Programs: CO Plat/1K, DL Silver, HH Gold, bmi dirt, PWP General Secretary
Posts: 21,238
Refunding an unflown flown ticket.
So apparently due to the trifrecta of bad math skills and broken computers, I boarded a flight from ATL-CLE on Monday.
The problem is I wasn't on the plane. Now the ticket was a full Y fare and I would like my $400 back.
Well, refunds sends me to the airport, the airport sends me to customer care (where I had a very comical conversation) and they send me to refunds. IT is a vicious circle.
This happen to anyone, and if so do you have a suggestion on what to do? So far the only thing I have been think of is a credit card charge back.
can you elaborate on bad math skills and broken computers? It is a little unclear to me (maybe this is your question) what happened. Maybe some more details would help...
Programs: CO Plat/1K, DL Silver, HH Gold, bmi dirt, PWP General Secretary
Posts: 21,238
Quote:
Originally Posted by tracyutah
can you elaborate on bad math skills and broken computers? It is a little unclear to me (maybe this is your question) what happened. Maybe some more details would help...
I am just guessing at that. All I know for sure is that the DL computer system says I took the flight to CLE. How that happened I am not sure, all I know is that I got called out of the airport and left without boarding the flight. (that's happened before and normally I don't have a problem refunding the ticket)
Programs: DL GM/SC, HH Diamond, Fairmont Prem, Priority Club Plat/IC Amb
Posts: 10,828
The only way the system would have said that you took the flight is if you handed the boarding pass to the Gate Agent and he/she scanned the BP at boarding.
The only way the system would have said that you took the flight is if you handed the boarding pass to the Gate Agent and he/she scanned the BP at boarding.
Really?? That's the only way? You're certain?
Obviously, that's not true. The GA can "on" a passenger manually by typing in a seat number or sequence number. Perhaps the GA miss-typed someone else's seat or sequence number. Since the OP never boarded, this never became apparent because no one else had already or subsequently attempted to board with the same seat or sequence number.
Programs: CO Plat/1K, DL Silver, HH Gold, bmi dirt, PWP General Secretary
Posts: 21,238
Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyTLe
The only way the system would have said that you took the flight is if you handed the boarding pass to the Gate Agent and he/she scanned the BP at boarding.
Ok this is starting to make more sense. They were taking volunteers for the flight and I initially volunteered and the GA took part of my BP. When I had to leave I went to get it back, he said "let me hold on to this," and did not return the piece. I didn't think much of it at the time but he must have boarded me using that piece of my BP.
This is where I said the counting error happened. The computer would show 50 boarded but the physical seat count would show 49 physically on the plane. (It was a CR1/2 IIRC).
the question is how do I get my money back, it is a full Y fare, outside of disputing the charge with mastercard?
Programs: DL GM/SC, HH Diamond, Fairmont Prem, Priority Club Plat/IC Amb
Posts: 10,828
Quote:
Originally Posted by colpuck
Ok this is starting to make more sense. They were taking volunteers for the flight and I initially volunteered and the GA took part of my BP. When I had to leave I went to get it back, he said "let me hold on to this," and did not return the piece. I didn't think much of it at the time but he must have boarded me using that piece of my BP.
This is where I said the counting error happened. The computer would show 50 boarded but the physical seat count would show 49.
I wonder how long it took for them to figure out that you weren't on the plane?
Programs: CO Plat/1K, DL Silver, HH Gold, bmi dirt, PWP General Secretary
Posts: 21,238
Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyTLe
I wonder how long it took for them to figure out that you weren't on the plane?
Delta's position is that I was on the plane. They haven't figured it out that I wasn't. Neither Customer Care, Refunds or the Airport agents have been helpful in this regard. I have gone in circles with all three and it comes back to "the computer says you have flown the ticket."
This is an interesting one. You say you were called out of the airport just before the flight. Is there someone who can basically vouch for you being someplace other than on Delta's plane?
It seems an issue (especially if it gets to be disputed as opposed to Delta acknowledging what seems a mistake in their systems) would be proving that you were NOT on the plane. Obviously, if you can prove you were somewhere else - and there are not two of you - then you would have proved you were not on the plane.
I'm quite curious as to how this one will get sorted out... best of luck.
This is an interesting one. You say you were called out of the airport just before the flight. Is there someone who can basically vouch for you being someplace other than on Delta's plane?
It seems an issue (especially if it gets to be disputed as opposed to Delta acknowledging what seems a mistake in their systems) would be proving that you were NOT on the plane. Obviously, if you can prove you were somewhere else - and there are not two of you - then you would have proved you were not on the plane.
I'm quite curious as to how this one will get sorted out... best of luck.
If it is disputed, and I mean really disputed, I'm sure the OP's sworn (under penalty of perjury) statement that he wasn't on the plane would be sufficient. I doubt Delta could provide a similarly sworn statement from any of their employees.
Instead of guessing, you need to ask either the refunds dept or customer relations at DL, not people at FT, exactly what documentation they need to accept your argument that you were not on the plane. Someone at one of those two departments has the authority to process a refund, and you just need to talk to someone with that authority to find out what you need to do.
Programs: DL GM/SC, HH Diamond, Fairmont Prem, Priority Club Plat/IC Amb
Posts: 10,828
I find it hard to believe that a plane would take off with an inaccurate census. The accounting of passengers is more obvious on RJs as but as the FAs usually will count outloud, but still I can't imagine a plane taking off with different numbers between butts in seats versus the computer.
I find it hard to believe that a plane would take off with an inaccurate census. The accounting of passengers is more obvious on RJs as but as the FAs usually will count outloud, but still I can't imagine a plane taking off with different numbers between butts in seats versus the computer.
I can tell you that I was on a plane where I was absolutely not on the passenger manifest. I was standing by for an earlier flight in ATL. Initially the GA told me it was completely full, but then I pointed out that the GIDS said there was one seat available, so he relented in his laziness and told me to wait until boarding was complete. Just before closing the door, he wrote a seat number on my original BP and sent me down the jetway. I immediately thought something was amiss, but I wanted to get on the plane, so I didn't push it. I logged on to DL.com on my Blackberry before pushback and didn't see the miles posted, so I figured something was up. Once I landed, I looked again and knew something was up. After I got off the plane, I told my concerns about the ticket to the GA at the arrival gate and she seemed very surprised to see that I was right. My ticket was not changed, and I was still set to board my original flight, which was leaving in about 30 mins, with no record of my having been on the flight that I'd just got off of. I knew I had to get it fixed or there was high likelihood I would "no show" for my original flight and the rest of my itinerary would be cancelled. Things were finally straightened out, and I did get my miles. But, I'm fairly certain my flight was dispatched with no record of me being on it...a big no no, but proof that it does happen.
Programs: DL GM, MR Gold, FPC Plat, Omni Black, PC Gold, HH Silver, National Exec Elite
Posts: 1,800
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 4.01; Windows CE; PPC; 240x320))
Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyTLe
I find it hard to believe that a plane would take off with an inaccurate census. The accounting of passengers is more obvious on RJs as but as the FAs usually will count outloud, but still I can't imagine a plane taking off with different numbers between butts in seats versus the computer.
Andy, I know you've encountered connex carrier GA's in ATL. You really can't see how they'd see a BP sitting there on the desk, and just scan the OP's card, assuming he was on the flight, shut the door and go?
Programs: DL GM/SC, HH Diamond, Fairmont Prem, Priority Club Plat/IC Amb
Posts: 10,828
Quote:
Originally Posted by jbatl
Andy, I know you've encountered connex carrier GA's in ATL. You really can't see how they'd see a BP sitting there on the desk, and just scan the OP's card, assuming he was on the flight, shut the door and go?
The FAs and ground crew will always count to make sure their numbers match up on RJs. I had a flight held up for 15 minutes when the FA's count was off from that of the gate. FA recounted multiple times then pilot did his own count. GA was called down as it was a mistake on the GA's part.
With mainline planes where there are more seats, I haven't observed a count by the FAs whereas I've seen it numerous times on RJs.
