Missed Basic Economy flight
Aug 19, 2018, 8:01 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 5
Missed Basic Economy flight
I made plans to visit my parents this weekend and bought a Basic Economy flight. I didn’t anticipate changes to my plans, didn’t need to bring an overhead bag, and didn’t mind where I sat on a short flight.
I overslept on Friday morning and arrived at the airport at 6:00am (exactly when my flight was departing). I was naively devastated to learn that I was going to need to cough up $500 as I had completely forfeited my ticket. There were plenty of other flights with open seats.
I understand the rules though I’ll admit they’re a bit misleading. $500 is a huge hit for me and to think it’s disappearing into a corporation makes me want to cry.
I plan to plead my case to Delta in writing one more time. I’ve always had great experience with them but this is a cruel technicality. Any glimmer of hope for mercy on me or should I accept my fate?
thanks in advance.
I overslept on Friday morning and arrived at the airport at 6:00am (exactly when my flight was departing). I was naively devastated to learn that I was going to need to cough up $500 as I had completely forfeited my ticket. There were plenty of other flights with open seats.
I understand the rules though I’ll admit they’re a bit misleading. $500 is a huge hit for me and to think it’s disappearing into a corporation makes me want to cry.
I plan to plead my case to Delta in writing one more time. I’ve always had great experience with them but this is a cruel technicality. Any glimmer of hope for mercy on me or should I accept my fate?
thanks in advance.
Aug 19, 2018, 8:07 am
#2
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Unfortunately this is standard practice on any non-refundable ticket (BE, Y, W, J, F) - especially if you have no status.
You can write but I wouldn't expect anything back. Next time I would also give a quick check online to see if WN (or even DL) had a last minute option that was cheaper than the $500 you were quoted (in which case you would just ditch the original ticket entirely)
You can write but I wouldn't expect anything back. Next time I would also give a quick check online to see if WN (or even DL) had a last minute option that was cheaper than the $500 you were quoted (in which case you would just ditch the original ticket entirely)
Aug 19, 2018, 9:17 am
#5
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There is absolutely nothing wrong with a BE ticket, especially on a short flight.
Even if the OP had a main cabin ticket, the result would not have been any different. If the OP had status, and/or if the GA chooses to, potentially one can be added to the next available flight without any additional cost, but not a guarantee.
Aug 19, 2018, 9:23 am
#6
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There is absolutely nothing wrong with a BE ticket, especially on a short flight.
Even if the OP had a main cabin ticket, the result would not have been any different. If the OP had status, and/or if the GA chooses to, potentially one can be added to the next available flight without any additional cost, but not a guarantee.
Aug 19, 2018, 9:29 am
#7
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BE tickets are as cheap as they are because of the associated rules. Same rules the other airlines follow. In fact in Europe regular coach tickets can have the same restrictions. Feel bad for OP. However these were the terms they agreed to in order to save $20-$40 over a regular coach ticket.
Aug 19, 2018, 9:35 am
#8
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OP's situation has nothing to do with BE. Other than with full Y tickets which are not only fully refundable, but also retain their value for a year after the flight, OP would have met the same fate. Other fare buckets run the gamut from fully nonrefundable to refundable up until time of departure. But, at 6:01 AM, on other than a very, very expensive ticket, the value of OP's ticket was gone. No SDC.
Individual agents certainly have the ability to and some do, to reissue a ticket or to waive various change and cancellation fees. But, that is entirely discretionary.
There will now be 100 posts from people who got lucky. While I bear OP no ill will and don't mind that any one of those 100 who got lucky, did get lucky, the frank fact is that it is better for the rules to exist, be clear, and be enforced uniformly.
OP is wrong in one respect. The fare rules, especially for BE, are very clear.
Individual agents certainly have the ability to and some do, to reissue a ticket or to waive various change and cancellation fees. But, that is entirely discretionary.
There will now be 100 posts from people who got lucky. While I bear OP no ill will and don't mind that any one of those 100 who got lucky, did get lucky, the frank fact is that it is better for the rules to exist, be clear, and be enforced uniformly.
OP is wrong in one respect. The fare rules, especially for BE, are very clear.
Aug 19, 2018, 9:46 am
#9
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OP's situation has nothing to do with BE. Other than with full Y tickets which are not only fully refundable, but also retain their value for a year after the flight, OP would have met the same fate. Other fare buckets run the gamut from fully nonrefundable to refundable up until time of departure. But, at 6:01 AM, on other than a very, very expensive ticket, the value of OP's ticket was gone. No SDC.
Individual agents certainly have the ability to and some do, to reissue a ticket or to waive various change and cancellation fees. But, that is entirely discretionary.
There will now be 100 posts from people who got lucky. While I bear OP no ill will and don't mind that any one of those 100 who got lucky, did get lucky, the frank fact is that it is better for the rules to exist, be clear, and be enforced uniformly.
OP is wrong in one respect. The fare rules, especially for BE, are very clear.
Individual agents certainly have the ability to and some do, to reissue a ticket or to waive various change and cancellation fees. But, that is entirely discretionary.
There will now be 100 posts from people who got lucky. While I bear OP no ill will and don't mind that any one of those 100 who got lucky, did get lucky, the frank fact is that it is better for the rules to exist, be clear, and be enforced uniformly.
OP is wrong in one respect. The fare rules, especially for BE, are very clear.
Aug 19, 2018, 9:49 am
#10
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Also agree with Often1. The rules are very clear, there's nothing misleading about them. In fact DL adds a popup warning passenger of the rules.
Aug 19, 2018, 9:51 am
#11
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Aug 19, 2018, 9:53 am
#12
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Aug 19, 2018, 9:55 am
#13
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Suggest you read your replies. This is the first you've mentioned it. Thus far you've suggested OP could do things that could only be done on a regular ticket.
Aug 19, 2018, 10:03 am
#14
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sorry - I see why that’s confusing. My original reply was to contradict the previous poster that the OP wouldn’t have been better off on a regular economy ticket
Aug 19, 2018, 10:05 am
#15
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I’m actually pretty surprised OP wasn’t offered the opportunity to get on a later flight. Separately from ticket rules, Delta has a “flat tire rule” that allows airport agents the discretion to rebook late passengers onto a new flight if they narrowly miss the original booking; arriving at 6:00 AM for a 6:00 AM flight is exactly the sort of situation it’s designed for. There is no guarantee and it isn’t a published policy, so Delta wasn’t obligated to help - but I would have expected it to apply even on a BE fare as long as OP was pleasant and contrite to the airport staff, so it’s disappointing it didn’t.
OP, going back to your original question, by the letter of the ticket rules you are definitely completely out of luck. But I still think two venues are worth pursuing. 1- check your credit card you purchased the ticket with to see if you have any travel insurance that might cover the scenario, and 2- write Delta a short, polite email expressing your disappointment that the “flat tire” rule wasn’t applied in your case, using that term.
I fully expect that you will not receive a refund for the second ticket, but you may receive a few SkyMiles as a customer service gesture, which is better than nothing.
OP, going back to your original question, by the letter of the ticket rules you are definitely completely out of luck. But I still think two venues are worth pursuing. 1- check your credit card you purchased the ticket with to see if you have any travel insurance that might cover the scenario, and 2- write Delta a short, polite email expressing your disappointment that the “flat tire” rule wasn’t applied in your case, using that term.
I fully expect that you will not receive a refund for the second ticket, but you may receive a few SkyMiles as a customer service gesture, which is better than nothing.