Why did my itinerary change? When will my MQMs roll over? Customer questions answered

Many customers may wonder how Delta makes decisions about cancellations and schedule changes and what Delta does to help them when those disruptions occur. Read on for more about how we take care of our customers when travel is interrupted – as well as tips on managing your next flight and when to arrive at the airport.

Staff Writer

Jan 6, 2022 11:30am

A Reservation employee helps a customer.

As winter weather and impacts from the omicron variant continue to disrupt the airline industry, Delta people have been working together around the clock to get you where you need to go. If your travel has been interrupted, you want to know why, and you need to know what’s next. Read on for answers to frequently asked questions about how Delta takes care of you when things don’t go as planned, as well as answers to some frequently asked questions about your eCredits, Medallion Status, when to arrive at the airport and more.

WHY DID DELTA CANCEL MY FLIGHT?

Canceling a flight is never a decision we take lightly – and it’s always a last resort. It’s not only difficult on our customers, but it’s also hard on our people, who want nothing more than to take care of you.

Delta operates a complex global operation with an average of 4,500 daily departures. If flights deviate around disruptive weather or spend time in a holding pattern due to a ground stop, especially in Delta's hub cities, the effects can sometimes ripple through the system and impact operations in other cities, crew duty limits and aircraft route schedules.

As COVID-19 infection rates rise and employees follow necessary isolation guidelines, the highly transmissible omicron variant has also put additional pressure on our staffing levels.

As often as we can, we work to reroute and substitute aircraft and crews to get customers on their way quickly and safely, with minimal delay.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN MY FLIGHT IS CANCELED?

When a flight must be canceled, Delta Reservations specialists coordinate with our Operations and Customer Care Center to get impacted customers on the next available flight.

If you no longer wish to fly, you may convert your ticket to an eCredit for future Delta travel.

If Delta cancels a flight or makes a schedule change of 120 minutes or more, you can request a refund to the original form of payment on delta.com or the Fly Delta app.

HOW CAN I CHANGE MY ITINERARY IF MY FLIGHT IS CANCELED OR IF INCLEMENT WEATHER IS APPROACHING?

Delta teams strive to notify customers of itinerary changes as far in advance as possible. We’ll send updates directly to a mobile device or by email if this option is selected during booking or added later via My Trips online.

We also issue waivers in the event of inclement weather, offering customers whose travel includes affected cities the option to consider moving their travel to before or after the weather event, which can also help avoid unnecessary waiting at airports. Itinerary changes can be made via delta.com or the Fly Delta app.

Customers are strongly encouraged to download and use the Fly Delta app or visit delta.com to check their flight status, manage their rebooking, and take advantage of other easy-to-use self-service options.

WHEN SHOULD I ARRIVE AT THE AIRPORT?

Once you’ve confirmed your itinerary on delta.com or the Fly Delta app and considered any adjustments for approaching weather, we recommend arriving at the airport three hours before domestic departures and four hours before international departures.

Be sure to check security wait times before arriving at the airport and allow extra time if you plan to check a bag.

When you’re traveling internationally, you must be checked in at least one hour before your scheduled departure. Additionally, we recommend being at the gate and ready to board 45 minutes before your scheduled departure time.

WHEN DO I NEED TO USE MY ECREDIT BY?

We are giving you even more flexibility to fly when you are ready. We’ve extended the valid-by dates for all tickets that were scheduled to expire in 2021 and all tickets purchased in 2021. Customers have until Dec. 31, 2022, to book travel through Dec. 31, 2023.

When you are ready to use your eCredit, visit delta.com/redeem or the Fly Delta app, where you’ll be able to verify the existing value/expiration date information and apply the eCredit at the time of purchase.

WHAT ABOUT MY STATUS? WHEN WILL MY MEDALLION QUALIFICATION MILES (MQMs) ROLL OVER?

All customers will begin seeing their MQMs roll over by the end of the month. You can rest assured that when you’re ready to get back out there, you’ll have an even greater head start. Plus, 2021 Medallion Status was extended through Jan. 31, 2023, and all Global and Regional Upgrade Certificates were extended for travel through Jan. 31, 2023.