Fare rules -very techy question
 

If I cancel SEA-BKK on a TLXSL55 fare basis can I apply value to any new DL ticket or does it have to be same origin/destination and how about actual route? Fare rules seem unclear or horrible. I have never seen a ticket that has no value on another itinerary in the past. If so, this seems very vindictive. Opinions? Experiences?

CHANGES
ANY TIME
CHARGE USD 250.00.
CHILD/INFANT DISCOUNTS APPLY.
NOTE -
- MAY ONLY CHANGE DATE OF TRAVEL/NO REROUTING
PERMITTED
- ALL TICKETS MUST BE REISSUED
- SEE /CHILD/INFANT DISCOUNT/ IN FARE RULE TO
DETERMINE IF APPLICABLE - NO CHANGE FEE IF UNDER
2 YEARS OF AGE NOT OCCUPYING A SEAT
- RESERVATION CHANGES MADE PRIOR TO THE ORIGINALLY
SCHEDULED FLIGHT RETAINS TKT VALUE LESS THE
APPLICABLE CHANGE FEE UP TO ONE YEAR FROM THE
ORIGINAL DATE OF TICKET ISSUANCE.
- CHANGES RESULTING IN A HIGHER FARE MUST BE ADD
COLLECTED AT THE TIME OF REISSUE
- FOR FARE TYPE HIERARCHY SEE 3.E. BELOW
- MUST COMPLETE TRAVEL BY 1 YEAR FROM THE DATE OF
COMMENCEMENT OF TRAVEL
- FARES IN DIFFERENT RULES WITH THE SAME OR
DIFFERENT CHANGE FEES - APPLY THE HIGHEST FEE OF
ANY CHANGED FARE COMPONENT ON THE TICKET

$250 change fee. You can reuse the ticket for any other itinerary. Doesn't need to be same origin/destination. The only thing you need to pay attention to is the line that says "CHARGE USD 250.00"

Thanks
 

Thanks - this is the experience I have had in decades of flying but I don't understand what the following clause means and why I can ignore everything after the first line of this section:

- MAY ONLY CHANGE DATE OF TRAVEL/NO REROUTING
PERMITTED

If and when the computer fails to reissue the ticket on its own and it has to go to a rate desk agent, there are three major things they look for:

Administrative Service Charge, if applicable
Ticket Validity (how long is the ticket good for, and is it valid for reissue after departure of the original first flight)
Restrictions, such as the one above

To me, that's very specific, and through Delta's process of aligning with it's SkyTeam partners in Europe whose fare rules on low end fares are even more restrictive than Delta's, I would personally take that statement at face value. If you want to change your ticket, it'll cost you a minimum of $250, and you can only use it between SEA and BKK. However, to get the final word, I would call Delta and have an agent contact the rate desk for final interpretation.

If you get pushback on not being able to recover the fare (-$250) from the "change", I would just ask to cancel it and have the voucher put into my account. Then you buy whatever flight you want. Same outcome, different means.

If you CHANGE the ticket, you pay $250 and keep the same fare. In that case the restrictions you just listed apply.

If you have the ticket REISSUED you can do anything, but you pay $250 plus (or minus) the fare difference.

Sometimes it depends-- if it is a whole unused ticket or the return of a partially used ticket. Every fare has different rules.

- MAY ONLY CHANGE DATE OF TRAVEL/NO REROUTING
PERMITTED

That seems pretty clear and not "techy" to me. No rerouting means any other origin/destination and possibly could include stopover points.

Changed/Reissued in airline rates lingo is pretty much the same thing. As of yet Delta does not have a rule/fee to keep the ticket as you originally booked it other than the initial fare. The only valid reason to reissue a ticket is because something has changed.

Horrible/vindictive? not really. The airline is saying "you can fly from xxx-yyy for $$$$.$$ in consideration of the following......"

everyone remembers the $$$$.$$ not many pay attention to the in consideration of the following...

Fare Basis -- The parts on which fare stands or rests.

When changing you only avoid paying fare difference when the same fare bucket you bought is still available (e.g. L fare to L fare will be free even if there is only a higher L fare in the market than when you bought). This is referred to as an "even exchange."

If moving up/down in fare class you are exposed to the fare difference, be it positive or negative. Otherwise I would always buy a T fare LAX-SYD, wait until the last minute when DL is only selling M fares, and then change to an M for only $250 :).

Perhaps that's because the fare is obviously called out in the ticket purchase process and the fare rules are hidden.

Perhaps we need a "Nutrition Facts" for airline tickets:

• Your fare is $500.00
• You may cancel this ticket, but it is not refundable. You will receive a credit for $350 ($500 - $150 fee) valid until Sep 3, 2012.
• etc etc etc

Yea just like how they called out that tickets cant be changed or canceled inside of 72 hours when we bought award tickets earlier this year for travel this fall :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::mad:

It really doesn't matter because they will just do what they want...it is the equivalent of saying that a Big Mac has 50 calories .... This industry needs some consumer protection rules with teeth.

So where do you draw the line at how the airline can put the specifics of the contract during the booking process and still leave the contract enforceable?

What if you had to send a postage-paid self-addressed envelope to see the full fare rules? What if they were only viewable in hard copy at DL corporate headquarters in Atlanta?

I'm not sure where I would draw the line. I probably think that expecting consumers to read and understand fare rules that are barely perceptibly but significantly different from 99% of airline tickets purchased in the US is too far. I love the idea of "fare rule nutrition facts" that someone mentioned above. It certainly wouldn't be difficult.

Even if you disagree with where to draw the line, just saying that there is a contract and you agreed to it is oversimplifying the issue.

Agreed, and it not just the class (YBMKQHLUT) that must be the same, it is the entire fare basis. That is why you can not use the date change to avoid the Sat night stay.

I was just trying to be a simple as possible on the core point, that the detailed restrictions are defining the "even exchange" rules.

Where is the line?

But CLEARLY the exact rule quoted by the OP is not some oddity that people booking tickets do not understand. Nobody would expect to buy BKK<>TPE and then change it for $250 for BKK<>JFK So IN THIS CASE your line would go on the side of all being fare.

On the other hand, I think the Y-UP fares are on the wrong side of the line, and I would love to see a court challenge.

To some extend this seams similar to click-through contracts that courts are finding to be of little value.

I think plenty of people would buy that ticket and expect to be able to change it to BKK-JFK for $250 + a fare difference, which in this case appears to be prohibited.

IMO, that's unusual enough to deserve a highlighted mention somewhere by Delta during the booking process.

You can change it to anything for $250 plus the fare difference.

What the fare clause prohibits is changing it for just $250.