BlueHenFlyer

Just went through the process of canceling 4 trips on United. Whole thing took me less than 60 seconds. Receipts and instructions on use of future credit emailed back to me.

Just went through the process of canceling 1 (a one-way) trip on Delta. Tried six different times over four days on the web site. Finally the site told me I needed to call DL. Called three times in the last three days. First two times was told to call back later and hung up on by automated system. Today's call, waited and hour and 45 minutes and spoke with a lovely agent who canceled my ticket, applied the credit to my account and told me that I wouldn't be getting any follow-up email from Delta and that I'd - get this - have to call back to rebook to use the value of the ticket.

Are you a DL stockholder? Sell that puppy now...

bsagator

UA is leading the way today.

UA -35%
DL -33%
AA -27%
JB -23%
SW -17%

manacit

DL is automatically converting flights that are not taken into eCredits with the proper policy being applied (e.g. no change fees). I've got upcoming flights that I definitely don't take, and I haven't even had to spend 60 seconds on the phone!

apodo77

You don’t even need to call in. Already been announced they will convert all unused tickets into an E-Credit.

lucycan

Even if they convert unused tickets into eCredits you still have to CALL to re-use them. Specifically to waive the change fee.

Surely seems like some basic IT modifications could help save hundreds of thousands of man hours answering the phones. But what do I know?

bjohnsonmn

I have a credit from a canceled trip this week and went through the process to use it... It did not prompt me that it was reducing the value by the change fee. Your situation appears to be unique based on all of my travel colleagues who are in the same scenario.

PV_Premier

I have a ticket booked for 04/04 that I already used a previous ticket credit toward, had to add $150 at time of rebooking, and now need to cancel again. We will see what DL.com does, but I bet it will barf, so I will probably need to call. I am putting it off awhile and hoping that as some of the call volume levels out, maybe things will be easier. Otherwise I will just no-show it and hope for the best post-hoc.

flyerCO

No you dont have to recall. It should be placing the full value, not value - chg fee as credit.

HDQDD

Your profile says you're a UA GS, doesn't list DL creds. I really hope you're not comparing top level status at UA to low or no status at DL...

As a DM I've called twice in the last 3 days and gotten an agent immediately. Anecdotes sure are fun.

ATOBTTR

Even as a PM I got through in less than 4 min earlier today. That's about standard for me. Heck during weather IRROPs in NYC in January that forced me to have to call to reroute, it took longer to get through (though not much longer) than it took today despite despite all going on right now. Not to mention that DL has already identified that any unflown tickets will automatically be converted to e-certs even if the passenger doesn't call in (I opted to call in for this ticket because I wanted to verify what would happen with the companion certificate my wife used to book it).

And I'll still take flying DL over UA any day. While any domestic seat is hardly the bastion of comfort, UA's seats in Y suck (comfort wise) - hard as rocks and absolutely miserable to sit in.

mersk862

I don't have any upcoming DL flights coming up, but I can tell you the UA process is incredibly simple on their website. My parents had a few upcoming flights on UA and I was able to get those converted to credits all in 60 seconds just pulling up their PNRs on united.com and making about 3 clicks.

HWGeeks

Isn't the delta process a lot easier? Do nothing just relax

GagaPilot

As a PM with DL I reached a phone agent within 4 minutes yesterday. Cancelled a trip next week and took an e-credit. I do agree it’s frustrating the credit still isn’t showing up online and I will eventually have to call in when I attempt to redeem it.

michael_v

Award tickets are the exact opposite. DL website let me cancel without a redeposit fee (general member here), while UA's website still wants to charge a redeposit fee and requires calling in (or tweeting I guess).

seawolf

If you want to talk about customer service, let’s talk about which airline allow for refund when schedule change is >90 minutes vs. one that can’t make up it’s mind from original >2 hours to >25 hours and now to >6 hours after realizing COVID is a major problem and retroactively applying that policy to all tickets. The later airline is also not giving refunds if they cancel a nonstop and only option they provide is now a connecting flight.

This alone tells you which airline has a superior customer service DNA.