How many times could I cancel in a row without penalty?
Dec 1, 2015, 8:52 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 10
How many times could I cancel in a row without penalty?
I bought tickets less than 24 hours ago for DTW-FCO for May 2016. The price had gone low enough that I pulled the trigger.
Now I think the price might go even lower. What is to stop me from buying a new ticket today and cancelling my current ticket within the 24 hour free cancellation window. And then doing that again tomorrow, and again the next day, and the next, etc. etc. etc, until the ticket is priced lower?
Obviously if the ticket went up, that would be the day I would not cancel.
Now I think the price might go even lower. What is to stop me from buying a new ticket today and cancelling my current ticket within the 24 hour free cancellation window. And then doing that again tomorrow, and again the next day, and the next, etc. etc. etc, until the ticket is priced lower?
Obviously if the ticket went up, that would be the day I would not cancel.
Dec 1, 2015, 9:09 am
#2
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 3,394
I bought tickets less than 24 hours ago for DTW-FCO for May 2016. The price had gone low enough that I pulled the trigger.
Now I think the price might go even lower. What is to stop me from buying a new ticket today and cancelling my current ticket within the 24 hour free cancellation window. And then doing that again tomorrow, and again the next day, and the next, etc. etc. etc, until the ticket is priced lower?
Obviously if the ticket went up, that would be the day I would not cancel.
Now I think the price might go even lower. What is to stop me from buying a new ticket today and cancelling my current ticket within the 24 hour free cancellation window. And then doing that again tomorrow, and again the next day, and the next, etc. etc. etc, until the ticket is priced lower?
Obviously if the ticket went up, that would be the day I would not cancel.
Dec 1, 2015, 9:15 am
#3
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Dec 1, 2015, 11:01 am
#4
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How many times could I cancel in a row without penalty?
There is no limit. You can cancel within 24 hours - that's a rule - Delta isn't being kind - and they can't take it away if you do it a lot.
Dec 1, 2015, 11:15 am
#5
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I have played this game a few times, and what always happens is after a few days the fare goes up or I can't get the good fare on the flights I want.
Then the 24 hour clock ticks down (or ticks until midnight in ATL) and then I'm locked in.
David
Dec 1, 2015, 11:16 am
#6
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It is a violation of DL's COC to book a ticket which you do not intend to use. DL gets to make that determination. All the DOT rule does is state that you are entitled to a fee-free cancellation. It does not require DL to permit you to rebook.
The same thing is true of refundable tickets. They can be cancelled for a full refund at any point. But, that doesn't mean that DL won't take action if DL determines that you don't have the intent to fly the ticket.
While there are no reports of DL cracking down, both UA and AA have reports of action taken by the carrier, including UA revoking a GS status and zeroing out an individual's massive mileage balance.
The same thing is true of refundable tickets. They can be cancelled for a full refund at any point. But, that doesn't mean that DL won't take action if DL determines that you don't have the intent to fly the ticket.
While there are no reports of DL cracking down, both UA and AA have reports of action taken by the carrier, including UA revoking a GS status and zeroing out an individual's massive mileage balance.
Dec 1, 2015, 2:46 pm
#7
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Dec 1, 2015, 3:47 pm
#8
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I just did this last week to book a ticket. I definitely am going, but the question is at what ticket price. So if I book a ticket and the price goes up, i will be keeping the ticket I purchased. If it goes down then I will ask for a refund and book another ticket.
Dec 1, 2015, 5:21 pm
#9
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The question comes when somebody executes a long stream of cancel/rebuy at the same price in order to keep that option you state alive.
DL does have to allow the cancels/refunds. But they could get tired of this and call you bad names.
Dec 1, 2015, 5:25 pm
#10
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If instead of doing a cancel and booking a new ticket, the phone agent instead changes the current ticket or exchanges it for a new one, this does not restart the 24 hour clock for free refunds. Be careful about this technical detail.
Dec 1, 2015, 6:56 pm
#11
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I did this for a week while my wife and I debated going to the Caribbean this winter. I did intend to fly it, but we were trying to decide if we could do both a house addition and vacation. Ended up canceling after 5 days.
Dec 1, 2015, 7:11 pm
#12
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That's not what the COC says. It's not whether you intend to fly, it's whether you intend to fly the specific ticket booked. Cancel 3-4 times and you've created the ammo for DL to decide you don't intend to fly the ticket booked.
As the UA and AA folks found, it's the carrier's sole decision so doesn't really matter what you or I think.
As the UA and AA folks found, it's the carrier's sole decision so doesn't really matter what you or I think.
Dec 1, 2015, 8:26 pm
#13
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: USA
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That's not what the COC says. It's not whether you intend to fly, it's whether you intend to fly the specific ticket booked. Cancel 3-4 times and you've created the ammo for DL to decide you don't intend to fly the ticket booked.
As the UA and AA folks found, it's the carrier's sole decision so doesn't really matter what you or I think.
As the UA and AA folks found, it's the carrier's sole decision so doesn't really matter what you or I think.
The only rule I see pertains to multiple fictitious bookings.
Also, if this is the UA GS to who you refer, his situation is much different than the OP's.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...nt-closed.html
Last edited by emrdoc; Dec 1, 2015 at 8:32 pm
Dec 1, 2015, 8:52 pm
#14
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That's not what the COC says. It's not whether you intend to fly, it's whether you intend to fly the specific ticket booked. Cancel 3-4 times and you've created the ammo for DL to decide you don't intend to fly the ticket booked.
As the UA and AA folks found, it's the carrier's sole decision so doesn't really matter what you or I think.
As the UA and AA folks found, it's the carrier's sole decision so doesn't really matter what you or I think.
If he books ticket "A" and intends to fly, then he intends to fly.
If a few hours later his plans change no matter what those changes are, he can cancel. The poster made it clear, on each and every ticket, he did plan to fly and only cancelled for a legitimate reason - better price. Not a fake booking or never intended to fly. If the rate did not change, he would keep the ticket that he INTENDED to fly with.
No different than someone buying a ticket for a business meeting and planning to cancel if the meeting was later cancelled.
Dec 1, 2015, 10:40 pm
#15
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Sorry, I think you are reading too much into this.
If he books ticket "A" and intends to fly, then he intends to fly.
If a few hours later his plans change no matter what those changes are, he can cancel. The poster made it clear, on each and every ticket, he did plan to fly and only cancelled for a legitimate reason - better price. Not a fake booking or never intended to fly. If the rate did not change, he would keep the ticket that he INTENDED to fly with.
No different than someone buying a ticket for a business meeting and planning to cancel if the meeting was later cancelled.
If he books ticket "A" and intends to fly, then he intends to fly.
If a few hours later his plans change no matter what those changes are, he can cancel. The poster made it clear, on each and every ticket, he did plan to fly and only cancelled for a legitimate reason - better price. Not a fake booking or never intended to fly. If the rate did not change, he would keep the ticket that he INTENDED to fly with.
No different than someone buying a ticket for a business meeting and planning to cancel if the meeting was later cancelled.