Citi Prestige trip cancellation fail
Aug 20, 2018, 3:45 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 59
Citi Prestige trip cancellation fail
Hello,
Has anyone had success using the Citi Prestige trip cancellation insurance? I had a trip planned for June that we needed to cancel due to a legitimate medical emergency (and we received a note from the doctor saying so), and they have been incredibly difficult in the cancellation process. Part of the issue is that I cancelled some of the airline tickets with Delta over the phone and they did not provide any confirmations or receipts for these ticket cancellations.
Citi is insisting that I provide written verification from Delta as to the extent of travel credit we've been issued, which I already explained that the cancellation fees were $200 per ticket and that Delta generously waived the fees for some but not all of the tickets. Further, when I call Delta they seem genuinely at a loss as to what more they can do for me, as they do not seem to have the capability of providing the required documentation.
I have to say this experience is extremely disappointing. As a previous Amex Gold Card customer, I never experienced any sorts of hang ups when trying to use the insurance benefits, mainly the extended warranty -- they once even credited me for the full cost of a new iPhone after I dropped and shattered mine, which really wasn't covered based on their normal terms of service.
All in all it is a real disappointment for me.
Curious to hear others experiences.
Has anyone had success using the Citi Prestige trip cancellation insurance? I had a trip planned for June that we needed to cancel due to a legitimate medical emergency (and we received a note from the doctor saying so), and they have been incredibly difficult in the cancellation process. Part of the issue is that I cancelled some of the airline tickets with Delta over the phone and they did not provide any confirmations or receipts for these ticket cancellations.
Citi is insisting that I provide written verification from Delta as to the extent of travel credit we've been issued, which I already explained that the cancellation fees were $200 per ticket and that Delta generously waived the fees for some but not all of the tickets. Further, when I call Delta they seem genuinely at a loss as to what more they can do for me, as they do not seem to have the capability of providing the required documentation.
I have to say this experience is extremely disappointing. As a previous Amex Gold Card customer, I never experienced any sorts of hang ups when trying to use the insurance benefits, mainly the extended warranty -- they once even credited me for the full cost of a new iPhone after I dropped and shattered mine, which really wasn't covered based on their normal terms of service.
All in all it is a real disappointment for me.
Curious to hear others experiences.
Aug 20, 2018, 4:58 pm
#2
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,958
Typically when you cancel a nonrefundable ticket the airline creates a voucher that is valid for 1 year from original date of purchase. Delta cannot produce a list of those vouchers and their value?
Aug 20, 2018, 5:23 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 59
Nope. There was a $200 cancellation fee per ticket and the tickets that were less than $200 have no voucher credit. The best they are able to do (after numerous phone calls) was send me an email stating:
“We know that a lot can happen between the time you purchase a ticket and
the time you are to travel and I'm sorry you weren't able to use your
ticket this time. We're sorry, but your [ticket/document] is no longer
valid and/or your records are no longer accessible). To be helpful, we
have all the information needed regarding ticket changes and validity on
our website.”
We’ll see in 2 weeks if this is good enough for Citi..
“We know that a lot can happen between the time you purchase a ticket and
the time you are to travel and I'm sorry you weren't able to use your
ticket this time. We're sorry, but your [ticket/document] is no longer
valid and/or your records are no longer accessible). To be helpful, we
have all the information needed regarding ticket changes and validity on
our website.”
We’ll see in 2 weeks if this is good enough for Citi..
Aug 20, 2018, 6:50 pm
#4
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,958
If I understand this thread correctly, Delta agents can see the residual value of your cancelled tickets, and their refusal to create a list showing this information suggests that this is a Delta customer service problem:
Where to locate cancelled ticket online?
Where to locate cancelled ticket online?
Aug 20, 2018, 6:56 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 59
Thanks, I agree with the information in that link. For me, the tickets I cancelled online had the residual values how up in my online delta wallet whereas those I cancelled over the phone (I cancelled the trip in stages because at first I thought we might be able to still complete the later legs of the trip) did not. I agree that it is a delta customer service problem that they cannot produce a written summary of this information. However Delta has said that if the Citi insurance adjuster called them with the ticket numbers (which I’ve provided) that they could inform them of the needed information over the phone, and that they regularly do get calls from insurance adjusters for just this purpose. This is not good enough for Citi tho. Frustrating experience on top of dealing with the emergency!
Aug 20, 2018, 9:43 pm
#6
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 27
When I had to cancel a trip for my wife and me last December, I had a similar problem with the residual value of her ticket not showing up in her wallet on Delta's website. However, I was able to pull up the residual value by going to Delta's certificate/eCredit redemption page (I don't have enough posts to include links yet, so search Google for "Delta Redeem Credit" and it should be the first result) and entering the ticket number in Certificate Number field. I then printed the results from that page to a PDF for submission to Citi.
As for the Citi trip cancellation claim, I was able to successfully get reimbursed first for the change fees and then later (June 2018) for the residual values of the tickets as we were unable to use them prior to ticket expiration.
For the change fee claim, I submitted the following:
After submitting the above documentation, I didn't get any requests for additional documentation from Citi/Virginia Surety on either claim. Hopefully that helps and good luck.
As for the Citi trip cancellation claim, I was able to successfully get reimbursed first for the change fees and then later (June 2018) for the residual values of the tickets as we were unable to use them prior to ticket expiration.
For the change fee claim, I submitted the following:
- Itinerary with PNR
- PDFs of the original ticket receipt emails
- PDF printout of the Delta ticket change policy (search Google for "Delta Ticket Changes" and it should be the second result) to provide documentation of the $200 change fee
- PDF printouts of the residual ticket credits from the certificate/eCredit redemption page I mentioned above
- Scan of the doctor's note
- Itinerary with PNR
- PDFs of the original ticket receipt emails
- Proof of residual credit expiration. This one was a little trickier since Delta's website will only state that a credit is no longer valid once the ticket expires instead of showing the value with a status of expired. So for proof, I submitted the following:
- PDF printouts of the residual ticket credits from the certificate/eCredit redemption page on the day of expiration (I also saved off the same PDFs the day before expiration just to be safe, but didn't submit them). This shows the residual value and also the expiration date. By printing to PDF instead of taking a screenshot, you also get the current date and timestamp in the footer.
- PDF printouts from the certificate/eCredit redemption page on the day after expiration. This shows that the ticket credits are no longer valid.
- Scan of the doctor's note
After submitting the above documentation, I didn't get any requests for additional documentation from Citi/Virginia Surety on either claim. Hopefully that helps and good luck.
Aug 21, 2018, 8:07 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 59
Thanks for the detailed response. I’ll try your suggestion of looking on the certificate / eCredit redemption page. Otherwise I’ve already sent them everything else that you. Good to know they reimbursed you for the remaining credit after it expired.
Nov 11, 2018, 9:38 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 59
Final update to close this saga -
I followed the advice above to the letter and once again received the same note back from them stating that they need written verification from Delta as to the amount of the change fee etc. At that point I decided it was a lost cause and didn’t follow up again.
A few few weeks later I received another email stating that my claim had been approved! I am not sure what happened as I didn’t write back after the previous request from them, but somehow it worked out so eventually the story had a happy ending.
Thanks again for the help.
I followed the advice above to the letter and once again received the same note back from them stating that they need written verification from Delta as to the amount of the change fee etc. At that point I decided it was a lost cause and didn’t follow up again.
A few few weeks later I received another email stating that my claim had been approved! I am not sure what happened as I didn’t write back after the previous request from them, but somehow it worked out so eventually the story had a happy ending.
Thanks again for the help.
Nov 17, 2018, 10:57 am
#9
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: ORD
Programs: AA PLT
Posts: 2,781
When I had to cancel a trip for my wife and me last December, I had a similar problem with the residual value of her ticket not showing up in her wallet on Delta's website. However, I was able to pull up the residual value by going to Delta's certificate/eCredit redemption page (I don't have enough posts to include links yet, so search Google for "Delta Redeem Credit" and it should be the first result) and entering the ticket number in Certificate Number field. I then printed the results from that page to a PDF for submission to Citi.
As for the Citi trip cancellation claim, I was able to successfully get reimbursed first for the change fees and then later (June 2018) for the residual values of the tickets as we were unable to use them prior to ticket expiration.
For the change fee claim, I submitted the following:
After submitting the above documentation, I didn't get any requests for additional documentation from Citi/Virginia Surety on either claim. Hopefully that helps and good luck.
As for the Citi trip cancellation claim, I was able to successfully get reimbursed first for the change fees and then later (June 2018) for the residual values of the tickets as we were unable to use them prior to ticket expiration.
For the change fee claim, I submitted the following:
- Itinerary with PNR
- PDFs of the original ticket receipt emails
- PDF printout of the Delta ticket change policy (search Google for "Delta Ticket Changes" and it should be the second result) to provide documentation of the $200 change fee
- PDF printouts of the residual ticket credits from the certificate/eCredit redemption page I mentioned above
- Scan of the doctor's note
- Itinerary with PNR
- PDFs of the original ticket receipt emails
- Proof of residual credit expiration. This one was a little trickier since Delta's website will only state that a credit is no longer valid once the ticket expires instead of showing the value with a status of expired. So for proof, I submitted the following:
- PDF printouts of the residual ticket credits from the certificate/eCredit redemption page on the day of expiration (I also saved off the same PDFs the day before expiration just to be safe, but didn't submit them). This shows the residual value and also the expiration date. By printing to PDF instead of taking a screenshot, you also get the current date and timestamp in the footer.
- PDF printouts from the certificate/eCredit redemption page on the day after expiration. This shows that the ticket credits are no longer valid.
- Scan of the doctor's note
After submitting the above documentation, I didn't get any requests for additional documentation from Citi/Virginia Surety on either claim. Hopefully that helps and good luck.
Nov 17, 2018, 11:17 am
#10
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
Can't fault an insurance carrier for asking for the verification. After all, many people are not above taking the credit and also filing a claim. Conversely, I am not certain why it is so hard for DL to direct you to or provide an accounting of your ticket. DL, of course, does so for internal purposes.