Death of pax before flight on non-refundable tix?
Aug 2, 2018, 4:37 pm
#16
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This is purely speculation but, if the daughter was recalling correctly, the agent offered vouchers to BOTH passengers -- which is a pretty strange thing to offer a deceased person. That makes me think the agent wasn't really listening but may have been doing two (or more) things at once.
I can (kind of) sympathize with that. I was on a long call today where I began to drift and really can't tell you what it was all about, so I'll give the CS agent the benefit of the doubt.
All that said, I called the DM line and the agent was A-W-E-S-O-M-E and worked the whole thing out in under 10 minutes, and I swear I could feel her heartfelt sympathy over the phone.
Faith in Delta restored. ;-)
I can (kind of) sympathize with that. I was on a long call today where I began to drift and really can't tell you what it was all about, so I'll give the CS agent the benefit of the doubt.
All that said, I called the DM line and the agent was A-W-E-S-O-M-E and worked the whole thing out in under 10 minutes, and I swear I could feel her heartfelt sympathy over the phone.
Faith in Delta restored. ;-)
Aug 3, 2018, 12:53 am
#17
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: LAX
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I've had to deal with this twice in recent years and both times Delta was great -- changed/cancel tickets as needed with no hassle -- just hospital and funeral home names. With all I had to deal with it was appreciated that I didn't have to stress flight arrangements. It wasn't the financial stress of the OPs couple but it was still much appreciated.
Aug 3, 2018, 7:37 am
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,222
PENALTIES ORIGINATING AREA 1 -
CANCELLATIONS
ANY TIME
TICKET IS NON-REFUNDABLE IN CASE OF CANCEL/NO-SHOW.
WAIVED FOR DEATH OF PASSENGER OR FAMILY MEMBER.
<snip>
DEATH WAIVER MUST BE SUBSTANTIATED BY A
VALID MEDICAL/DEATH CERTIFICATE.
Aug 3, 2018, 9:54 am
#19
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Because common sense says you don't offer a dead person a non-transferable voucher. It would be one thing (albeit incorrect) to say "nothing can be done." The offer of a voucher strongly suggests a serious lack of common sense or a lack of listening comprehension.
Aug 3, 2018, 9:55 am
#20
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I think it was the latter, if I had to guess (which that's all I can do).
Aug 3, 2018, 10:03 am
#21
Join Date: Oct 2009
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Going beyond the immediate refund issue, at some point in the coming weeks or months you might talk with the widow about her taking some other international trip in the future, perhaps with her daughter or a friend. Since she is an inexperienced traveler a small group tour or river cruise might be best for her. I can personally attest to the therapeutic value of travel after the death of a spouse.
Aug 3, 2018, 10:11 am
#22
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Delta has a standard policy on this. See here: https://pro.delta.com/content/agency...ee-policy.html
Aug 3, 2018, 10:14 am
#23
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Going beyond the immediate refund issue, at some point in the coming weeks or months you might talk with the widow about her taking some other international trip in the future, perhaps with her daughter or a friend. Since she is an inexperienced traveler a small group tour or river cruise might be best for her. I can personally attest to the therapeutic value of travel after the death of a spouse.
I was tearing-up pretty good, because their half-packed luggage was sitting on the bed in their guest room (which used to be this particular daughter's bedroom). It was the same luggage they used on their honeymoon 50 years earlier. They never had time to use it much, with the farm and family. ;-(
Carpe diem quam minimum credula postero.
Aug 3, 2018, 3:23 pm
#24
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Do agree if the fare rules say death allows a refund that agent messed up. However I highly doubt agent just didn't care. We don't know if they reached out to another agent or supervisor and were given bad info. My point in replying in this thread is that issue is most likely lack of training by DL, just like it is so many other times. The frustration should be focused on Delta. The agent did apparently try to do something, albeit incorrect. If they didn't care they wouldn't have done even that.