Well, my first and only request of Delta for help in extenuating circumstances has fallen short. Four tickets purchased for a trip to CDG in December to celebrate a younger brother's engagement - 2 flying from MSN and 2 from BOS.
Unfortunately we weren't cynical enough to spend the extra on refundable tickets, and my brother's fiancee has recently called off the wedding with very little explanation, leaving us with a $1,200 ticket we can't transfer to anyone else.
Is there really no circumstance under which a non-transferable ticket can be either refunded or transferred? When speaking with a supervisor at customer service, they invoked 9/11 and said it was a TSA rule.
A friend who works in the airline industry (though not Delta unfortunately) confirms that's not the rule. The federal government says the airline has to provide the ticketed name to the TSA for screening. The federal government says the person whose name is on the ticket has to be the person who flies with the ticket. But the federal government does not say that Delta can't change the name and submit the new name to TSA for screening.
Has anyone had any luck addressing something like this? Obviously I'm new to FlyerTalk, but I appreciate any insight/advice.
Don't mean to be rude, but you bought a non-refundable non-transferable ticket. Why would you have any expectation of it being able to be refunded or transferred?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KateFlyer
Unfortunately we weren't cynical enough to spend the extra on refundable tickets, and my brother's fiancee has recently called off the wedding with very little explanation, leaving us with a $1,200 ticket we can't transfer to anyone else.
That is correct, per Delta's contract of carriage.
There are elements which make a ticket refundable - death, a schedule change more than 90 minutes come to mind - but these appear not to apply in your circumstances.
Unfortunately there are few circumstances when you could get a refund... usually this being death or severe sickness in the immediate family. You may get an agent who will waive the change fee, but I doubt you'd get one to issue a refund in this case.
Its upsetting that the supervisor made up a 'rule' when it is a blatant lie. Its DL policies that say you have a non-refundable ticket, so no refunds except for special circumstances.
You can also cancel the ticket and use the credit (less a change fee, likely $150/ticket but check your fare rules) for a new Delta flight to anywhere.
You can also cancel the ticket and use the credit (less a change fee, likely $150/ticket but check your fare rules) for a new Delta flight to anywhere.
To clarify, 3 out of the 4 will still take this trip - it's just the former fiancee's ticket that's going to waste here. They did tell me SHE could use that ticket any time in the next year, which I suppose is good news for her - but not good news for me who paid for them all.
You can also cancel the ticket and use the credit (less a change fee, likely $150/ticket but check your fare rules) for a new Delta flight to anywhere.
Typically $250 for international flights.
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You have a couple options. Let the tickets go to waste, use them and enjoy Paris, or pay a change fee for them. I'm not sure why so many on here think an exception should always be made for them when they willingly purchased a non-refundable fare.
To be fair to the agent, most of the problems with changing names on tickets does have to do with Homeland Security regulations after 9/11. Specifics aren't "supposed" to be mentioned outside of the industry.
If you are forced to cancel your plans, don't do anything right away. If there is a cancelation or a large schedule change between now and December you could request a refund.
Go after the ex-fiance who bailed. Thats your only recourse, although unlikely to get any money from her judging by how she just called it off with no explanation.
With the rest of you going, no way is DL going to budge from their policy... only she can use the remaining value within 1 year of the ticket being purchased, minus the (typical) $250 change fee.
Once the ex-fiance fails to show up for her flight, won't OP get an e-credit for the cost of the ex-fiance's ticket, minus $250? Or will the e-credit be in the passengers name?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KateFlyer
To clarify, 3 out of the 4 will still take this trip - it's just the former fiancee's ticket that's going to waste here. They did tell me SHE could use that ticket any time in the next year, which I suppose is good news for her - but not good news for me who paid for them all.
The policy you're stuck in here is to prevent resale of tickets. Imagine a route goes on sale in advance for $100 and normally sells for $500. Without the no-name-change/transfer policy, I could buy a bunch of those $100 tickets and then resell them for $300 when the price goes back up.
When you buy a ticket for someone else, you've effectively given them a gift from the time of purchase.
To clarify, 3 out of the 4 will still take this trip - it's just the former fiancee's ticket that's going to waste here. They did tell me SHE could use that ticket any time in the next year, which I suppose is good news for her - but not good news for me who paid for them all.
Consider it 1,200.00 well spent. Cheaper than a divorce.
