Trip Insurance?
While this is not an option for this specific trip, I was wondering if purchasing trip insurance would have covered this situation?
Several years ago, my father in law, booked a very expensive cruise. He is a consultant who serves as an expert witness. He mentioned that he had to cancel the cruise, due to a change in the trail dates. However, he was covered by the trip insurance policy.
I'm not sure if the Trip insurance policy offered by Delta/Allianz would have covered your situation. I'm not a fan of trip insurance, but this may be one situation where it may make sense.