Delta makes me remember just why we fly SWA!!!

[CPer'sMom]

My daughter needed to fly one-way from Atlanta to DC -- SW doesn't fly that route (or even to BWI) so I booked her a ticket on Delta for $119, which I figured wasn't a bad fare since it's during the Thanksgiving week-end.
Today I check on-line and see that the same fare is now down to $59!, a $60 "savings".

No price adjustments on-line so I call Delta; first agent tells me 'no problem' but it has to be done by the 're-issue' dept. Is there a fee? "No" So, okay, great.

~~ after being transferred 2 times and on hold for over 45 minutes I talk to the "ticket re-issue" dept and find out that they will reduce the fare AND charge me a $50 fee to do so!!! No change of day or flight #, merely a reduction in price and they want to charge me to do so, for a net credit of $10!! I wasn't expecting a credit to my cc, but at least a Delta credit.
Oh, it gets better ....... I ask to talk to a "supervisor" for an explanation of why they charge the fee. No reason, just "it's in my guidelines". Can it be waived? Supervisor, "Oh, I'm sure anything can be waived but I won't do it". Not "can't" do it, but "won't" do it. Okay, so can I talk to someone who has the authority to waive it? "I don't know who's available right now"!!!!
Then she asks if I'd like her to transfer me back to the "re-issue" dept so they can make the change (and charge the fee!). Oh, and I'll probably have to be on hold for 20 minutes 'or so'.

Both Alaska Airlines and United have given me credits in the past for the exact same situation without paying a fee (and without it being an "exception"), so I honestly don't think my request was out of line. Also, I was polite to the agents (I've worked in CS and HR enough to know you get a lot more done if you're nice) up until that final exchange when I told her not to bother transferring me again!

Needless to say our family won't be flying Delta again I sent an e-mail to Delta CS about the situation just to see if someone responds.

Sure makes me appreciate SWA

 

[BigTigger]

While your logic makes sense and JB and SWA have spoiled the traveling public by issuing credits for later fare reduction IF YOU ASK (not automatically), Delta is like all of the legacy carriers that want you to pay $50 to change. Rules are rules you know

As far as the DL re-issue desk, they are a slow and useless function from my experiences with them.

 

[CPer'sMom]

While your logic makes sense and JB and SWA have spoiled the traveling public by issuing credits for later fare reduction IF YOU ASK (not automatically), Delta is like all of the legacy carriers that want you to pay $50 to change. Rules are rules you know

Alaska and United are pretty big carriers and they have not had a problem issuing a credit to be used on a future flight in the same case scenario.

Also, as I said, the CS agent stated it probably could be waived but she just chose not to do it and "didn't know who was available" to transfer me to. The first agent told me there was no penalty.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

It would be very rare for a legacy airline to waive a change ticket fee. My husband is an elite member on several airlines and he never gets change fees waived.

Actually $50 isn't bad; United charges $100 for domestic flights.

 

[CPer'sMom]

It would be very rare for a legacy airline to waive a change ticket fee. My husband is an elite member on several airlines and he never gets change fees waived.

Actually $50 isn't bad; United charges $100 for domestic flights.

Obviously I didn't make my point very well ~~ What bothers me about the entire situation is NOT the $50 fee per se. It's the way the situation was handled ~

1. The first agent told me there was NO fee for simply applying a lower fare to the ticket when there were NO changes to the day/time.

2. The last person I spoke with said "Yes, the fee can be waived, but she chose not to do so and would not transfer me to a supervisor who could do it.

3. On 2 other airlines in the past year the same situation has come up. United and Alaska both reduced the fare when I called to request it - not a problem, not an "exception" to their rules - and gave me an airline credit for a future flight. There was never a mention of charging a fee simply to reduce the price of a ticket.