Choose your friends well (A Skymiles Redemption Lesson)
Aug 23, 2019, 4:07 pm
#61
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: SEA, NW/DL 1.6Million Miler
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Posts: 4,278
I'm never an advocate for travel in basic economy but perhaps this is one and only good time basic economy would have worked.
Thankfully for 99.9999% of other reasons, Basic economy for international award travel is still not available to many market.
Jiburi
Thankfully for 99.9999% of other reasons, Basic economy for international award travel is still not available to many market.
Jiburi
Aug 23, 2019, 4:12 pm
#62
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: ATL
Programs: Delta PlM, 1M
Posts: 6,363
I'm not sure I'd give a gift to someone whom I suspect won't appreciate it. In some cases, a good bottle of wine wouldn't be recognized, a piece of art wouldn't be valued, and with award tickets, the person has no idea about the flying or spending that was required to earn those miles.
On the other hand, flights are close to commodities, and most have a decent grasp of cost.
Aug 23, 2019, 5:31 pm
#63
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: GRR
Programs: Delta Plat & Million Miler
Posts: 1,375
So
It honestly just sounds like a mistake on your friend's part. Perhaps when she realized she needed to make a change, the time difference meant it was late night in the US and she didn't want to bother disturbing you, so contacted Delta directly. If she's never done anything malicious to you before and she was close enough to you that you sprung for a ticket, I would take her explanation at face value and chalk it up to her inexperience.
Ideally you can also let her know there was a additional cost to you, that she needs to reimburse you for; perhaps on a payment plan if necessary. Most reasonable friends would agree quickly.
Ideally you can also let her know there was a additional cost to you, that she needs to reimburse you for; perhaps on a payment plan if necessary. Most reasonable friends would agree quickly.
Most friends would OFFER to reimburse without being asked!
Aug 23, 2019, 6:09 pm
#64
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If you hadn't posted publicly about deciding not to do anything, you could have waited a few days (after travel completed), and then called Delta saying "I, the account holder, did not authorize this".
I recently had to call another program on behalf of a friend (A) who had booked a ticket for another friend (B). They were on separate bookings, but both in the air, and I needed to make a change (we were in contact over wifi). They absolutely wanted the name on the ticket and the name of the account holder, but I think if the change had been more complicated than it was, they probably would have said no. The change was basically "there's no J space on the connection, please move him up", which was strictly an improvement to the itinerary, and had no additional charge. So hard to argue I was doing something that wouldn't be appreciated.
On another matter that's being discussed, my mom once asked me, "Can you book me a free ticket with your points to visit Calgary, and then another one later to San Francisco?" I had to explain to her that it was not "free", and that if she combined them into one trip, it would be half the cost. She really had no idea points weren't free. So I understand that mentality. Though if everything was free, why wouldn't everyone have millions of points?
I recently had to call another program on behalf of a friend (A) who had booked a ticket for another friend (B). They were on separate bookings, but both in the air, and I needed to make a change (we were in contact over wifi). They absolutely wanted the name on the ticket and the name of the account holder, but I think if the change had been more complicated than it was, they probably would have said no. The change was basically "there's no J space on the connection, please move him up", which was strictly an improvement to the itinerary, and had no additional charge. So hard to argue I was doing something that wouldn't be appreciated.
On another matter that's being discussed, my mom once asked me, "Can you book me a free ticket with your points to visit Calgary, and then another one later to San Francisco?" I had to explain to her that it was not "free", and that if she combined them into one trip, it would be half the cost. She really had no idea points weren't free. So I understand that mentality. Though if everything was free, why wouldn't everyone have millions of points?
Aug 23, 2019, 7:22 pm
#66
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: BNA
Programs: DL GM, HH Diamond
Posts: 1,027
Haven't been following this thread. However after reading all of it... what I learned:
Don't gift flights without trusting the recipient.
Don't gift flights without trusting the recipient.
Aug 23, 2019, 8:23 pm
#67
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There are other reasons too. For instance, you don't want to gift an award ticket to someone who has used a mileage broker or bought/sold/bartered award tickets (or attempted to do so) because if the friend is caught, you'll be caught in the resulting mess too and your FF account will be in jeopardy. I also wouldn't want to gift a ticket (or even be on the same PNR) with someone who might behave badly on a flight, such as being rowdy/drunk.
Aug 24, 2019, 1:00 am
#68
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Example - If you know money was taken out of your account and don't report it, (cause you know they need it for an emergency) you don't get the money back. While the original transaction was unauthorized, by not calling and reporting when you find out (and allowing them to take money back) you've authorized the transaction, just after the fact.
Aug 24, 2019, 9:58 am
#69
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: New York, NY
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Posts: 4,097
Aug 24, 2019, 10:04 am
#70
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 3,461
Delta has never failed to tell me. I don’t buy this excuse. Plus the “friend” should have known representing themselves as the account owner was wrong. This would now be an “ex-friend”
Aug 24, 2019, 10:53 am
#71
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Atlanta, GA
Programs: DL DM & 5MM, WN
Posts: 1,451
Wondering how the credit cards were handled, both the original booking and the change fee. Did the OP use her card while he made the booking? That was OK with Delta? If he used his card, and she changed to her card later to pay the new fees, it had her name? In that case, that means the DL agent took the OPs name verifying she was him, but then validated a new card in her name and at a different address.
Aug 24, 2019, 6:19 pm
#72
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Wondering how the credit cards were handled, both the original booking and the change fee. Did the OP use her card while he made the booking? That was OK with Delta? If he used his card, and she changed to her card later to pay the new fees, it had her name? In that case, that means the DL agent took the OPs name verifying she was him, but then validated a new card in her name and at a different address.
Aug 24, 2019, 7:07 pm
#73
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Aug 24, 2019, 7:14 pm
#74
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Aug 24, 2019, 7:22 pm
#75
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