rsrik From India, joined Oct 2008, 143 posts, RR: 0 Posted (5 months 1 week 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 1370 times:
Hi All
Around 3.5 months ago, I used up a boat load of Delta miles and booked a business class award ticket on Delta, flying from BOM - ATL - SFO & back.
The flight is on Jan 19, and I see that DL has sold all but 3-4 seats on BOM - AMS and AMS - ATL.
It has made me wonder ... if DL has the opportunity to sell an extra business class seat for premium $$, is there any danger of I getting bumped to economy?
I certainly hope not, but, I wanted to get more opinions.
zrs70 From United States of America, joined Dec 2000, 2881 posts, RR: 10 Reply 1, posted (5 months 1 week 1 day 22 hours ago) and read 1364 times:
Very unlikely it will happen. But here are possible scenarios:
1) there is an equipment swap resulting in last minute oversell. DL would be forced to downgrade passengers. Top pick will not non elites on award tickets.
2) DL oversells flight and asks for volunteers. If no one steps up, award non-elites are among first to be involuntarily downgraded or bumped.
toobz From Finland, joined Jan 2010, 674 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (5 months 1 week 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 1351 times:
Well no..you have a confirmed ticket. They won't sell ur seat to someone who is willing to pay money. However, like zrs said if there's a change in equipment it's possible, but very very unlikely. And I do not believe that DL overbooks premium intl cabins. You're safe. Don't worry
rsrik From India, joined Oct 2008, 143 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (5 months 1 week 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 1249 times:
Zrs70, Toobz,
Thanks to both of you for your reassurance
I have been on the other end... As a Diamond and Platinum medallion member, I have been on oversold economy flights, and been bumped up to Business class. It does make sense that DL wouldn't oversell Business class. I hope to 'remain safe' ...
toobz From Finland, joined Jan 2010, 674 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (5 months 1 week 19 hours ago) and read 1221 times:
Yes rsrik..that definitely happens very often. Y is always allowed to be oversold..especially being Diam and Plat you would be the first to get upgraded
Am I right that DL flies the 767 to BOM from AMS (too lazy to check)?
The only way you would b in trouble, is if it were swapped to an A330, I believe they have 4 or 5 seats less in J. But I don't see that happening, per crew rotation reasoning. Yeah don't worry. U r fine Enjoy ur trip. And if u have time, write a TR and tell us all about it!!
rsrik From India, joined Oct 2008, 143 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (5 months 1 week 19 hours ago) and read 1217 times:
Hi Jani
Actually, the equipment published 3 months ago, as well as noted on DL's website right now, is an A333, the whole way.
So, I am keeping my fingers crossed
They still have 3 open seats from BOM - AMS and 4 from AMS - ATL.
Sure, I will try to collect enough data for a report
Thanks
asqx From United States of America, joined Jun 1999, 591 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (5 months 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 1125 times:
It's possible, though very very rare, that International flights can be oversold in Business Elite. Usually thought the only way it gets oversold is through an equipment downgrade. Downgrades will go to passengers without seat assignments, though if you are a Medallion member it's pretty safe you won't get downgraded unless everyone in Business Elite is too, but that's highly dobutfull.
If however it does end up being oversold, volunteers will be solicited. For international flights if it's another flight and $600 voucher. If you take coach on the same flight it's a refund of the fare difference (in your case the mileage difference) plus, since your segments are each over 2,500 miles, a $1,000 voucher.
asqx From United States of America, joined Jun 1999, 591 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (5 months 5 days 23 hours ago) and read 1059 times:
The initial downgrade happens when the aircraft is swapped and is all handled by the computer and the downgrade is done automatically. If however you are one of the people downgaded, the agents must still solicit volunteers following the compensation guidlines. In the even that volunteers cannot be found you have to be given the option of the next flight available in business class (I don't work international flights but I would imagine that other airlines may be an option in this case) or the original flights in coach. In either case you are entitled to compensation as outlined above.
reifel From Germany, joined Feb 2005, 1153 posts, RR: 1 Reply 9, posted (5 months 5 days 17 hours ago) and read 1029 times:
Very unlikely, but with most airlines you will always occur a risk to be bumped, no matter if award ticket or not. Almost every airline oversells their flights nowadays and you don't always find enough volunteers.
rsrik From India, joined Oct 2008, 143 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (5 months 5 days 16 hours ago) and read 1019 times:
Quoting asqx (Reply 8): The initial downgrade happens when the aircraft is swapped
How soon would DL know in case they plan to downgrade? As soon as they decide would the new equipment reflect when I log into DL.com?
Would it be a matter of hours before the flight?
As of now, the schedule indicates that it will be an A333.
asqx From United States of America, joined Jun 1999, 591 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (5 months 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 987 times:
Quoting rsrik (Reply 10): How soon would DL know in case they plan to downgrade? As soon as they decide would the new equipment reflect when I log into DL.com?
Would it be a matter of hours before the flight?
As of now, the schedule indicates that it will be an A333.
There's no time limit, an aircraft change can occur any time from when the flight is first loaded into the schedule 330 days in advance up until the time the door is closed for departure. As a gate agent I have litterally had at least one flight where I had to take people off a plane I was boarding because operations decided to take my flight's plane as a replacement for another. It's very rare for swaps to occur that late but in hubs it does happen.
As to how soon it reflects on Delta.com, that depends. Even after a plane is swapped the flight must be reaccomodated to match the new equipment. This depends mostly on the agents doing the swap and working the outbound flight. However, I doubt that the BOM-AMS will swap for anything other than another A330-300. A swap to an A330-200 is the only likely candidate but given that the flights are full as you say I doubt it. The AMS-ATL is pretty safe too, as MX in AMS can deal with any technical issues and Europe is far easier to deal with crew issues. If a swap to another type hasn't already been loaded anything else would probably also incurr a hefty delay while it was re-crewed and would mean that waiting for an A330-300 would have meant an extreme delay.
A week away from you flight nothing is going to be changed on a routing like BOM-AMS-ATL. Redeemed SkyMiles tickets cannot simply be bummped because of someone using cash to purchase a ticket. The only concievable way to get downgraded would mean that there were no non-Medallion tickets purchased less than 3.5 months before the flight. If you bought the last seat on the plane maybe, but purchasing that far out I think you're safe.
aklrno From United States of America, joined Dec 2010, 713 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (5 months 4 days 2 hours ago) and read 917 times:
I think anyone could get bumped at any time. I once had my seat sold to a standby by US because I wasn't at the gate 10 minutes before the flight. I was on a paid F fare and my incoming connection was running late, so they knew I would likely get there at the last minute. There was no other flight that day, US could not get me a hotel room, they put me in Y on a flight at dawn the next day, and refunded nothing! I haven't flown US since then.
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