Advice for Int'l Trip with possibillity of new work assignment cancelling
Jan 10, 2019, 6:56 am
#1
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Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 243
Advice for Int'l Trip with possibillity of new work assignment cancelling
Hello, I'm a PM on Delta and wife and I have been planning to spend about 10 days in Europe in late April. Airfares to/from CDG are pretty good right now with preferred flights/nonstops on Delta (operated by AF) from MIA for around $600. The problem is there's a day in the middle of the trip that there's a 30-40% chance I will be assigned a work project that I must accept if assigned.
So the dilemma is should I book the cheap airfare and hope I'm not assigned, and if I am, cancel and get the partial refund and credit. If so, Delta's policy says $200-$500 cancellation fee....is there any way to know for sure what it would be? If $200 I could live with the risk but $500 would be silly.
OR, do I wait until I find out for sure if I'm assigned the duty (late March) and book then, but risk airfare's being well over $1,000 each. Do you think airfares could still be less then that?
I'm fairly sure trip insurance wouldn't cover a new work assignment as a covered reason.
Thanks for the help!
So the dilemma is should I book the cheap airfare and hope I'm not assigned, and if I am, cancel and get the partial refund and credit. If so, Delta's policy says $200-$500 cancellation fee....is there any way to know for sure what it would be? If $200 I could live with the risk but $500 would be silly.
OR, do I wait until I find out for sure if I'm assigned the duty (late March) and book then, but risk airfare's being well over $1,000 each. Do you think airfares could still be less then that?
I'm fairly sure trip insurance wouldn't cover a new work assignment as a covered reason.
Thanks for the help!
Jan 10, 2019, 7:12 am
#2
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Are you an employee or a consultant/private contractor?
AFAIK the standard for an employer would be that if vacation time has been approved but the employee is needed during that time, the employer would cover any costs incurred by the employee such as plane ticket change fees and nonrefundable hotel bookings. This should ideally be included in the employee manual or other written policy materials available to employees and supervisors, but you might need to ask HR about how such situations are handled.
However, can't you solve the problem by moving the European trip up by about a week?
AFAIK the standard for an employer would be that if vacation time has been approved but the employee is needed during that time, the employer would cover any costs incurred by the employee such as plane ticket change fees and nonrefundable hotel bookings. This should ideally be included in the employee manual or other written policy materials available to employees and supervisors, but you might need to ask HR about how such situations are handled.
However, can't you solve the problem by moving the European trip up by about a week?
Jan 10, 2019, 7:17 am
#3
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Posts: 243
I'm a consultant and the gig would pay for another trip, so it's not feasible to decline it. Unfortunately this is the only window to fit this trip in that we have openings in our work schedules currently. We could push it back to summer but she wants to see the Tulips in AMS. 
Jan 10, 2019, 7:29 am
#4
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Late March (decision date) to late April (prospective travel date) means you can still meet advance purchase requirements for the cheapest fares. There may be limited availability. Given the price differential between lowest and flexible fares I would just wait to buy - unless you think there's a very significant probability (>50%) your travel will be interrupted. The change fee will be specified in the fare rules. ITA Matrix shows a $300 fee on a XK4X87M3 PAR to MIA fare.
Jan 10, 2019, 7:30 am
#5
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I'm a consultant and the gig would pay for another trip, so it's not feasible to decline it. Unfortunately this is the only window to fit this trip in that we have openings in our work schedules currently. We could push it back to summer but she wants to see the Tulips in AMS.
Last year we went when the season was almost over, so not many tulip fields were left. I had to promise another trip at the beginning of this year's or next year's season.
Jan 10, 2019, 7:32 am
#6
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Join Date: Dec 2018
Posts: 243
I just found this while searching for possible mileage usage:
The Award Ticket redeposit fee is $150 USD. This fee is waived for Diamond and Platinum Medallion members. Award Tickets not canceled at least 72 hours prior to the originating flight departure time are nonrefundable.
Are the taxes paid refunded as well in that instance?
The Award Ticket redeposit fee is $150 USD. This fee is waived for Diamond and Platinum Medallion members. Award Tickets not canceled at least 72 hours prior to the originating flight departure time are nonrefundable.
Are the taxes paid refunded as well in that instance?
Jan 10, 2019, 7:36 am
#7
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Yes, but often it's better to pay with money if you can find a good cheap fare for flights you want, as the award tickets might cost lots of miles or require inconvenient times and additional connections. YMMV.
Remember that award tickets don't earn MQMs/MQDs/MQSs for status next year, which if you're PM or DM, I assume would matter to you. Also, it's the status of the account from which the miles come (and not the passenger's status) at the time of the cancellation that matters in determining whether the $150 fee will be charged.
Remember that award tickets don't earn MQMs/MQDs/MQSs for status next year, which if you're PM or DM, I assume would matter to you. Also, it's the status of the account from which the miles come (and not the passenger's status) at the time of the cancellation that matters in determining whether the $150 fee will be charged.
Jan 10, 2019, 7:59 am
#8
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Posts: 243
Yes, but often it's better to pay with money if you can find a good cheap fare for flights you want, as the award tickets might cost lots of miles or require inconvenient times and additional connections. YMMV.
Remember that award tickets don't earn MQMs/MQDs/MQSs for status next year, which if you're PM or DM, I assume would matter to you. Also, it's the status of the account from which the miles come (and not the passenger's status) at the time of the cancellation that matters in determining whether the $150 fee will be charged.
Remember that award tickets don't earn MQMs/MQDs/MQSs for status next year, which if you're PM or DM, I assume would matter to you. Also, it's the status of the account from which the miles come (and not the passenger's status) at the time of the cancellation that matters in determining whether the $150 fee will be charged.
I'm the PM, would be booking both, she has no status.
Jan 10, 2019, 8:35 am
#9
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So the dilemma is should I book the cheap airfare and hope I'm not assigned, and if I am, cancel and get the partial refund and credit. If so, Delta's policy says $200-$500 cancellation fee....is there any way to know for sure what it would be? If $200 I could live with the risk but $500 would be silly.
As a side note, it would be worth also checking the fares directly through AF and comparing the prices and also comparing whether you would earn more miles if booked through DL (as a codeshare on the AF flight) or on AF flight numbers.
Jan 10, 2019, 8:52 am
#10
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Yeah it would be tough to miss out on almost 10k in MQM. I have no shot at DM and am rolling over 15k plus will get 30k bonus MQM with card spend so I don't expect to need these 10k if I had to miss them. The fare was $600, the miles flash sale right now is 41,000 so it's a pretty decent value. $ fare was 1 stop there in ATL and direct back, miles fare is 1 stop each way in ATL so not too bad.
I'm the PM, would be booking both, she has no status.
I'm the PM, would be booking both, she has no status.
If you're PM now and will be PM for all of 2019 (so you requalified during 2018 or reached PM status for the first time during 2019) and have 82,000 RDMs in your PM account now, to me it would be a no brainer to grab the two 41,000 award tickets with schedules that work well for you right now, ASAP, don't waste a second or the availability might disappear. You can decide later what you want to do, including the possibility of buying with money a ticket for you in late March (to earn those MQMs, even if just for future rollover, if the price is good) and having wife fly on the award ticket.
Jan 10, 2019, 9:27 am
#12
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Posts: 243
If you're PM now and will be PM for all of 2019 (so you requalified during 2018 or reached PM status for the first time during 2019) and have 82,000 RDMs in your PM account now, to me it would be a no brainer to grab the two 41,000 award tickets with schedules that work well for you right now, ASAP, don't waste a second or the availability might disappear. You can decide later what you want to do, including the possibility of buying with money a ticket for you in late March (to earn those MQMs, even if just for future rollover, if the price is good) and having wife fly on the award ticket.
Thanks for your help everyone!
Jan 10, 2019, 9:39 am
#13
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Yes, I just got PM for the first time in November 2018, I was unaware of this free cancellation with miles policy. I am going to book the 41k (it's actually a $1200 roundtrip ticket for the same times) and I see that all 4 segments are comfort + upgradable so that is very nice. I will then recheck in late March when know work assignment for rates and if can't get for under $800 will keep this and forego the MQM's.
Thanks for your help everyone!
Thanks for your help everyone!
Sounds like a plan.....Enjoy!
Jan 10, 2019, 10:14 am
#14
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Yes, I just got PM for the first time in November 2018, I was unaware of this free cancellation with miles policy. I am going to book the 41k (it's actually a $1200 roundtrip ticket for the same times) and I see that all 4 segments are comfort + upgradable so that is very nice. I will then recheck in late March when know work assignment for rates and if can't get for under $800 will keep this and forego the MQM's.
Thanks for your help everyone!
Thanks for your help everyone!
Jan 10, 2019, 10:25 am
#15
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Great choice - this is exactly what I’d do in your shoes. The free redeposit is perfect for this situation. As an added bonus, you’re getting well over 1cpm for your miles, so if you end up keeping the miles it was still a good decision IMHO. (You could even do something like rebooking yourself on a paid ticket later and keeping your wife, who doesn’t care about MQM, on the award...)
That was my suggestion earlier, to keep in mind as an option for late March, but I suspect that the award ticket flights are likely to be more expensive (when paid in money) in March as they are now, so OP will need to decide between foregoing MQMs, paying more for his ticket, or not having the same flights as wife. There could also be a loss of a C+ seat if modifications are made later.