It's getting to the end of the year and I want to redeem the annual travel credit for my Venture X before it expires.

A couple years ago, I booked a flight for Delta that wasn't refundable but was able to be canceled for a Delta flight credit. Everything worked out fine when I canceled the ticket.

Last year, I did the same thing, but the e-credit didn't show up in my account after I canceled the flight and Delta charged me a $50.00 fee to fix everything.

Does anyone have any tips or advice?

What I am looking to do is to book a Delta ticket through the travel portal for $300+ to utilize the travel credit, wait a few days, and cancel it for a flight credit through Delta. Is this still allowed?

Has anyone done this recently with Delta or with other airlines?