Delta Airlines (kinda long)

[Sherrypooh]

Just trying to get some feedback here, not sure I am not going to be on the hotseat, but good/bad I would appreicate feedback.

Story goes...

I am heading to orlando in May. I am driving down after a conference and my ex is going to be putting my two boys on a plane and they will be meeting me there. They are 13 & 14. I looked and looked and the best rate for a one way ticket was with delta and it was 154. I purchased the two tickets and went on my merry way. Well, a few days later, I was again checking ticket prices and the exact ticket I purchased for the kids went from 154 to 89. I called delta, they charged me 25 per ticket and gave me a "credit voucher" for future flights in my kids name. This of course means that I will just have to go again someplace to use up my air credit with delta.

Brings me to yesterday. Same exact flight is now 59 one way. I once again called delta airline. They told me I would have to pay 25 per ticket and get my 5 dollar credit. I explained I had just changed my ticket. I tried to cancel and rebook, but again I would have to pay the 25 to cancel. I talked to a supervisor who explained that delta would loose money if they gave me the credit. She went on to say that delta could not keep giving out credit for fares that went down and that when I purchased my ticket, I had gotten the best rate at that time and that it is just not their problem that the rate went down again.

She was not the nicest of customer service reps, but I guess I probably was not the nicest of customers either. I did explain that delta was not loosing money but giving me the credit as now I would again need to fly and that would bring in even more revenue as I wouldn't want to waste the credit. In addition, I would then be purchasing another ticket for myself to go with my kids tickets.

Point is, am I being that unrealistic to think I should get the addition 30 dollar credit towards my next fare? Or should I just shut up and suck it up.

All opinions are welcome.

TIA

sherry

 

[disneygals]

While I understand your annoyance, I'd just let it go. Just think of the bargain you did get!!

 

[Miss Jasmine]

It's tough. Delta's requirements are $25 for a change in tickets (this was recently reduced from $50 per change). In the interest of customer service, yes it would be nice if Delta credited you the additional $30, but with it on the brink of filing Chapter 11, the bottom line may be a little more important at this time. Also if the fee is waived for you, shouldn't it be waived for everyone. Buying airline tickets is always a gamble, you never know when an airline is going to have a "sale". My advice (and it has worked for me), I wouldn't "fight" with a rep over the phone. Put it in writing and see what happens. I think I have the Customer Care address around if you want it.

 

[Amberle3]

Frankly I'm still amazed that Southwest doesn't charge a fee for changing tickets. It's Canadian counterpart (Westjet) does. Aside from Southwest, pretty much every airline charges a change fee. In theory it's to cover a labour costs of someone having to go into the system and make the changes for you, and likely also to act as a deterrent so that people don't just book seats "on spec" and then keep changing them.

ETA: BTW a few years ago the change fee with Air Canada was $100. It's gone down now to compete with Westjet and the US carriers.

 

[Sherrypooh]

I appreciate the comments so far. Yes, it is only 50 dollars total, but they still have my money (320) from the original fare, so this would be more of a good will deal. Again, I understand policy, but again where there are so many airlines to choose from, it would stand to reason that airlines would want to keep their customers happy. Again, it is only pennies in the big picture and I also have to wonder how many people actually keep checking the fares to get the cheaper rate. I am not asking for cash, but for a cash credit towards my next flight. Guess I am beating a dead horse. Thanks again for your comments.

sherry

 

[zurgswife]

I would consider myself lucky and just let it go...and maybe fly sw next time..

 

[copper68]

what really gets me is, they can change your flight.. for example, i am visiting my mother on mother's day weekend.. i booked my flight, got great times, etc.. and then low and behold, they went and changed my times on my flights.. why am i not credited with $25 for them changing my flight??

 

[Amberle3]

what really gets me is, they can change your flight.. for example, i am visiting my mother on mother's day weekend.. i booked my flight, got great times, etc.. and then low and behold, they went and changed my times on my flights.. why am i not credited with $25 for them changing my flight??

Because they're not just switching to you another flight while the one you were originally booked on is still operating at the same days/times. If you decide you want to fly earlier/later/different day then basically they figure hey, you changed your mind, you pay the change fee.

BTW if they change your flight times and they are substantially different, you don't have to just accept the change. You can call them and have them book you on a different flight and have them to eat the change fee because the schedule change made that flight unacceptable. The change has to be considerable though, not just half an hour.

I did this last year when they changed our flight schedules and had my mother (mobility problem) and I connecting in a city with the bare minimum allowable connecting time. I explained that the previous schedule had allowed her time to get from A to B and that the new schedule didn't, and unless they were willing to guarantee that they would provide someone to plunk her in a wheelchair and race from gate to gate at the airport then they'd have to change our flights to something that allowed for more connecting time.

 

[CarolA]

I appreciate the comments so far. Yes, it is only 50 dollars total, but they still have my money (320) from the original fare, so this would be more of a good will deal. Again, I understand policy, but again where there are so many airlines to choose from, it would stand to reason that airlines would want to keep their customers happy. Again, it is only pennies in the big picture and I also have to wonder how many people actually keep checking the fares to get the cheaper rate. I am not asking for cash, but for a cash credit towards my next flight. Guess I am beating a dead horse. Thanks again for your comments.

sherry

And the truth is that most of the other airlines do exactly the same thing so they aren' t too worried about this driving you off. SouthWest is the only one that I know of that doesn't charge a change fee (have no experience with JetBlue or independence) but AA, USAIR, DL, United, AirTran and CO all charge something.

 

[justhat]

When did the $25 change fee go into effect on Delta? Last May this happened with a ticket we bought for my niece and we called and they gave us the $15 credit, no change fee at all. Is it new, or were we just lucky?

 

[minmate]

I would start flying Southwest... they don't charge for that... you get a full credit and some people have even had luck getting the credit refunded back to their credit card!

 

[Sherrypooh]

In answer to someones question, when I asked about this new "policy" I was told it went into effect 1 aug 04 for Delta. I will be using USAIR or another from here on in. JMO.

 

[justhat]

In answer to someones question, when I asked about this new "policy" I was told it went into effect 1 aug 04 for Delta. I will be using USAIR or another from here on in. JMO.

Thanks. I was sorta wrong about what I posted earlier, they trip was last May, but we bought the ticket last January (2004) and got the $15 credit in March. Just in case someone had this experience around that time and had a different result I thought I should clarify.

 

[Pugdog007]

In answer to someones question, when I asked about this new "policy" I was told it went into effect 1 aug 04 for Delta. I will be using USAIR or another from here on in. JMO.

I would drop it - you got a great rate. And BTW Delta and Southwest are the best one's out there. And Delta is more comfortable for long flights than SW. Search my posts if you want to hear about my nightmare with United this past weekend, Talk about poor customer service!