With a purchased airline ticket, can I catch an earlier flight onsame airline?

If I have an evening flight on an airline (NWA/Delta in my case), can
I show up at the airport and try to catch an earlier flight on the
same airline without incurring an additional charge?

I purchased a round trip ticket on NWA (now Delta) from Minneapolis to
Sacramento and mistakenly picked the first leg to leave at 9pm and
arrive at 11:30pm. I intended to pick the first leg to leave at 9am
and arrive at 11:30am. I noticed my error 3 days after I purchased the
ticket and called the airline to see if I could change the first leg
from the 9pm flight to the 9am flight. The person from NWA/Delta
listened to my story and then informed me that I had not contacted the
airline within 24 hours of purchase and I would have to pay $110
dollars to change flights.

There are at least 3 NWA/Delta flights leaving from Minneapolis to
Sacramento on the day I plan to travel (the first flight leaves
Minneapolis at 6:45am). I expect this flight will not be full and I
would prefer to reach Sacramento sometime in the morning instead of
around midnight.

I would like to check one bag but I am willing to bring only a carry-
on bag if that would make a difference.

If there is room on any earlier flight, can I show up and get on the
earlier flight without an additional charge?

Your experiences and comments are appreicated. TIA.

If there is room on any earlier flight, can I show up and get on the
earlier flight without an additional charge?

Your experiences and comments are appreicated. TIA.




It's been a few years since I've flown Delta, but they charged $25 (at
the time) for a confirmed seat. They didn't do a no-charge standby.
I'm sure their website will give you the details you need.

If I have an evening flight on an airline (NWA/Delta in my case), can
I show up at the airport and try to catch an earlier flight on the
same airline without incurring an additional charge?

No matter what the rules say, the reality is that it depends on the mood
of the gate agent at the airport.

An economically rational airline would let you take an earlier flight
if there's an unsold seat, since this offers the possibility that they
might then resell yours, but an economically rational airline is
pretty much an oxymoron.

R's,
John

On Apr 18, 2:26*pm, "
wrote:
If I have an evening flight on an airline (NWA/Delta in my case), can
I show up at the airport and try to catch an earlier flight on the
same airline without incurring an additional charge?


Used to be no problem; did it several times on Delta. However, that
was some years back. In more recent times, they always demanded money,
although the amount varied from $25 to $300 depending probably on the
agent and his/her current mood. I very much doubt it will work for you
although you may be lucky and get charged $25.

jrk

On Apr 18, 12:26*pm, "
wrote:
If I have an evening flight on an airline (NWA/Delta in my case), can
I show up at the airport and try to catch an earlier flight on the
same airline without incurring an additional charge?

I purchased a round trip ticket on NWA (now Delta) from Minneapolis to
Sacramento and mistakenly picked the first leg to leave at 9pm and
arrive at 11:30pm. I intended to pick the first leg to leave at 9am
and arrive at 11:30am. I noticed my error 3 days after I purchased the
ticket and called the airline to see if I could change the first leg
from the 9pm flight to the 9am flight. The person from NWA/Delta
listened to my story and then informed me that I had not contacted the
airline within 24 hours of purchase and I would have to pay $110
dollars to change flights.

There are at least 3 NWA/Delta flights leaving from Minneapolis to
Sacramento on the day I plan to travel (the first flight leaves
Minneapolis at 6:45am). I expect this flight will not be full and I
would prefer to reach Sacramento sometime in the morning instead of
around midnight.

I would like to check one bag but I am willing to bring only a carry-
on bag if that would make a difference.

If there is room on any earlier flight, can I show up and get on the
earlier flight without an additional charge?

Your experiences and comments are appreicated. TIA.

Hey check out the following link.
http://www.delta.com/traveling_check...nges/index.jsp

hope this helps

In article , John Levine
wrote:

If I have an evening flight on an airline (NWA/Delta in my case), can
I show up at the airport and try to catch an earlier flight on the
same airline without incurring an additional charge?

No matter what the rules say, the reality is that it depends on the mood
of the gate agent at the airport.

An economically rational airline would let you take an earlier flight
if there's an unsold seat, since this offers the possibility that they
might then resell yours, but an economically rational airline is
pretty much an oxymoron.

On a trip some years ago I finished my business early and showed up for
the return flight on Alaska Airlines (it may have been Seattle to SJC)
several hours early.

To my amazement, the checkin machine, without my even asking, offered me
the option of shifting (at no charge) to either of a couple of early
flights on the same route.

A policy that helpful and intelligent!?!?! -- made me love Alaska ever
after (even if they no longer do this).

In article ,
AES wrote:

On a trip some years ago I finished my business early and showed up for
the return flight on Alaska Airlines (it may have been Seattle to SJC)
several hours early.

To my amazement, the checkin machine, without my even asking, offered me
the option of shifting (at no charge) to either of a couple of early
flights on the same route.

A policy that helpful and intelligent!?!?! -- made me love Alaska ever
after (even if they no longer do this).

Alaska still allows taking an earlier flight, if you don't have
checked bags. I did it last week, on two segments. The checkin
machine didn't offer the option, but that might have been since I
was traveling internationally.

I was aiming to be at YVR (Vancouver) two hours early for the
10:30am to SEA, but traffic was light and I checked in a few minutes
after 8am. The agent at the counter said I could probably make
the 9am to SEA, so I hustled through customs and security and made
it to the gate by 8:15am. I made the 9am flight, but unfortunately,
it arrived at the south satellite terminal in SEA, and the connecting
flight (10:30am) was out of the very north end of the C terminal.
Two different rides on the silly trains, a run through the terminal,
and I was the third to last passenger to get on the plane. I made
it home before I would have left SEA on my original flights.

John
--
John Clear - http://www.clear-prop.org/

In message

" was claimed to have
wrote:

If I have an evening flight on an airline (NWA/Delta in my case), can
I show up at the airport and try to catch an earlier flight on the
same airline without incurring an additional charge?

I can't speak to NWA/Delta, but I've seen both AA and Alaska offer to
put passenger on earlier flights.

Any rational airline should do so since there is no real downside as
long as they don't guarantee you a seat until they know that no one will
get bumped, but as was mentioned in another post in this thread, not all
airlines are rational.

In message
(John Clear) was claimed to have wrote:

Alaska still allows taking an earlier flight, if you don't have
checked bags. I did it last week, on two segments. The checkin
machine didn't offer the option, but that might have been since I
was traveling internationally.

I was aiming to be at YVR (Vancouver) two hours early for the
10:30am to SEA, but traffic was light and I checked in a few minutes
after 8am. The agent at the counter said I could probably make
the 9am to SEA, so I hustled through customs and security and made
it to the gate by 8:15am. I made the 9am flight, but unfortunately,
it arrived at the south satellite terminal in SEA, and the connecting
flight (10:30am) was out of the very north end of the C terminal.
Two different rides on the silly trains, a run through the terminal,
and I was the third to last passenger to get on the plane. I made
it home before I would have left SEA on my original flights.

Speaking of SEA's trains, anyone else find the lack of signage
(especially in the satellite terminals) a bit confusing?

I landed at an S gate and was looking for a gate designated "N16S" (or
might I have those reversed?), there wasn't a single sign in that entire
terminal that indicated where to go for the "N" terminal until you went
down the escalator, something I was a little cautious to do since my
last couple home airports use big long down escalators to leave the
secured side of the airport.

OTOH the signs may have just disappeared as part of all the renovations,
it may have just been temporary.

Relevant to this question (but not necessarily to NWA or Delta) I just
learned about Continental's polocy.

24 hours before the flight departure, and within 12 hours of the
(earlier) flight you would like to take, the agent on the phone can
give you a confirmed seat (if available) on the earlier flight for a
$25.00 fee. I did this recently for a dometsic US flight.

If you want to go the airport and take a chance the $25.00 fee is
waived.

Quark