You’ve heard the buzz about this upcoming change – here are the details.

Starting April 23, you’ll be able to request a day-of-flight change any time prior to the departure time of your original flight within the same calendar day. Previously, changes could only be made within three hours of your new departure time. This expanded timeframe and improved flexibility will allow more time to request same-day changes on the day of departure.

As part of this change – actually part of what enables it – the same booking class (e.g. Q, K, L, U) as your original ticket must now be available in order to make the change. Our systems will automatically identify the booking class of both purchased and award tickets to offer same-day confirmed options when the same fare class is available on another flight.

Diamond, Platinum and Gold Medallion members will receive complimentary same-day travel changes for new flight departure times that are three hours before or after your original departure time. For flights departing outside of this window, a $50 fee for each same-day confirmed ticketing change will now apply. Diamond, Platinum and Gold Medallion members also may continue to stand by free of charge for flights outside of the complimentary window or when your booking class is not available.

All other customers will now have the ability to same-day standby for a $50 fee when their booking class is not available by requesting a day-of-flight change any time prior to the departure time of the original flight. This is a new feature of the same-day travel change program and the fee will not be charged until you have cleared the standby list and are on the aircraft.

While the technology to support this new same-day travel program will go into effect on April 23, it is important to note that our reservations team has the ability to honor the same-day travel policy referenced in the fare rules for tickets purchased prior to April 23, 2013 as requested.

Full details about same-day travel options are available at delta.com/samedaytravel. If you’ve used same-day confirmed or standby options in the past, you should be receiving an email with information about this in the next day or so.

And a little background on why you’ve heard things about these changes before we made an official announcement. We don’t like it when the rumor mill is busy at work before we can tell you ourselves, but in order prepare for the first day of our same-day travel changes, we needed to ensure our agents had sufficient time with the information so they could apply it correctly from day one. We’d like to apologize for any uncertainty and/or confusion this caused in the Delta forum prior to today.

 

I really wish it were same booking class or lower. That's really something Delta should think about.

 

First, thank you for posting this update.

What if there are no flights within that three hour window? I don't mean no flights with the same fare bucket available, I mean literally no flights. If I want to SDC out of LNK, the time difference will always exceed three hours, since the flights to MSP are at (roughly) 0640, 1300, and 1700.

Does this include fee waivers for GM/PM/DM or just ability to SDC to a flight with availability in the same cabin within three hours of departure, but the $50 fee won't be waived?

 

Give me an example where a cheaper fare bucket is available but the more expensive one isn't? The only time I could see that applying is if you're booked in the forward cabin and are willing to take a downgrade to economy.

 

This is even more restrictive than originally rumored.

 

Agreed. We're giving up a lot in order to get SDC earlier. I'm especially concerned about the 3 hour rule, since as mentioned, there often aren't flights that close together.

 

A cancellation of a ticket might allow a lower bucket to be available. Or maybe IRROPS. Although, I'm unsure if, for example, a T were cancelled, if it would still be a T or if that seat would become a Y.

 

From what I understand, we will be able to do this but ONLY if we call Delta. IE K class could get LUT if open.

 

and it still doesn't address the redeye issue ... SEA/LAX/SFO-MSP-xxx at 1245am can't switch to the 1045pm options over DTW/JFK/ATL

 

This basically kills SDC and we've gone back to having to use Standby in many cases for any earlier flights, like the old, old, old days.

The 3-hour rule is just nonsense as many people have expressed. There are many outposts where flights are spaced farther apart than 3 hours.

I'm curious to know the rationale behind the statement that requiring the same fare bucket is what enables changes to be made on the same day.

 

I would be happier with this if DM'S weren't being shafted yet again....

I like the same day flexibility and could almost live with the fare bucket issue. Then thet add in a $50 charge for the benefit. So if I change within the three hours for free as we can now, the bucket rule is in effect!!!!

DL.... you want to make DM a superior level, requiring MQM and soon MQD qualifications, but you continue to reduce benefit.... DM is losing value with every enhancement...

 

Really surprised this latest 'enhancement' wasn't dubbed SkyStandby. And another shoe drops.

 

Since there doesn't appear to be a restriction of routing, can I SDC from a direct flight to a different routing if the flight I'm changing to is within the 3 hour window? i.e. change from MSY-LGA to MSY-ATL-LGA.

 

On the bright side, the SDS would protect some of the lower medallions from higher ups SDC-ing and eating into the upgrade queue.

 

This is more about taking more money away from more DL SkyMiles customers, Medallions included.