are quite inflexible and others who bent over backwards to help me. I alway frame my request like that....<i>"I'm in big trouble, please, can you <u>help</u> me"</i>. In this case I would joke about how your team, who you support, isn't supporting you. If you don't get a responsive agent, thank them, hang up, call again. I've often gotten different answers to the same question from different agents. You can always ask to speak to a supervisor as well. Sometimes an agent simply doesn't have the power to help, but someone higher up does.
Delta agents were very kind to me last winter when I had to cancel our vacation to Mexico because of unexpected cancer surgery. The agent refunded our total ticket price with no penalty.
Good luck...I hope you win....with the airline and on the field.
Delta agents were very kind to me last winter when I had to cancel our vacation to Mexico because of unexpected cancer surgery. The agent refunded our total ticket price with no penalty.
Good luck...I hope you win....with the airline and on the field.
Oct 9th, 2014, 07:46 PM
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Good way to ask TC. Actually there is something known as the 'Eight Magic Words'.
You should always start with, 'I have a problem, I need your help.'
They turn it into a person to person issue before you even start to explain what your problem is. Most people find it difficult to refuse a direct request to them personally for help.
Sounds like you figured out your own version TC.
You should always start with, 'I have a problem, I need your help.'
They turn it into a person to person issue before you even start to explain what your problem is. Most people find it difficult to refuse a direct request to them personally for help.
Sounds like you figured out your own version TC.
Oct 10th, 2014, 05:28 AM
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Thanks, Sojourntraveler. This method of asking instead of telling has served me well. Phrasing makes a huge difference. Starting with...."I want you to DO...." Is too much like a command and rarely gets a good response. Whereas, that person to person enlisting of help to solve a problem has much better results. I would go so far as to ask, "has something like this ever happened to you?". Solidarity is a good ingredient. At times I've used the, "my husband/boss screwed this up and now they want me to fix it". Sympathy is also a good binding agent.
Oct 10th, 2014, 08:32 AM
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The point of the '8 magic words' or a version of it is that instead of starting by explaining the problem which the listener doesn't know where you are going with, you start with 2 simple points.
I have a problem, I need your help.
THEN you tell the story. If you read your OP AAFrequentFlyer, you don't get to the point till the very last sentence.
Also, in spite of saying you will make it short, in fact you didn't. Here's short.
I have a problem, I need your help. (Wait for a response to that, it's important. When you get a response, THEN you go on.)
I have return flight Sarasota/Atlanta.
I have tickets to an NFL game in Atlanta and they changed the start time of the game from 1pm to 4pm.
My 7pm return flight as booked is now going to be too early.
Can you help me?
Your family birthday is irrelevant. What you want is short sentences easily understood, with as few words as possible.
As TC says, phrasing makes a huge difference. I'd go so far as to have that written script in front of you if you don't think you can do it from memory. Five sentences start to finish. You want it to be as easy as possible for the person to understand the problem quickly. Keep it simple.
NoFlyZone, the exact words used are important. If you use 'hope', it is not the same as if you say 'need'. Think about it, if I say to you, 'I hope you can help me' would it really affect you the same as my saying to you, 'I need your help.'
'Need' is a strong word and not easy to ignore. The '8 magic words' are taught in seminars on 'Managing Interpersonal Relationships' and it is always emphasized that deviating from those exact words is not a good idea. Changing one word can change the whole thing in terms of how effective it is in getting you what you want.
I have a problem, I need your help.
THEN you tell the story. If you read your OP AAFrequentFlyer, you don't get to the point till the very last sentence.
Also, in spite of saying you will make it short, in fact you didn't. Here's short.
I have a problem, I need your help. (Wait for a response to that, it's important. When you get a response, THEN you go on.)
I have return flight Sarasota/Atlanta.
I have tickets to an NFL game in Atlanta and they changed the start time of the game from 1pm to 4pm.
My 7pm return flight as booked is now going to be too early.
Can you help me?
Your family birthday is irrelevant. What you want is short sentences easily understood, with as few words as possible.
As TC says, phrasing makes a huge difference. I'd go so far as to have that written script in front of you if you don't think you can do it from memory. Five sentences start to finish. You want it to be as easy as possible for the person to understand the problem quickly. Keep it simple.
NoFlyZone, the exact words used are important. If you use 'hope', it is not the same as if you say 'need'. Think about it, if I say to you, 'I hope you can help me' would it really affect you the same as my saying to you, 'I need your help.'
'Need' is a strong word and not easy to ignore. The '8 magic words' are taught in seminars on 'Managing Interpersonal Relationships' and it is always emphasized that deviating from those exact words is not a good idea. Changing one word can change the whole thing in terms of how effective it is in getting you what you want.
Oct 13th, 2014, 05:34 AM
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Here is the report
On Friday the flight was uneventful. It was an MD80 and we had seats together on the 2 seat side. We got to the hotel ~8pm.
Saturday we spent the entire day at our daughters house and celebrated our granddaughters first b-day.
She was little confused with all the people in the house.
Sunday morning we checked out of the hotel and we went back to their house in Cumming, GA (about 45 miles north of Atlanta). After few hours visit we drove down to Atlanta to attend the DA Bears/Falcons game. It was our first time at the Georgia Dome. We had fun, especially since DA BEARS won.
Delta allowed us to change the ticket for $50 each. So right after the game we rushed to the airport, returned the car and checked in for our 9:45pm flight back to Sarasota. We were assigned 2 seats together right by the exit door so we could stretch out as much as we wanted to. It was a B757.
The weird thing is that on the way to Atlanta from Sarasota the flight was ~1.5 hours. On our return flight which was scheduled for ~1.5 hours, it turned out to be ~1 hour. We were tired as this was a looooong day, so we were happy there was some favorable winds. Our friend picked us up and we were home by the time we were originally scheduled to land in SRQ. We live about .5 hour away from the airport.
Wonderful trip, Delta did charge us extra to change the ticket but it was the same day ticket change so it came to $100 for both of us, but in return we got wonderful seats right up front as the seat assignment can't be done till you show up at the airport since it was a ticket change.
btw, ATL SUCKS the big one! I only connected there once or twice before and it seemed fine, but since it was our destination and departure airport, we found out that the airport design is JUST BAD! Up and down the escalators about 3-4 times, miles to get to the gates, etc, etc.....
On Friday the flight was uneventful. It was an MD80 and we had seats together on the 2 seat side. We got to the hotel ~8pm.
Saturday we spent the entire day at our daughters house and celebrated our granddaughters first b-day.
She was little confused with all the people in the house.Sunday morning we checked out of the hotel and we went back to their house in Cumming, GA (about 45 miles north of Atlanta). After few hours visit we drove down to Atlanta to attend the DA Bears/Falcons game. It was our first time at the Georgia Dome. We had fun, especially since DA BEARS won.
Delta allowed us to change the ticket for $50 each. So right after the game we rushed to the airport, returned the car and checked in for our 9:45pm flight back to Sarasota. We were assigned 2 seats together right by the exit door so we could stretch out as much as we wanted to. It was a B757.
The weird thing is that on the way to Atlanta from Sarasota the flight was ~1.5 hours. On our return flight which was scheduled for ~1.5 hours, it turned out to be ~1 hour. We were tired as this was a looooong day, so we were happy there was some favorable winds. Our friend picked us up and we were home by the time we were originally scheduled to land in SRQ. We live about .5 hour away from the airport.
Wonderful trip, Delta did charge us extra to change the ticket but it was the same day ticket change so it came to $100 for both of us, but in return we got wonderful seats right up front as the seat assignment can't be done till you show up at the airport since it was a ticket change.
btw, ATL SUCKS the big one! I only connected there once or twice before and it seemed fine, but since it was our destination and departure airport, we found out that the airport design is JUST BAD! Up and down the escalators about 3-4 times, miles to get to the gates, etc, etc.....
