Delta: Cancelling if Flight not Full?
 

I don't have experience flying Delta, but am almost ready to book.

9/1: 2902 MIA -> DTW and then 234 DTW -> AMS

The MIA -> DTW portion is so-so full, but the overseas flight is quite empty.

The overseas portion is the 2nd to last flight of the day; so I can't imagine they would cancel two overseas flights (unless there was a freak blizzard or the volcano starts blowing again).

Is there a website to check and see what has historically happened with that flight 234 (or even just that route in general)??

I can route myself through Memphis or JFK, but I'm concerned with Memphis not having enough overseas routes for me to get out of there if something was cancelled.

JFK might be better, but so bad for delays, etc.

Any advice? Am I just way overthinking this? This is where I really miss not living near a better hub (MIA is great if you're traveling to S. America, but not much else).

Yes, you are just way overthinking this.

Airlines don't just cancel flights on a whim if it isn't full.

Airlines can't and don't simply cancel flights if loads are light. The aircraft has to be in place at the destination airport to transport passengers and crew from there. They also may have contracted to transport cargo.

Don't worry about it. :)

Be glad the overseas flight isn't packed. You might have room to stretch out a bit.

Thanks all!!! It's DH's first trip to Europe and I just want it to go seamlessly for him (so that he'll hopefully go back again)!

Twiggers: It will probably not go seamlessly! But I am sure it will be wonderful. Relax, enjoy, be flexible, and all will be well.

twiggers,

You will be fine. Flying Delta to Amsterdam is a great choice. Now merged with former Northwest Airlines which had one of the first transatlantic alliance with KLM. Delta has excellent service and route structure to and from Amsterdam.

With only one flight a day from MEM, you are correct to avoid that option. I also think avoiding the East Coast (JFK) is always a good idea when you have other options available.

DTW is a good connection airport although in my opinion the amenities in the airport are lacking.

I can guarantee you that in September your DTW-AMS flight will not be as empty as it is today.

For info that may be helpful with your air travel plans, check out:

www.dmbflyingcoach.blogspot

"<i>I just want it to go seamlessly for him </i>"

No trip - almost EVER - goes seamlessly. Don't try to make everything 'perfect'. That will just set unrealistic expectations. Plan on a fun, probably awesome, trip. Don't plan/expect perfect.

Just sayin' . . . . .

Janis: I know, I know! Seamless & perfect makes for a boring vacation...I'm just going to try my best!

agree with janis, but i would never fly delta transatlantic again after flying to amsterdam with them last year. inexcusable service and amenities, they are not competitive at all with transatlantic carriers.
airlines can double up on flights if capacity is low, (usually giving another excuse) but reprotect you on the later flight.

Sometimes the cargo in the hold is more important than a plane full of passengers-it goes no matter what the loads are.
Flowers;aspargus;car parts-you get the idea! Don't worry.

Otto-I believe you actually flew Northwest last year as I had heard that Delta had not merged their flight attendants yet due to union vs non union issues with each others members.The plane may have said Delta with the flight number but Detroit is a Northwest stronghold. FYI-

I sometimes check airline ratings at the skytrax website at www. airlinequality.com to see if the particular flight I want to take has been reviewed by someone. It's a crapshoot but if you have a few hours to kill, it's not a bad way to see how an airline is viewed.

Here is the Delta page
http://www.airlinequality.com/Forum/delta.htm

THanks so much everyone!!! I've only flown BA and UA overseas, so we'll see how this goes.

Otto,

It is unfortunate that you had a bad Air Travel Jeopardy experience.

An airline flight cancellation is done as a last resort. Airlines know days before departure the capacity to which flights are booked. However, a low booking on one flight does not mean the airplane will be removed off a route since it may be needed to fly a full load of passengers down line.

For example Delta flies AMS-BOM (India)which is usually a full high revenue flight. Therefore, twiggers low capacity booked flight might still be needed on this or another route with high bookings.

I beg to differ that Delta is not competitive on trans-atlantic routes. Apparently twiggers got a good deal! Sometimes you just have to be a savvy traveler to have a pleasant airline experience.

dutyfree,

Your comment about airline cargo is a simple one of economics.

Airlines are in business to make money. They they have the opportunity to do so with passengers and cargo. It may surprise you but there are many times that tons of cargo is left behind. What is never left behind is a full plane of passengers.

In all my years in the business,I have never seen a regularly scheduled passenger airplane arrive at the gate full of cargo with no passengers. Maybe you have experienced a first time event!

Airlines strive to optimize every flight from a passenger, cargo and economic stand point. Yes, there are times when some passengers are inconvenience by this but I would be an amazing exception if it as a full load of them.

In the end if you owned Pleasant Air Flight 123. Who or what do you think should have priority to be on your airplane. The $1000 cargo shipment or the passenger who saved $35 on his or her $250 ticket?

The Delta prices are pretty good right now. I usually fly AA or UA, but their prices and itineraries aren't as good.

Prices right now are fluctuating about $20 a day....seeing as how the planes are relatively empty I'm gambling that prices might come down in an attempt to move seats.

A friend recently flew Tel Aviv to the US on Delta and didn't have ANY movies (seat back or the big screens). I was shocked! I thought all transatlantic flights had that basic amenity.

If I were you, I might actually be wishing they do cancel the DTW - AMS flight. That's because you could ask to be rebooked on AF out of MIA & connect in CDG instead of DTW. That way, if something happens, you'd at least be on the continent & could take a train, rent a car, etc. to get to AMS. And, AF is a nicer airline.

Good luck!

twiggers,

Don't gamble with airline ticket prices!! Most airlines will refund you the difference in the form of a travel voucher if the price goes down. I think even Orbitz or Priceline advertises to also do this. September is still a long time a way and usually customers that price tickets at least 3 weeks in advance get better prices. Ticket prices are not only based on seats left to be sold but on demand which can be calculated by time. The closer to your departure date without a ticket the more demand you create have for your seat. Therefore, increase demand can mean higher ticket prices.

If you gamble you may end up paying more!

Thanks LT! I was looking at AF, but they have a 13 hour layover on the way back, and I want to avoid that!

DMB: Hmmmm....I thought you basically had to rebook and pay the change fee to get the lower price? And then it would need to be more than the $100-125 change fee.

twiggers,

Check with Delta or whoever you are planning to purchase your tickets from. Change fees usually only apply if you change your itinerary in some way.

As far as no movies on international flights what your friend experienced is not the norm. I imagine the system malfunctioned. Airlines do not operate in a perfect world.

On board entertainment depends on the airline and how they have their aircraft configured. Not all 767's or 747's will be the same. Check it out before you purchase your ticket.

For more air travel tips checkout: www.dmbflyingcoach.blogspot.com

LT.. That is not how airline rebooking works. On Delta she would probably just be rebooked thru ATL or MEM.

You are right that connecting in Europe might be better but as twiggers posted it comes with a 13 hour layover on the return trip.

I flew AF from CDG-MIA in May and I cannot say they their service was any better or worse than flights that I have taken on Delta, KLM, Qantas, American or Continental.

I am glad you had a pleasant experience.

I don't really want to have the layover in Europe on the way over. Mostly because I think it would be better to have the time to sleep all together at the end. But that's just me....I see what you mean about at least being in Paris, etc.

Maybe I'm wrong though....I thought about doing a direct to CDG and then just doing Thalys, but the cost ended up being higher.

twiggers,

Your original plan is the best idea! Train service is expensive in Europe unless you can travel on student or discounted fares.

Hope you find a great deal and allow yourself backup flights on any connections no matter which airline you choose. I think Delta/KLM offers the most choices to/from AMS.

Good luck with your travel plans, I think you and DH will enjoy AMS.

Thanks DMB! I appreciate it :-)

Hey there - I booked a flight on AF to Barcelona on Labor Day weekend two weeks ago and the price went up 300 when I checked today. I am no means an expert and don't have a crystal ball but if I were you, I might want to book sooner rather than later.

usernameistaken,

You make my point! Don't gamble with airline ticket prices. Will beat you to Spain, off to Madrid this weekend. Hopefully will be a part of a National Party on Sunday!

DMB:

When CO was still in SkyTeam, I did this on more than one occasion -- was booked on DL, there was a schedule change, I called up & asked to be rebooked on CO. As both KL & AF are SkyTeam partners, this is an option. Yes, DL will push for rebooking on DL, but as long as the AF flight time is not radically different from the original flight time, they may very well allow it.

As Twiggers only discusses his/her outbound flight, the return flight is not an issue. It wouldn't be, anyway, unless there is a schedule change/canceled flight/etc. with the return portion. Yes, you are correct that rail can be expensive, but being stuck on this side of the Atlantic would preclude most other contingencies.

LT...

Your clarification helps those that think they can just be rebooked on another airline. Your original airline will alway attempt to rebook you on one of their airplanes.

It cost them money to rebook even if on an alliance partner. You were fortunate to be accommodated this way. CO has been known for good customer, this is just another example of this

DMB:

Hate to quibble, but as long as you are requesting a rebooking on a same-alliance carrier, and as long as the routing is reasonable (e.g. don't try to be rebooked on JL if you're originally flying AA from ORD - LHR), it's not that uncommon.

Another example: was booked on CO last November from DCA - LAS. DCA-IAH segment was changed & I asked to be rebooked on UA via ORD. The key here is to do your homework & find an alternate flight that is 1) in the same alliance, and 2) no more than an hour or 2 different from your original flight. I've ironically ended up with better flights on numerous occasions. But, the key is to have an alternate flight in mind when you call up to be rebooked. The airline is not going to volunteer to put you on an alliance partner, but,as the saying goes, ask, and you shall receive . . .

Now asking to be rebooked on a non-alliance carrier is another matter. Only time I've had that happen is when the flight was canceled for a mechanical issue.

Thanks for the information all!

Return flights aren't really an issue....getting stuck in Europe wouldn't be that big of a deal LOL and we fly in through ATL...so no problems getting from there to MIA.

I'm planning on buying tonight! Currently at $960....AF prices came down, but their return flight is just awful!

LT,

I am glad we are quibbling because you have further clarified your original statement which I think left the door open for serious misunderstanding.

My point and I think we are on the same page, airlines will not randomly rebook you on another airline. The exception being as you mentioned only if your original flight is canceled and it is more convenient to rebook you on another airline.

I think now we can quit quibbling :)

I read somewhere, and have it in my notes, that flight/ schedule changes are initiated/announced at least 90 days in advance, so if you book within that time frame, chances of changes are slim to none.

But to hope/assume that any trip goes "seamlessly", is just not a realistic expectation, even though you may be pleasantly surprised.

These days, you really do need to be prepared for all sorts of contingencies, most of which will never happen, but it's far better to be prepared for them than not.