3Cforme

This appears to be a failure to communicate, not necessarily a fare rule problem.

'Downgrade' is probably a bad word to use in this context. It's usually applied to cabin of service, and the OP doesn't appear to want to give up his F-cabin ticket for a coach ticket. (I suspect this is why agents' responses spun out of control.)

Don't make reservation changes (and emphatically, anything to do with spending more money or getting a refund) by email. Recovery from a flight cancellation by twitter is one thing, but advanced ticketing changes require consideration of information and agreement.

It's probable that the purchased RDU-HNL front-cabin ticket has a change penalty and is non-refundable. The OP wasn't in a position to get $ back to the original form of payment - I think that's where the 'special request' emails went wrong.

If Delta has another (discounted, front-cabin) ticket available and the price is significantly lower than price paid (after the change fee), it makes sense to cancel the first ticket and use the resulting voucher to buy a 2nd ticket.

Microbiology

So right!! If you call and don’t get the answer you’re looking for call again! I have the email telling me that I can do this for its Delta’s policy!
So I called again and talked to a great Delta representative. I told her that I was downgrading from a FC “P” fare to a FC “A” fare and that my outbound and my inbound is not changing nor are the dates or flights. She then went on her computer and saw exactly what I was saying.

She said this is easy and the only thing that changed is the price. I have the same seats and same flights and dates. Yes, I paid the $150.00 fee but I now have a $360.00+ Delta travel voucher to use by 03.13.13. Why could this not have been done the first time I called! The fare I had was for $2666.06 to 2151.60 FC from RDU-ALT-HNL and back home in June. This is the lowest I have ever seen and this is with jet fuel going up? Thank you Delta!

So my next question is what’s the difference between a FC “P” fare and an FC “A” fare? It’s the same plane and seats and flight numbers? Just the price?

mnredfox

Yes, remember the FT mantra is "call call call!"

3Cforme

I'll stick with 'Know the rules, know what you want, and ask for it politely.'

Microbiology

And that is what I did, and got! All is good, all is well!

Microbiology

I sent out an email before I called Delta to get my flight fixed for the new lower fare. Would you believe I just received a reply to that email saying that they still could not do it? Even when it’s been done already? This just shows that the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing!
Ps. I did check and it’s still good!

jrl767

I think "A" is generally a coach-based fare with a "promotional" upgrade (e.g., QUP or HUP) and is subject to the rules of the underlying fare basis (i.e., non-refundable) ... otoh "P" is a lower category of actual first/business class sale inventory (P as a subset of F is analogous to M/B as subsets of Y)

exwannabe

I think you have one basic misconception here.

Emails to DL do not go to the reps who book flights. Only to people who handle complaints and do not solve travel issues. They can provide information, but they are 100% useless for resolving real time flight issues.

The IT channel you could have used was @dlassist via twitter.

TRRed

New question on a similar theme: on a paid itinerary, 1 of 2 connecting flights downgraded from RJ900 to E135/145. I had paid the add on charge (whatever DL calls it) for the upgrade to F when booking tix. No good DL alternatives on planes with F. Yes, I can probably call DL and request a refund, at least of the F add on charge. But, some years ago, due to an equipment substitution, I was booted out of confirmed F on UA and was given a "downgrade" certificate, which would allow me to upgrade a future flight. Anything like that with DL now?
Thanks.

T.J. Bender

I'd call and ask to be re-booked onto flights with F availability. They should be willing to accommodate you without a change fee, and they probably will if you get a hold of the right person (i.e., hang up and call back if the first person says no).

You paid for F, no reason you shouldn't be placed on flights that would seat you in F.

javabytes

This. I doubt you will get either an upgrade certificate or a refund of your F buy up (it's not really an add-on fee, you're buying up to a more expensive fare class... not like an add-on such as baggage fees or economy comfort that are easily tagged as additional collections). But you shouldn't have any trouble being reaccommodated on a flight that has a front cabin; if none are available you might be offered a TCV.

Ostrander

You get an ecert back for the difference less the change fee

javabytes

Don't think so... not in this case...

HongKonger

I wish this were the case, but it might not be.

When you buy up on the web site from a previously purchased fare, isn't it normally to a P or A fare rather than F?

If it was a P or A fare, it is always possible that due to equipment swaps or IROPS that the pax may be downgraded to Y, and no compensation is due.

They should refund the buy-up amount though.

MSPeconomist

I think DL's been behaving a bit better recently regarding the treatment of A and P fares.

IMO what should happen, assuming that the OP didn't book a fully refundable ticket, is for DL to give and ecert for the difference between the A/P fare paid versus the lowest applicable fare at the time the ticket was purchased. If the OP bought fully refundable P or full F, then the difference should use a fully refundable B or full Y for comparison.