Northwest/Delta Rage

[WDWCrazyKaren]

Ok, I'm sorry, but I just have to vent. Grrr. Gotta get this out of my system. Here's the story: We purchased our airfare a few months ago for our September trip. We paid more for the flight that left in the evening, then paid Disney for our extra day as well so we could spend the entire day in the parks, enjoy one last table service meal etc. So, today, I decide to go to the airlines website just to print everything out for my records...AND THEY CHANGED OUR FLIGHT HOME! Without notice to me, they put us on an early in the day flight, WITH a layover (we will only fly direct) for a few hours in Memphis, only to get us home later that our first evening flight would have gotten us home! I was so upset. I called NWA customer service. It was not. (Customer service, that is) An extremely rude rep advised there was nothing she could do. About any of it. All four of us (2 adults and 2 kids) were also not sitting near each other either. All four of us in different rows, all by the windows (and DH and stepson need aisle seats-they are both pretty big!). The tickets we purchased originally were also $60 more than the seats being offered on this flight. After 4 more calls (three of which I was rudely hung up on!) a very nice rep got us on a non-stop flight (although three hours earlier than our original flight, putting us at the airport at noon instead of 5:00PM), all sitting together. Sigh. We've lost our last day at Disney, after all the planning to add another day, we've lost it. ARGH!

Ok, I'm done now. Thank you for listening.

Anyone else have any thoughts or has this happened to you before?

[Seasonscraps]

I have had airlines change their itineraries and rearrange my flight plans. I am sure that it's their right to do so somewhere in the fine print. Most of the times we went with it but once it was a big difference like yours and we were able to get a full refund and booked our trip with another carrier.

FWIW, despite what they tell you on the phone you can almost always change your seat when you get to the airport. I have done it lots of times - just be at the gate when they open up the flight.

I am sorry your plans got messed up

[faline]

Sorry for your disappointment around your plans.

Airlines frequently change schedules. Sometimes it works in the favor of individuals; other times not. I have found them fairly flexible in working with us if the flight schedule does not work for us.

[BluewaterBrad]

I dont blame you 1 bit!! I would be ticked off also!! I hate flying anywhere!!

[WDWCrazyKaren]

I am sorry your plans got messed up

Thanks Lisa. Makes me feel better knowing they didn't just target me!

[epceddie]

Do you have Southwest at your airport? They're probably the best airline out there. I found a cheap price on a flight from Boston to Orlando on Delta, but their also would have been a $90 charge for bringing two bags along.
Southwest has no baggage fees and their customer service is outstanding.
Sorry you had such a bad experience.

[WDWCrazyKaren]

Do you have Southwest at your airport? They're probably the best airline out there. I found a cheap price on a flight from Boston to Orlando on Delta, but their also would have been a $90 charge for bringing two bags along.
Southwest has no baggage fees and their customer service is outstanding.
Sorry you had such a bad experience.

Sadly, Southwest has just joined the Minneapolis routes, and we currently have service only to Chicago. I tried Mpls to Chicago and Chicago to MCO, however that got pretty expensive. I bet Southwest will expand their services here soon, but it will take some time I'm sure. We have to fork over $120 for our luggage both ways! I gotta find me a new airline.

[Disney Doll]

Here's hoping your area gets more SW flights in the future. They are always my 1st choice. Their customer service has always been top notch and I have never had a change like you described with SW. I would be pretty upset if I were in your situation. Sorry!

[g8rgirl29]

We flew Delta last year and they changed our flight so many times it was crazy. We flew out of an airport 1 hr and 45 minutes away to have a non-stop flight both ways. They changed that first, no non-stop flight either way. Then the flight times changed about 4 or 5 times. I was a wreck and felt like I had to check every day to see what was up. This year we are flying United and UsAirways, from an airport 30 min away, so far no changes...Knock on Wood!!

[Dsnygirl]

Karen, I had the same thing happen to me on JetBlue last January -- would have completely lost an entire day, based on the new times I found when I checked my reservation about a month before our flight.

But, when I called, although the first cust. svc. rep told me there was nothing they could do, I called back and got another one who said that b/c they had changed my flight by more than an hour or two, they could put me on a different flight at no cost to me -- so I switched to the day before!

Maybe if you call back and talk to a manager, they would honor a similar policy? I know all airlines have different rules, but I thought most of them allowed you to change flights if their schedule change was more than an hour or two off from your original flight. Anyway, it couldn't hurt to ask... I'm so sorry you had to have this happen to you guys!!

[laprana]

I totally understand your anger and frustration! Air Tran did the same thing to us for our trip this past May. We went from a non-stop flight to Orlando that left in the morning to a much later flight with a 4-hour layover, getting us to WDW very late that night! They never notified us of the change at all, just switched it. The only reason we found out was because we went to book another flight with them and just happened to look up the one we had already booked. We called immediately and after a very long phone call and quite a bit of arguing with the customer service rep, we ended up getting all of our money refunded, which we used to book Southwest!

I hope SW does expand their services from your airport so you're able to use them in the future. They're by far the best airline we've experienced so far!

[Camping Mom]

I have never even heard of this happening!!! Wow...what a pain for this to happen after all the careful planning everyone puts into a trip. I never look at my ticket information until the night before just to know what gate to go to. Guess I will be looking earlier now.

My son is a CM at Disney and when we fly him home we try and use Southwest. It is a closer airport to us and other than a quick delay (because of the Wright Amendment in Texas) at another Texas airport, we usually have no problems other than sometimes Southwest runs late. No baggage fees and we rarely check a bag anyway. If you can start early enough to get a good price, it is a great way to go. If not, they will run higher or right at what other airlines charge.

Sorry this happened to all of you and that it takes so many phone calls to rude people when they know people are going to be upset when their schedule has been changed!!!!

[MarkC]

I've had bad and good luck with all airlines. Here is what I recommend you do. Call customer service again and try someone different. If they can't help you ask to speak to a customer service supervisor. By all means be polite with everyone. It helps. Explain your situation to them. I've had several times that the airline will change my schedule for free when I tell them it's due to a schedule change that they initiated. Good luck. And let us know the results. Mark

[TheVBs]

That's awful! I'm so sorry you had to go through all that. This just happened to my sister, same airline. She was flying back from NYC, went to check in and her boarding pass showed her flight leaving at 6am the following morning! She went to the desk and told them she had to be home that night. They switched her to another flight, but going out of a different airport. At least they gave her a cab voucher.

[PetefromRI]

I feel so fortunate to have SW at my local airport.They have never changed or canceled a flight except for a blizzard once.Their customer service is very very good,and the prices are decent.They always treat the customer good and seem to try and work out any problems.At least that has been my experience.

[PAYROLL PRINCESS]

Delta's done that to us the past 2 times we've flown with them. I'll be looking for a different carrier next year. It's almost as quick to go to Providence but we're lucky that SW goes out of Boston now.

[PixieMagic]

THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO US...by NWA/Delta - also in MN - for our August flight....and we also have paid for a ticket the day we leave b/c our original flight left at 7 and now we are leaving at 3 - I could not be more upset as well.....I would have booked Airtran and paid WAY less if I wanted my flights constantly changed!

[Aurora]

We've had our flight times change lots of times but not more than an hour usually. We always check closer to departure date to make sure.

I'll put in a plug for American -- when we were on vacation in New York awhile back they were expecting a noreaster the next day, so in anticipation they cancelled all flights. They called me on my cell phone that night to let us know that all the flights had been cancelled and to help us rebook. They couldn't have been nicer. The rep did everything she could to keep us together and get us home in a timely way.

[TheRustyScupper]

I decide to go to the airlines website just to print everything out for my records...AND THEY CHANGED OUR FLIGHT HOME!
. . . airlines must respond to business
. . . they change flights to account for capacity
. . . without it, they would go further into the hole

Without notice to me
. . . if your email is registered, you should have received notice
. . . when my flights change, I am always notified

they put us on an early in the day flight, WITH a layover (we will only fly direct) for a few hours in Memphis, only to get us home later that our first evening flight would have gotten us home! I was so upset.
. . . when flights are moved, they accommodate the best way
. . . and as close to your original flight plan as possible
. . . one must assume all direct flights were canceled
. . . in fact, this was noted in newspapers and here on Intercot
. . . Delta, American, NWA, and others cut many direct flights from Orlando
. . . these were to be accomplished between June and October

I called NWA customer service. It was not. (Customer service, that is) An extremely rude rep advised there was nothing she could do. About any of it.
. . . in many cases, they can't do anything
. . . the flight schedules cannot be changed by ressie people

All four of us (2 adults and 2 kids) were also not sitting near each other either. All four of us in different rows, all by the windows (and DH and stepson need aisle seats-they are both pretty big!).
. . . the flight obviously already had people booked
. . . they slotted you into open seats
. . . as for emergency seats, as assigned the day of the flight
. . . unless you have Elite (silver, gold, platinum) membership status

a very nice rep got us on a non-stop flight (although three hours earlier than our original flight, putting us at the airport at noon instead of 5:00PM), all sitting together.
. . . the direct flight was timed differently than your original
. . . obviously, there were open seats they could put you together
. . . my guess this was a semi-popular flight due to the flight time
. . . midday flights normally do not fill until close to flight date
. . . the morning and late flight fill first
. . . like you, others want to get more park time

Sigh. We've lost our last day at Disney, after all the planning to add another day, we've lost it.
. . . sometimes, one must roll with the punches
. . . in these economic times, look for changed everywhere

NOTE: I have over 1-million miles on Northwest and over 2-million miles on Delta (now a combined airline). One learns to make the best of airline travel.

[DizneyRox]

Delta has been doing this for years, it happened to me when I gave them my business. To prevent this, I stopped travelling Delta (probably 1998 or so). I fly Southwest exclusively, and it hasn't happened since.

I'll stick with Southwest.