Originally Posted by FireFlyer

Yesterday, I set out to book a trip SAN-IAD. I first checked options on Google Flights, as I often do, then proceeded with booking on Delta.com. Just before I finished the booking, I remembered that I had credits available in my "wallet" from a changed itinerary earlier this year. You can't use credits at the end of a normal booking process, where you would normally enter payment method. Instead, if you're using credits, you have to start on your credit/voucher page, indicate which credit you want to use, then proceed from there.

When I went through the entire process again, starting at the credits page, I ended up with only half the choices of flights I had on a regular booking page and the best price, even after application of the credits, was more than double the price I had come up with a straight booking. I checked the terms and conditions for the credits and couldn't find any reason for such a huge discrepancy.

I immediately picked up the phone and called Delta - got someone on the DM line in SLC - explained the situation - she pulled up the itinerary and flight and cost options - apologized that there are known problems with application of credits - and applied my credits to the original itinerary and cost that I had found at the outset.

At the end of the day, I was able to use the credits on an itinerary and for a cost that was appropriate. However, if I had never checked in advance and if I had initially gone in through the credits page, I would never have known there was a problem and ended up on bad flights for more than twice the cost. Just a word of caution for anyone attempting to use credits to book flights: do your homework and understand your options BEFORE you attempt to use the credits.