Delta Drops 72 Hour Rule for Award Cancellations
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: DL DM 2MM, Marriott LT Titanium, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 15,139
I think due to the no change fees covid waivers, the 72hr rule was effectively canceled for much of this year anyway... as I've had flights where I made last minute changes inside T-72 such as changing it by a day or rebooking due to the mileage dropping.
I would think it should be pretty easy for DL to monitor and catch those who abuse it by booking and canceling last minute to try to score an upgrade, or having multiple conflicting bookings to different destinations.
I would think it should be pretty easy for DL to monitor and catch those who abuse it by booking and canceling last minute to try to score an upgrade, or having multiple conflicting bookings to different destinations.
#18
#19
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: New York, NY
Programs: AA ExPl, DL PM, UA Silver, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium, probably some others
Posts: 4,023
#21
#22
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: DTW / SJC
Programs: AA EXP, DL DM, Marriott Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 763
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio
Programs: DL DM, Former AA EXP now AY Plat, AC 75K, NW Plat, Former CO Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 26,950
All mine have involved international. The website wont allow cancellation or changes within 72hrs. Just had one last night that needed to cancel. (OTP-AMS-ATL-SAT) Had to call in.
#25
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: London / Los Angeles
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Globalist, BA Silver
Posts: 1,630
Per TPG and OMAAT:
TPG notes the redeposit fee no longer applies in these cases anyways, regardless of whether youre PM/DM or not:
TPG notes the redeposit fee no longer applies in these cases anyways, regardless of whether youre PM/DM or not:
- Booked on or after Aug. 31, 2020, for travel within the U.S. (including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands).
- Booked on or after Dec. 9, 2020, for travel originating from North America to anywhere in the world.
- Booked on or after Dec. 9, 2020, for travel between the U.S., Mexico and the Caribbean.
#26
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio
Programs: DL DM, Former AA EXP now AY Plat, AC 75K, NW Plat, Former CO Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 26,950
Just to confirm that a partner award from Europe to Mexico would not qualify for free cancellation after 24 hours if you have no status? Seems strange that it is free to cancel if travelling from Mexico to Europe but not the other way around but if thems are the rules, so be it.
Not unusual for airlines. I think they may have to pay partners a fee if cancelled within X days. Also could just be because partner inventory is hard to come by.
#27
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,327
It could also be a competitive thing, in that if European carriers aren't offering free cancellation of their award tickets on the route, DL would feel less compelled to do so. Also, one would expect that most (but of course not all) DL FFers live in the USA, so most award RTs would originate in the USA too.
#28
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 5,104
I just tried to cancel a domestic MC award ticket within 72 hours and the agent said the points would be forfeited. I thought this rule was eliminated in December 2020. She said it was recently reinstated. I never saw any announcement of this reinstatement. So I asked her to please even exchange the ticket for any dummy date in the future with the same mileage amounts. Once this was done with the new dates I asked her to then cancel it for a full refund of my miles which she did. Who makes up these crazy rules?
Last edited by sydneyracquelle; Feb 13, 2022 at 5:30 am
#29
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 22,927
I just tried to cancel a domestic award ticket within 72 hours and the agent said the points would be forfeited. I thought this rule was eliminated in December 2020. She said it was recently reinstated. I never saw any announcement of this reinstatement. So I asked her to please even exchange the ticket for any dummy date in the future with the same mileage amounts. Once this was done with the new dates I asked her to then cancel it for a full refund of my miles which she did. Who makes up these crazy rules?