I will never fly Delta again!

[ohdisco]

For this to all make sense, you need to hear the background story:
My mother, my fiancée (Eric), my cousin (Mary), and I were all going to fly from LAX to MCO to go to Disney World December 13-19th, 2007. After making those flight arrangements, I realized that Eric, Mary, and I all had finals during our vacation (because nothing is easy for this family ). So we call back to delta, and we change our whole vacation from the 13th-19th to the 16th-22nd.

We had to pay a little extra to leave on the weekend, and to come back so close to Christmas (the base fare was $377.67 per person; $419.50 with all taxes included...then a $50 dollar changing fee per person.). When we got the receipt, we were charged 349.50, not including the $50 dollar changing fee. We called, and one of the supervisors, Robin, said she was going to look into it, and call us back. Alas, she never did. We called back today and talked to a supervisor named Brian who basically told us, "It's too bad you got ripped off, but I don't really care that you did."

It disgusts me how apathetic people are towards another, and especially since my traveling on their airline keeps them in a job! My family and I will NEVER fly Delta again, even if it is the cheapest.

 

[Letsbgoofy]

If you mean that you were charged $449 plus the $50 change fee, I would continue to fight it if you were told it would be $419. You must have used a credit card, call them and tell them you are disputing the charge. Speak with someone else at Delta. I have never run into this problem before, and we fly Delta all the time.

If you were charged $349 rather than $419 as your post says, then I don't know what the problem is.

 

[ohdisco]

haha, yes, I meant 449.50 (the total being 499.50 with the $50 change fee).

We were thinking of calling the credit card company, but we really don't want to loose that reservation, seeing as we HAVE to use Delta anyway (since we didn't buy refundable tickets). I was just completely appalled by the way we were treated by a supervisor !

 

[CarolA]

Are you sure you didn't just misunderstand what you were being charged? Having done this a lot, I know that about half the time you are dealing with folks in India (and before you start screaming about that, remember that's the price we pay for fares that don't truly cover costs... costs have to be LOWERED!)

Now, Delta should have mailed or emailed you a new ticket at the time of the change which has the price on it. Compare the price on the new ticket to the credit card charge. If they don't agree then call DL again and try again. If they do agree, then there is very little you can do.


(And I don't get you were charged $499. You should have paid $317 for the first ticket so the second charge should have only been $50 plus the fare difference? Plus the $50 is not normally a seperate receipt? I guess I am just confused LOL!)

And as for "I will never fly Delta again" NEVER say never. Someday DL will either have some great sale and you will "risk" it or you (Like me) will wind up having to travel to someplace where it's DL or walk.

 

[ohdisco]

Nothing on the receipt adds up...it says Fare: 377.67. Tax: 10.00. Tax: 16.50. Total: 449.50.

Any sort of extra fee on the receipt would add up to less than 449.50. All airport charges, booking charges, taxes, etc. still don't add up to 449.50. Brian (the supervisor) said the difference in my ticket prices is 108...but correct me if I'm wrong...377.67 - 338.80 isn't 108 dollars. Even the difference between 357.30 (our original total w/taxes) and 449.50 isn't 108 dollars.

The added up total of all the fees is 419.50, but they mysteriously tacked on 30 bucks somewhere, but there's no reference to it anywhere on the receipt. It just leaps from 419.50 added up to 449.50.

I was charged $499.50: 449.50 plus the $50 dollar changing fee.

 

[CarolA]

OK, Call again. (I recommend waiting until Monday during the day. The more experienced folks get the M-F day shift) and get them to walk you through the receipt

You should have something that looks like this on the receipt. The Fare Details (Top Line) should add up to the total fare. Second line equals the taxes. See if your's add up. If not call Delta and tell them. Then call your CC company. You may need to fax them the receipt from Delta, but they won't cancel the ticket. It won't get your ticket cancelled (and if it does then you get your money back and can start over on another airline!)

Fare Details: ATL DL ORL73.49TX10BV20 DL ATL82.79TW10BV20 USD156.28END ZP ATLMCO
XT US 11.72 ZP 6.40 AY 5.00 XF 7.50 ATL4.5MCO3

Fare: 156.28 USD
Tax: 30.62 XT
Tax:
Tax:
Total: 186.90 USD

It also has two lines on it that look like this.

Form of Payment VI************XXXX
FP A/CUSD13.95/US1.05/6X50.00/TL65.00 (Carol's NOTE: This last amount $65 is what I was charged. In this case there was a $15 fare increase plus the $50 change fee. So check this amount, this is the amount you were actually charged)

Org Tkt 0062312737XXXX
Org FOP VI************XXXX


In my case the total cost for this changed ticket was $236.90 (The fare of $186.90 plus the $50)

The $50 also shows on a receipt below this on the ticket, but was only procesed to the card on the line above.
Good Luck

 

[bicker]

Generally, there is no way for airline agents to rip passengers off. There are set fares in the system. It is not possible for an agent to just tack on a random amount of extra money. What probably happened was just simply miscommunication.

 

[saxgil2003]

hi,
next time try southwest. they r really the cheapest. me and my bf r goin in may and we r only payin like 185 full trip for each of us. but i think rentin a car from airport has somethin to do with fares but not sure. southwest has always had the best service to me and been my favorite airline. i used to like delta when i was lil but not anymore. they r the last of my favorites. continental and AA come b4 them. good luck!!!
i know how it is to have to reschedule. me and my bf were supposed to go in feb but he could not get off work so we scheduled in may and he got a new position at work to make sure he gets off.

 

[ohdisco]

OK, Call again. (I recommend waiting until Monday during the day. The more experienced folks get the M-F day shift) and get them to walk you through the receipt

You should have something that looks like this on the receipt. The Fare Details (Top Line) should add up to the total fare. Second line equals the taxes. See if your's add up. If not call Delta and tell them. Then call your CC company. You may need to fax them the receipt from Delta, but they won't cancel the ticket. It won't get your ticket cancelled (and if it does then you get your money back and can start over on another airline!)

Fare Details: ATL DL ORL73.49TX10BV20 DL ATL82.79TW10BV20 USD156.28END ZP ATLMCO
XT US 11.72 ZP 6.40 AY 5.00 XF 7.50 ATL4.5MCO3

Fare: 156.28 USD
Tax: 30.62 XT
Tax:
Tax:
Total: 186.90 USD

It also has two lines on it that look like this.

Form of Payment VI************XXXX
FP A/CUSD13.95/US1.05/6X50.00/TL65.00 (Carol's NOTE: This last amount $65 is what I was charged. In this case there was a $15 fare increase plus the $50 change fee. So check this amount, this is the amount you were actually charged)

Org Tkt 0062312737XXXX
Org FOP VI************XXXX


In my case the total cost for this changed ticket was $236.90 (The fare of $186.90 plus the $50)

The $50 also shows on a receipt below this on the ticket, but was only procesed to the card on the line above.
Good Luck

Mine says:

Fare details:SJC DL X/ATL DL ORL 160.93U7NBV DL X/RDU DL SJC216.74K7NBV USD377.67END ZP SJCATLMCORDUATL XF SJC4.5ATL4.5MCO3RDU4.5

Fare: 377.67
Tax: 10.00 AY
Tax: 16.50 XF
Tax:
Total: 449.50

The two lines: 108.58/XT24.62/XF9.00/TL142.20

Total w/$50 change was 499.50.

Where did the 108.58 come from?

My original one:
Fare Details: LAX DL ORL157.21U21NBV DL LAX157.21U21NBV USD314.42END ZP LAXMC
O XT AY 5.00 XF 7.50 LAX4.5MCO3

Fare: 314.42 USD
Tax: 12.50 XT
Tax: 23.58 US
Tax: 6.80 ZP
Total: 357.30 USD

 

[ohdisco]

hi,
next time try southwest. they r really the cheapest. me and my bf r goin in may and we r only payin like 185 full trip for each of us. but i think rentin a car from airport has somethin to do with fares but not sure. southwest has always had the best service to me and been my favorite airline. i used to like delta when i was lil but not anymore. they r the last of my favorites. continental and AA come b4 them. good luck!!!
i know how it is to have to reschedule. me and my bf were supposed to go in feb but he could not get off work so we scheduled in may and he got a new position at work to make sure he gets off.

We were going to take southwest because that's what we usually take, but you have to wait for so long to book plane flights! We're leaving in December, so we'd have to wait a while to be able to purchase plane tickets from southwest.

 

[saxgil2003]

yeah that happened to me too. when we found out like 2 wks b4 original scheduled departure that we had to reschedule so we had to wait til 2 days b4 the originally scheduled date to do it but we managed and still got some good rates. leavin later, but we dont care cause we would get t hotel close to check in time. not plannin on doin anything major 1st night anyway.

 

[CarolA]

Mine says:

Fare details:SJC DL X/ATL DL ORL 160.93U7NBV DL X/RDU DL SJC216.74K7NBV USD377.67END ZP SJCATLMCORDUATL XF SJC4.5ATL4.5MCO3RDU4.5

Fare: 377.67
Tax: 10.00 AY
Tax: 16.50 XF
Tax:
Total: 449.50

The two lines: 108.58/XT24.62/XF9.00/TL142.20

Total w/$50 change was 499.50.

Where did the 108.58 come from?

My original one:
Fare Details: LAX DL ORL157.21U21NBV DL LAX157.21U21NBV USD314.42END ZP LAXMC
O XT AY 5.00 XF 7.50 LAX4.5MCO3

Fare: 314.42 USD
Tax: 12.50 XT
Tax: 23.58 US
Tax: 6.80 ZP
Total: 357.30 USD

OK, there is something wrong here, but I think it's in the taxes. The fare differnce is $62. However, for some reason your taxes went down? I think that perhaps there are "special" taxes charged out of LAX that were charged on your first ticket so you didn't have to pay them again, but that don't show on your second ticket. Where did you buy that first ticket? Maybe that's the clue. I think that if I could figure out the taxes your ticket might be right. The clue is in the taxes. So when you call back point out that the top three lines do not add up to the ticket total and start there.

Good Luck!

 

[bg4]

This is the way I am seeing it

when you change a ticket with DL you have to pay (each person)
$50 plus any fare change.

Your original fare was $419.50 r/t after taxes each person- which by the way seems high. I just found a fare from LAX to MCO of $357.30 with taxes r/t each for your dates on Delta

So you rebook because of your error and the new fare after taxes each person r/t is now $499.50 or a difference of $80 each. $50 can be attributed to the penalty for changing the ticket and is their policy and I am guessing that the other $30 is a change in fare probably $15 each way per person fare increase.

As stated it is impossible to get ripped off. They use computer reservation systems and stand to lose a lot more than money if this were true - look at the Jet Blue situation.

You changed the dates after booking and you have to pay the increase in fare plus penalty - hmmm lets see - I calculate it to be about $320 more ($80 x 4 persons). This is why you should book only when positive of the dates and not too early cause fares drop as dates get closer.

Last thought - Why did you get a paper ticket and not an electronic one?
Only paper tickets have those indecipherable codes on them.

 

[ohdisco]

This is the way I am seeing it

when you change a ticket with DL you have to pay (each person)
$50 plus any fare change.

Your original fare was $419.50 r/t after taxes each person- which by the way seems high. I just found a fare from LAX to MCO of $338 r/t each for your dates on Delta

So you rebook because of your error and the new fare after taxes each person r/t is now $499.50 or a difference of $80 each. $50 can be attributed to the penalty for changing the ticket and is their policy and I am guessing that the other $30 is a change in fare probably $15 each way per person fare increase.

As stated it is impossible to get ripped off. They use computer reservation systems and stand to lose a lot more than money if this were true - look at the Jet Blue situation.

You changed the dates after booking and you have to pay the increase in fare plus penalty - hmmm lets see - I calculate it to be about $320 more ($80 x 4 persons). This is why you should book only when positive of the dates and not too early cause fares drop as dates get closer.

Last thought - Why did you get a paper ticket and not an electronic one?
Only paper tickets have those indecipherable codes on them.

My original fare was 338 (357.30 w/taxes) going out of LAX to MCO. Schedules changed, and now we're leaving out of SJC (which doesn't have nonstop flights to MCO like LAX did). Our second fare was supposed to be 419.50 per person (including taxes and all that hogwash) plus 50 dollars for charging fee, making it 469.50. When we looked at our email, it said 449.50. I called, and the first supervisor said the $50 dollars was included in the 449.50. Obviously she was wrong. I called again to make sure, and the supervisor said there was something wrong with our ticket prices, and she'd call back. She didn't, so we called AGAIN, and the supervisor, Brian, basically explained to us his stupidity and inability to count.

I bought my first tickets over the internet, and to change, we thought we had to call, so we called Delta to change our flights.

 

[ohdisco]

OK, there is something wrong here, but I think it's in the taxes. The fare differnce is $62. However, for some reason your taxes went down? I think that perhaps there are "special" taxes charged out of LAX that were charged on your first ticket so you didn't have to pay them again, but that don't show on your second ticket. Where did you buy that first ticket? Maybe that's the clue. I think that if I could figure out the taxes your ticket might be right. The clue is in the taxes. So when you call back point out that the top three lines do not add up to the ticket total and start there.

Good Luck!

I bought my original tickets online. Brian said that the 10.00 tax is for booking my second flight over the phone (nice of them to fail to mention that 10.00 tax per person when changing flights on the phone when we could have changed them online for free).

 

[CarolA]

I bought my original tickets online. Brian said that the 10.00 tax is for booking my second flight over the phone (nice of them to fail to mention that 10.00 tax per person when changing flights on the phone when we could have changed them online for free).

No actually you can't. Try hitting that button sometimes. Most of the time it' doesn't work.

I still don't get your taxes on the first flight.

And those indecirebable codes are on the bottom of all of DLs electronic ticket receipts. (Can't recall the last time I got a paper ticket, but I have all those codes LOL!)

 

[bicker]

She didn't, so we called AGAIN, and the supervisor, Brian, basically explained to us his stupidity and inability to count.

So he was mistaken earlier when he said that the fare you were quoted was wrong. It was pretty stupid of him to say that it was the wrong fare -- he should know that it is not possible to book a wrong fare. So, it sounds like that fare actually was correct, and you were actually charged the correct amount. I'd take that as good news.

 

[Lostgirlz]

Delta allowed someone to BOARD, and FLY under my husbands name. Yes they did this, and my travel agent and I are still fighting with them. They have offered NO customer service to either me or my TA who booked the flights. They were rude beyond belief I have NEVER had customer service like that from people. They also allowed someone to check in under me 5 days before we were even supposed to leave. It was a HUGE mess, not only that, but also security risk. I tried explaining what happend before, and it got misunderstood. Delta is just not wanting to show any concern, or customer service on this issue, and there clearly is a problem if someone who is NOT you gets on a plane you were on under your name. I have been fighting Delta ever since it happend, and still have yet gotten any customer service. We have also heard many different things from them, one that me, and my TA how could they know if he really was not on the flight @@, another that it was their fault someone printed the person a boarding pass with only my husbands last name on it ????? They were allowed to board like this, that it was my TA's fault (nope had no probs till mco) it's just a big mess with a lot of poop involved. I just wanted to explain our situation on I agree Deltas customer service department is LACKING HUGE in how they treat their customers.

 

[maxiesmom]

I second the advice to call back Monday. And if anything, I would try to be over-polite when asking for an explanation. If they have messed up they do need to fix it. But they will be more willing to help you if you are calm and polite. I am not saying you are the type to loose it and start crying and calling people names, but some who have posted here before have done exactly that and wondered why the people they were dealing with were not more helpful. The old catch more flies with sugar and honey saying would not still be around if it wasn't true.

I hope you get everything all worked out. Let us know what happens. Good luck.

 

[labst60]

I'm not sure of this - but if you dispute the charge w/ your credit card and lose the entire reservation, wouldn't they need to refund your card b/c of the dispute (ie. you can then travel on whatever airline you want??) I guess you would only technically be disputing the additional amount, but if they cancelled your flight b/c of it, I would dispute the entire charge w/ the credit card company.

If you go the dispute route, be sure to have a log of alll your calls and people you talked with, times, etc prepared to fax to the credit card company, if necessary. I have also found it helpful to type myself up a one-page summary in these situations, so that I am clear and concise when talking to the credit card company, and if they ever called back to verify anything/ask additional questions, nothing got confused in my head as time passed.

Maybe call your cc company and see what your options are in this situation. I'm sure someone there can advise you (esp. if you used an Amex - I have found them to have the best service). I typically don't spend more than 2 phone calls straightening somthing out if it is on a cc- I've found it MUCH easier to go through the cc company- they have always been GREAT about it and then the hassle is out of my hands.