Buying full Y fare instead of gate pass
Jun 5, 2018, 12:46 pm
#1
formerly jackvogt
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Atlanta, GA
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Posts: 822
Buying full Y fare instead of gate pass
Hi, I am "escorting" a family member who does not travel often to the gate early Sunday morning. I have had trouble getting gate passes in ATL in the past so I bought a $700 one way ticket to TPA. My intent is to cancel it as soon as I clear security. I shouldn't have any trouble receiving a refund right? Obviously that's a lot of money to lose so I want to be absolutely sure. Thanks in advance!
Jun 5, 2018, 12:50 pm
#2
Join Date: Aug 2016
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On Delta, tickets purchased day of departure can be refunded through risk-free cancellation until midnight (even after the flight has departed), so any ticket will do (does not have to be fully refundable).
Jun 5, 2018, 12:51 pm
#3
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Hi, I am "escorting" a family member who does not travel often to the gate early Sunday morning. I have had trouble getting gate passes in ATL in the past so I bought a $700 one way ticket to TPA. My intent is to cancel it as soon as I clear security. I shouldn't have any trouble receiving a refund right? Obviously that's a lot of money to lose so I want to be absolutely sure. Thanks in advance!
Jun 5, 2018, 3:32 pm
#4
formerly jackvogt
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Atlanta, GA
Programs: Delta SkyMiles,
Posts: 822
Jun 5, 2018, 3:48 pm
#5
Join Date: Apr 2011
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99 times out of 100 yes. But every now and then you'll see a NON-Refundable Y fare. Typically that would be around a major event. AGS during the Masters, SDF during the Kentucky Derby, OMA during the Berkshire meetings, etc. Unless there is some huge national event that I'm not aware of in TPA then you should be just fine.
Jun 5, 2018, 3:49 pm
#6
Join Date: Mar 2016
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Jun 5, 2018, 3:50 pm
#7
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Full Y yes. Note you can buy a cheap discounted ticket same day and it'll be refundable under DL policy. No need to worry if its refundable. Unlike OAL, DL allows refunds on all tickets under 24 hr refund rule, even those bought within 7 days. You do need to cancel seat prior to departure.
Jun 5, 2018, 4:03 pm
#8
formerly jackvogt
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Atlanta, GA
Programs: Delta SkyMiles,
Posts: 822
Full Y yes. Note you can buy a cheap discounted ticket same day and it'll be refundable under DL policy. No need to worry if its refundable. Unlike OAL, DL allows refunds on all tickets under 24 hr refund rule, even those bought within 7 days. You do need to cancel seat prior to departure.
Based on this, it means it is a fully refundable Y fare correct? Delta is unhelpful in confirming and since its not my money being spent, I want to ensure it is refunded.
Jun 5, 2018, 4:20 pm
#9
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Next time wait till DoD and buy the cheapest ticket available . You can then cancel and refund, even if it's normally not refundable, under DL 24 he refund policy. No need to hold up $700 for few weeks when can hold up $100 or so for a few days.
Jun 5, 2018, 4:20 pm
#10
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Join Date: Jul 2003
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If you pull up the trip under "My Trips" at delta.com, it will say whether or not it is refundable. Also, after flight selection and prior to purchase, there is a link that says "Fare Rules" and provides fare rules and details about if the fare is refundable. As noted above, outside of special events, Y fares are almost always refundable. Also, the email receipt will show "NONREF/PENALTY APPLIES" below the price on non-refundable fares (see below).
Last edited by xliioper; Jun 5, 2018 at 4:26 pm
Jun 5, 2018, 4:52 pm
#11
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Two notes from my experience doing this:
1) If you buy a refundable fare you can cancel it and request a refund anytime within the ticket validity period (1 yr from purchase) including after the flight it was issued for departs. For non-refundable tickets this is not the case.
2) Technically you should have a valid ticket when you are beyond the TSA checkpoint so, depending of how rules focused you are, you may want to wait until you are out of the secure area before refunding.
While I would expect DL to eventually cramp down on someone who takes frequent advantage of the 24-hr refund option (they don’t technically have to do it if you buy less than one week before departure) a refundable fare is just that and I doubt you’d get in trouble for buy and refunding such a ticket frequently.
Also, IME, refunding a refundable ticket usually takes a few days to post not a few weeks. So if you have a credit card, it shouldn’t matter the price of the refundable ticket and you are less likely to screw it up and end up holding the bag on a ticket you never planned to use.
1) If you buy a refundable fare you can cancel it and request a refund anytime within the ticket validity period (1 yr from purchase) including after the flight it was issued for departs. For non-refundable tickets this is not the case.
2) Technically you should have a valid ticket when you are beyond the TSA checkpoint so, depending of how rules focused you are, you may want to wait until you are out of the secure area before refunding.
While I would expect DL to eventually cramp down on someone who takes frequent advantage of the 24-hr refund option (they don’t technically have to do it if you buy less than one week before departure) a refundable fare is just that and I doubt you’d get in trouble for buy and refunding such a ticket frequently.
Also, IME, refunding a refundable ticket usually takes a few days to post not a few weeks. So if you have a credit card, it shouldn’t matter the price of the refundable ticket and you are less likely to screw it up and end up holding the bag on a ticket you never planned to use.
Jun 5, 2018, 7:19 pm
#12
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 1,880
The terms & conditions of Delta's risk-free cancellation policy state (emphasis mine):
Cancellation request must be made by midnight of the day after the eTicket is purchased or midnight of the departure date of the first flight, whichever comes first.
TICKET IS NON-REFUNDABLE IN CASE OF CANCEL/NO-SHOW
Jun 5, 2018, 8:25 pm
#14
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People who do routinely engage in ticketing fraud can expect to have their SM account zeroed out and status revoked (whether their SM account is on the fraudulently purchased ticket or not).
I am surprised to hear that OP has had problems with a gate pass. DL tends to be very accommodating unless you're telling some self-evident fib, which certainly isn't the case here.
Jun 6, 2018, 12:09 am
#15
Join Date: Aug 2016
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You could argue that the phrasing "midnight of the departure date" is ambiguous as to whether it means the start of that day or the end of that day, but I'd be uncomfortable relying on the latter definition. Furthermore, cancelling the ticket after the departure time would constitute a no-show which is expressly addressed in the fare rules for non-refundable tickets:
I have not personally attempted cancelling after the scheduled departure time, though remember reading in another thread that others have been successful doing so.