How do airline vouchers work?

[mchames]

Until reading these boards, I didn't even know such a thing existed. I was geting ready to purchase my air tickets (Delta- ATL to MCO 11/26 thru 12/2) when I noticed the price went up significantly. My question is, if I purchase the tickets now (so that I get the flights and times I want) and the price goes down again, will I eventually be able to get the discount, and if so, how do I go about getting it?

Thanks for all the help.
Mary

 

[timkin]

Airfare is a funny business. When you see the low fares you have to book them. I recently was looking for airfare and the price fluctuated $100 per ticket in just 1 hour. I waited around for a week or two and the price came back down. Very frustrating. As far as I know when you purchase airline tickets you cannot get a discount after the fact. So keep shopping....

 

[ccollmoe]

Last year our non-refundable fare went down $30 after we had our tickets. We had to go to a Delta ticket counter (the nearest airport for us), but they gave us a $30 voucher for each of our 5 tickets. The vouchers can be used for future travel but I haven't tried using them yet. I think I have to book through a travel agent or a Delta ticket desk to use them.

 

[Beverly Lynn]

no you may get the difference in the fares once purchased. as long as the tkt you already have is in the same guidelines and you keep the same flights etc you can get thew difference in fares. they will issue them in the form of a voucher to us on a future flight within one yrs time frame fromt he date issued. you can call the airlines and make the ressie and then go to a city tkt office or the airport tkt cntr or to a travel agency and purchase your tkts with the vouchers thenpay the difference. now with usair you may book the ressie on line then go to a city tkt office or the airport and exchange the vouchers in and then pay the difference. (and yes this can be done I did it for my sep ressies. ) I'm not sure if the other carriers are allowing this now too or not. but if they can pull up the ressie on hold then there should be no problem with them accepting the vouchers for your ressie.

 

[SusieJ]

We've had our Delta flights booked for our October 2001 WDW vacation for a number of months now. I periodically check Delta.com for any time or fare changes. It has consistently been the same price for weeks now - that is until three weeks ago when the fare dropped by $62 per ticket. I jumped on the 800 number and was promptly and cheerfully issued a voucher for each of our three tickets.

Here is what I have learned after two return calls to that same 800 number (friendly folks!). The vouchers expire one year from issue date. They must be used to book a vacation package or airfare by that date. Your travels do not have to take place by that date, just booked by that date. The vouchers can also be used to book a vacation package as well.

We have three individual vouchers, one for each family member. They are only valid if used by those same names. In other words, if I wanted to travel solo, I could not apply all three vouchers to my airfare - only my own for $62.

It's been a learning experience! Hope this helps a bit! (124 more days!)

BTW, the latest fares are now $13 higher than what I originally paid. Such a mystery . . .

Susie J.
Greendale WI

 

[dis4me]

Be very careful with Delta. I have heard various stories from various agents. When my flights dropped $63 last year I called the 800 and was told I could not do this because flights were booked through travel agent so she had to do it. In return call to her she told me No way could she do it but I could pick up tickets and do it myself. After 6 phone calls to Delta I finally got a very pleasant reservationsist to issue vouchers and hold them for me so I could go to the airport to get new tickets. At this time E tickets and vouchers were issued. 2 weeks later flights dropped another $20. I called Delta and 1st time out got a reservationist who said NO Problem I will send those vouchers right out to you.
I immediately emailed Delta to get the stipulations on vouchers and find out HOW to book using them. Needless to say the email was in detail saying this could be done OVer the PHONE.
So when time came to book tickets I called Delta, held tickets for 24 hours. When I called back to book I said I had vouchers to be applied along with my ticket. Three seperate reservationists told me this was impossible and I would have to go to the airport. Finally I called back and when I was told this I asked to speak to a supervisor beause of the email received and to agent what it said.
She then proceed to book tickets using vouchers with no problem.
Also Please be careful and don' t lose the vouchers. Although they say they are e vouchers and are kept on file, Out of the 4 of us only 2 of us had the vouchers listed.
Just get it in writing and be persistent and keep trying util you find someone who can help you.=

 

[bicker]

I bet part of what was going on there was some friction between airlines and travel agents. Since TAs get a commission from the airline, some airlines (like Delta) tend to feel that the TAs should do almost all the customer-contact work with the passenger, and so they'd want you to deal with the TA and have the TA deal with them, since airline-to-TA communications are a lot shorter than airline-to-passenger communications, generally. They don't get any significant benefits from processing your request for a voucher, of course!

Of course, the TA may feel that they've already done their work, in booking your travel, and not only do they not get any benefits from processing your request for a voucher, it means that in doing so their commission may actually go down, since it is typically a percentage of the cost of the ticket (except for very large airfares).

All in all, it is a system structured so that passengers have to deal with this finger-pointing and run-arounds.

 

[DisneyHumbug]

In dealing with Delta and vouchers I found out there are different kinds of vouchers. Some need to be used at the ticket office/airport and others can be used over the phone. Even the Delta employees seem confused!

 

[n2mm]

I just used my vouchers for United. I too saw the info on this board and called and got vouchers for $52 each. I recently booked my summer flights. I called United and made my ressies and they put a hold on my ressie. I then walked up to the United Ticket Office (in Washington, DC) and went up to the counter where they were extremely pleasant. I was able to pick up tickets for both myself and my husband (even though it said we both had to be there) and they didn't even check my ID--I assume since the tickets and cc where the same name. I was worried about being able to pick up my husband's tickets, but called twice and was told no problem. I was thrilled that this process was effortless and the United Ticket Rep were so extremely helpful.

However, my daughter has vouchers for Delta, and it did take her 2 calls to get them because she was told no the first time. She has not attempted to cash them in yet.

 

[Beverly Lynn]

most vouchers must be turned in as form of payment. and I wholeheartedly agree with bicker on his post above. and you can indeed make the ressie over the phone and then go to either a city tkt office or the airport tkt cntr and exchange your vouchers in there for your ressie. wehn you get an agent that doesn't sound like they want to help you make sure you get that agents name and then either ask to speak to a supervisor or hang up and call back and get a supervisor on the new call. always always make sure that you get the name of the agent you speak to and if possible the agents sign and what city they are in this way they can easily track the agent who either gave you the hard time or did not want to do their job and help you.