Well, I just received the second computerized phone message, changing our flight itinerary! We are taking our family to NYC for Easter week and wanted direct flights from Baton Rouge to LGA which we secured in January.

Several weeks ago the first phone message rerouted us through Atlanta. We phoned back and talked directly to a rep. who booked us on a direct flight the day before....i.e. one additional night in the hotel with almost an additional full day in NYC.

This has never happened to us before. Is this normal now for Delta?

Which part are you asking if it's normal? That an airline (Delta) will change flight plans, or that they'll actually call you well in advance to notify you?

From what I've read on this board it is not uncommon for airlines to change flights, especially as they try to improve their own business. Many have complained that they didn't know of changes until they actually checked online themselves.

And how far in advance did you book the original segments? It is not ususual for airlines to change flights/times/routes and I agree that unless you periodically check these yourself you sometimes do NOT get notified in advance.

All the airlines do that, some more than others (on a recent US Air flight, the itinerary was changed 11 times - several quite drastically, 3 times the morning of the flight).

You're just lucky they bothered to call.

It's happened to me with USAir and United. I've found sometimes the changes were outrageous - one United "minor change" resulted in a 5 hour (v. 1 hr.) lay-over. They were good about finding me an alternative.

Continental made minor changes twice on my international (2 legs each way) flight, and the first time I nearly had a heart attack seeing that large red announcement.

Check your reservation regularly, from what I heard, the airlines "fine-tune" the routes till a month before the flight.

I seriously doubt that DL has ever scheduled or flown regularly BTR-LGA non-stop. A "direct" flight with the same flight number means little, as you're still stopping at ATL and they may even be a plane change.

If you're not happy with the additional day in NYC, then call DL and have them switch you back to your original day of departure. You'll be going through ATL regardless.