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No more refunds for ticket exchanges?

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Old Oct 22, 2014, 2:47 pm
  #1  
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No more refunds for ticket exchanges?

My husband and I had BC tickets to Istanbul next week for a business meeting. Client changes the location to London due to civil unrest. Delta, after charging us both a $450 change fee then offers us both a $1,500 credit certificate because the London tickets were cheaper rather than refunding us the difference. Since when does this happen? Am I remembering it wrong or did Delta use to refund you the difference to the original booking credit card??
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Old Oct 22, 2014, 2:53 pm
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I had a ticket to IST booked for this week, but my meeting was also cancelled due to the situation there. Thankfully, presumably due to my status, they waived the change fee, but I also have a credit for the full amount of my ticket. It will expire one year from the date of purchase. I think you can only expect a refund to your method of payment if they have a large schedule change or there's an active waiver.
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Old Oct 22, 2014, 2:54 pm
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Did you buy refundable tickets? If not, credit has always been in the form of a voucher.
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Old Oct 22, 2014, 3:02 pm
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Nah. Purchased the cheapest BC we could get. Do have status (DM plus 360) but she charged me anyway. I just recall getting credit card refunds in the past for ticket changes (after the change fee). But that's ok. We will use the balance up. And maybe I'm dreamin!
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Old Oct 22, 2014, 3:09 pm
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Originally Posted by Cdwoodley
My husband and I had BC tickets to Istanbul next week for a business meeting. Client changes the location to London due to civil unrest. Delta, after charging us both a $450 change fee then offers us both a $1,500 credit certificate because the London tickets were cheaper rather than refunding us the difference. Since when does this happen? Am I remembering it wrong or did Delta use to refund you the difference to the original booking credit card??
Many international fares have a stipulation that if they are exchanged, the fare must be of equal or higher value. That prevents people from taking an expensive ticket and using it to purchase multiple lower fare tickets. It has been that way (on most International fares) for a long time. Domestic tickets are a different situation.
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Old Oct 22, 2014, 3:18 pm
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Originally Posted by Mr. Tickets
Many international fares have a stipulation that if they are exchanged, the fare must be of equal or higher value. That prevents people from taking an expensive ticket and using it to purchase multiple lower fare tickets. It has been that way (on most International fares) for a long time. Domestic tickets are a different situation.
Good to know for when I try to exchange my IST ticket. I typically spend less on a ticket than I paid for that one, so I may have a problem...
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Old Oct 22, 2014, 3:20 pm
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Originally Posted by Cdwoodley
Do have status (DM plus 360) but she charged me anyway.

And maybe I'm dreamin!
Guess I should be counting my lucky :-::-:!

I may be dreaming too about not having to pay the change fee. I won't know for sure if they're going to honor that until I try to rebook as it's only assessed then.
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Old Oct 22, 2014, 3:20 pm
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Originally Posted by EZEDoesIt
Good to know for when I try to exchange my IST ticket. I typically spend less on a ticket than I paid for that one, so I may have a problem...
Of course, I would always call and see if there is any exception. Just helps to know what potential downside you may run in to.
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Old Oct 22, 2014, 3:24 pm
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Ah. Maybe I'm recalling domestic ticket changes. I just know I have had many credit card refunds in the past from Delta and I almost never book refundable fares.i probably should given the number of times I have to change tickets but I've done the math and it seems to me that I've come out better purchasing the cheapest BC fares and suffering the change fee rather than buying a refundable every time.
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Old Oct 22, 2014, 3:30 pm
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Originally Posted by EZEDoesIt
Guess I should be counting my lucky :-::-:!

I may be dreaming too about not having to pay the change fee. I won't know for sure if they're going to honor that until I try to rebook as it's only assessed then.
Huh. Usually when I have a credit certificate (even on an un-rebooked flight) the credit is for the amount left after the change fee. So if you are showing credit for the entire ticket I suspect the Delta fairies took care of you! Enjoy!
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Old Oct 22, 2014, 3:48 pm
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Originally Posted by Cdwoodley
Huh. Usually when I have a credit certificate (even on an un-rebooked flight) the credit is for the amount left after the change fee. So if you are showing credit for the entire ticket I suspect the Delta fairies took care of you! Enjoy!
  1. I rarely see any credits, even less often the correct value, online.
  2. A family member passed away last year and I canceled a ticket. Every time I was thinking to use it they quoted the value as minus the change fee. Once I reexplained that it was a bereavement situation they offered the full value. Apparently no one was entering any notes on the record or their save button is broken. I must have explained it at least three times over the course of a year.
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Old Oct 22, 2014, 6:12 pm
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Originally Posted by Cdwoodley
Ah. Maybe I'm recalling domestic ticket changes. I just know I have had many credit card refunds in the past from Delta and I almost never book refundable fares.i probably should given the number of times I have to change tickets but I've done the math and it seems to me that I've come out better purchasing the cheapest BC fares and suffering the change fee rather than buying a refundable every time.
You are recalling something wrong. They don't give money back on non-refundable tickets. Period.
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Old Oct 22, 2014, 8:13 pm
  #13  
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Originally Posted by indufan
You are recalling something wrong. They don't give money back on non-refundable tickets. Period.
They do when it's required, such as when the flight is totally cancelled by DL, even if it isn't DL's fault. You can also get a refund for a sufficiently large schedule change. Plus, you obviously get the refund if you cancel within 24 hours (actually midnight of the next day) for tickets purchased in the USA and subject to the DOT regulation on this.
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Old Oct 22, 2014, 10:24 pm
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Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
They do when it's required, such as when the flight is totally cancelled by DL, even if it isn't DL's fault. You can also get a refund for a sufficiently large schedule change. Plus, you obviously get the refund if you cancel within 24 hours (actually midnight of the next day) for tickets purchased in the USA and subject to the DOT regulation on this.
Tacking on a related question. I had a 2+ hour schedule change on the return portion of a roundtrip. I haven't called to select new flights yet. It may now be best for me to drive that portion of the trip. Has anyone been able to have DL re-issue the ticket as a one-way and refund the fare difference? Or would I have to refund the entire ticket (which I know I can do under the CoC) and book a new one-way at the current price? I plan to call and ask but wanted to seek out experience on here first.
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Old Oct 23, 2014, 6:58 am
  #15  
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while I don't have any direct experience with that scenario, it certainly seems that the less complicated approach -- both in terms of you having to explain what you're after, and of DL having to properly execute your request -- is to request a full refund
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