DejaVu

I'm just curious: I booked a FF ticket through Delta in Sept for travel to Europe in May. Twice (so far) a flight I was originally booked on either got cancelled or I got booted off it (one Delta, one Air France), and I've had to call and get it sorted out. Is the fact it's an award ticket a partial explanation, or do I just have rotten luck?

I'm so paranoid now, I'm going to check my itinerary every week until my trip!

milliebz

I'm with you. It has already happened to us and they did not notify us,I happened to check.

Dukey

Since flights are cancelled all the time I doubt the fact that you were booked on it caused that to happen.

What I do NOT understand is your having been "booted off" another flight....it wans't also cancelled? Did they put you on another flight? The only reason I can think of for that would be they got some revenue passengers who were willing to pay for your seats...but I thought so many seats per flight were allotted to FF awards. Very strange unless there is more to this than we know.

DejaVu

Dukey: I don't know if the first flight I was moved from was cancelled or not. (I guess I could look and see if it still exists.) I'd checked my online itin., and I'd been put on a flight with a different number. Which arrived at JFK at a time impossible with my departing flight from JFK to AMS [a one minute layover!]. Hence I had to call and get rebooked on something else, because of the schedule conflict.

The second time they told me on the phone the flight had been cancelled.

I don't usually book as far as in advance as I did with this award ticket, so for all I know this kind of thing is normal. I was just curious whether having an award ticket made it likely for you to get moved around whether you wanted to be or not. After all, I didn't have any choices when I booked originally as to what tickets I got [this was the 50K cheapie FF ticket via DL, not SkyChoice for 100K].

LucieV

Yup, I think FF tix are ranked pretty low.
Deja, that happened to us last October. Not only did they change our flight dates & times, they didn't bother to inform us. The only reason we got the information is because I happened to call with a question about something. I was p'o'd, to say the least, but after making about 300 phone calls, we got things more or less straightened out -- though not returned to where they were initially. This had never happened to us before -- but this was the first time we'd used FF miles in over 2 years.

In any case, I would definitely be cautious and check every week as you've thought about doing.

You know the saying: "You're not being paranoid, your mother really does think you're a child."

gracejoan3

I have used Delta FF tickets for years. Never had the problems that you are talking about. Minor changes in schedules...10 minutes etc.

For being notified, you have to sign up for that. I am signed up, but I also check regularly to see what kind of changes there might be.

Good luck.....

LucieV

Good point, gracie; I forgot to say, mine are United. I hate them.

luvtotravel

I've used lots of FF tickets. The farther out I book, the more likely to have times change or flights canceled. In any event, the airlines always worked with me to rebook something convenient. One time I was scheduled to fly RT LA-London. I really wanted to fly home from Paris, but the only thing available at the time of booking was in and out of Heathrow. When the airline rearranged my flights to something inconvenient for me, they let me change to return home from Paris at no charge. When using FF ticket -- or even a paid ticket -- it pays to check every week or so to see if there have been any changes, and then be prepared with what you WANT as opposed to what THEY decide is best for you before calling. In a way, you may be doing them a favor by doing the research for them.

DejaVu

Excellent point, luvtotravel.

gracie--how do you sign up to be notified of itinerary changes for Delta? Is there someplace to go on the website? I've never run across that before, and I'm very interested!