$20 direct ticketing fee not waved when using VDB voucher
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: SJC/SFO
Programs: DL DM MM (fmr NW Plat), BA GGL/CCR, Aegean Gold, WorldClubs Life, SPG Plat, Hyatt Plat, HHonors Dmnd
Posts: 1,409
$20 direct ticketing fee not waved when using VDB voucher
I made a reservation on the phone using a $400 VDB voucher, and was charged a $20 ticketing fee. I called back and the agent said it should have been waived as a plat, then she talked to a supervisor, and was told that the fee was not waived when using an ECV (though it would have been waived if it were just a credit card or skymiles purchase).
What gives?
edit: FWIW, this was a post-merger pre-feburary (10/2009) 006 ECV issued at LAS.
What gives?
edit: FWIW, this was a post-merger pre-feburary (10/2009) 006 ECV issued at LAS.
Last edited by ifette; Feb 6, 2010 at 1:26 am
#3
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: DTW
Programs: DL 0.22 MM, AA 0.34 MM, PC Plat Amb, Hertz #1 GC 5*
Posts: 7,511
Ask to be shown that rule online. If it's there, then it's a lost cause.
If they can't find it online, complain via email until they give you another ECV for the $20, plus some RDMs.
If they can't find it online, complain via email until they give you another ECV for the $20, plus some RDMs.
#5
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: LAX
Programs: Fallen DL DM (PM) 2MM
Posts: 4,783
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: The best state in the USA - Florida!
Programs: Marriott Titanium/LT Plat, AS MVP75K, AA PlatPro, UA Premier, Disney AP
Posts: 14,497
I'll chime in for WBurcham here (since he's off in SFO), but he uses a lot of vouchers to buy his tickets and whenever he phones in for a ticket, he gets dinged the direct ticketing fee - however, they've been willing to give him a voucher of some sort for the fee (so pay $20 on the card, get a $20 voucher back). Not ideal, but doable. I'd call back and try and get at least a $20 voucher out of it.
#7
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Washington, DC, Chapel Hill, NC (RDU)
Programs: DL Plat (won't hit DM again) 2MM (2.5), HH Gold, PC Gold, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 5,632
I had to call to use an old NW paper ECV for $50 off. I was talking with a Chisholm agent and asked and was told the as a plat, there would be no fee. The e-mail receipt had the ticket and an additional $20 direct ticketing fee. I emailed and yesterday got a response (about a week) indicating that the fee would be credited back to my card.
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: SJC/SFO
Programs: DL DM MM (fmr NW Plat), BA GGL/CCR, Aegean Gold, WorldClubs Life, SPG Plat, Hyatt Plat, HHonors Dmnd
Posts: 1,409
I had to call to use an old NW paper ECV for $50 off. I was talking with a Chisholm agent and asked and was told the as a plat, there would be no fee. The e-mail receipt had the ticket and an additional $20 direct ticketing fee. I emailed and yesterday got a response (about a week) indicating that the fee would be credited back to my card.
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Floating around
Programs: UA 1K (1MM), DL Gold (1MM), Marriott LTT
Posts: 10,352
Just yesterday I had to call Delta for the THIRD time to get a $20 phone fee refunded. I stupidly called the Plat line back in January to use the 24-hour refund and purchse a new ticket for different dates. The agent mistakenly charged me the $20 ticketing fee.
Why is this not computerized Delta? It should be *easy* to just not charge the $20 if a Diamond or Plat or Gold has called in and is booking a ticket and they are the passenger flying.
If you're a conspiracy theorist this is Delta dinging anyone for $20 and then hoping no one realizes it so they can collect the fee. Personally, this is about the easiest thing you can do with IT. (IF passenger = Diamond/Plat/God, THEN ticketingfee = 0). DUH!
-RM
Why is this not computerized Delta? It should be *easy* to just not charge the $20 if a Diamond or Plat or Gold has called in and is booking a ticket and they are the passenger flying.
If you're a conspiracy theorist this is Delta dinging anyone for $20 and then hoping no one realizes it so they can collect the fee. Personally, this is about the easiest thing you can do with IT. (IF passenger = Diamond/Plat/God, THEN ticketingfee = 0). DUH!
-RM
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold, Hyatt something
Posts: 33,586
I don't think this should come as a surprise to anyone. Delta is the FEE airline. And I'd really guess that someone, somewhere encourages these types of charges even to Plats, knowing that a great majority of them will slip through, or people won't bother to get it refunded.
Really despicable behavior.
Really despicable behavior.
#13
Join Date: Sep 2008
Programs: A3 *G, AA exePlat, AS MVP 75k Gold, JL sapphire, UA silver
Posts: 4,036
I don't think this should come as a surprise to anyone. Delta is the FEE airline. And I'd really guess that someone, somewhere encourages these types of charges even to Plats, knowing that a great majority of them will slip through, or people won't bother to get it refunded.
Really despicable behavior.
Really despicable behavior.
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: MSP
Programs: Fallen Plats, ex-WN CP, DYKWIW; still PAL Premier Elite & Hilton Diamond
Posts: 25,418
This makes non-electronic vouchers a bit of a scam because they're actually worth $20 less than you think you're receiving, in other words take 40% off the top of a $50 voucher and 10% off the top of a $200 voucher.
NW would replace non-electronic vouchers with electronic ones if you mailed them to their redemption center & asked them to. Is that possible with Delta?
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Currently in Bloomington, IN, but Normally NYC, CDG, and even POZ or wherever FT takes me.
Programs: Northwest Airlines. MTA pay-per-ride Metrocard; zero-balance Oyster card.
Posts: 14,026