Delta Drops 72 Hour Rule for Award Cancellations
Dec 18, 2020, 6:57 pm
#1
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Delta Drops 72 Hour Rule for Award Cancellations
Per TPG and OMAAT:
Delta has removed the requirement to cancel awards more than 72 hours before transfer, otherwise forfeit all miles used. Obviously agents made exceptions here, but nice to finally not have to deal with this nonsense anymore.
Still not as good as AA, which has eliminated change and cancel fees on all awards as well (including redeposit fees) but TPG notes the redeposit fee no longer applies in these cases anyways, regardless of whether you’re PM/DM or not:
But nice after nearly a decade of the stupid 72 hour rule, to finally have it gone. It seems to be a “permanent” change. Thoughts? Discuss.
Delta has removed the requirement to cancel awards more than 72 hours before transfer, otherwise forfeit all miles used. Obviously agents made exceptions here, but nice to finally not have to deal with this nonsense anymore.
Still not as good as AA, which has eliminated change and cancel fees on all awards as well (including redeposit fees) but TPG notes the redeposit fee no longer applies in these cases anyways, regardless of whether you’re 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.
But nice after nearly a decade of the stupid 72 hour rule, to finally have it gone. It seems to be a “permanent” change. Thoughts? Discuss.
Dec 19, 2020, 3:33 am
#2
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 5,190
Per TPG and OMAAT:
Delta has removed the requirement to cancel awards more than 72 hours before transfer, otherwise forfeit all miles used. Obviously agents made exceptions here, but nice to finally not have to deal with this nonsense anymore.
Still not as good as AA, which has eliminated change and cancel fees on all awards as well (including redeposit fees) but TPG notes the redeposit fee no longer applies in these cases anyways, regardless of whether you’re PM/DM or not:
But nice after nearly a decade of the stupid 72 hour rule, to finally have it gone. It seems to be a “permanent” change. Thoughts? Discuss.
Delta has removed the requirement to cancel awards more than 72 hours before transfer, otherwise forfeit all miles used. Obviously agents made exceptions here, but nice to finally not have to deal with this nonsense anymore.
Still not as good as AA, which has eliminated change and cancel fees on all awards as well (including redeposit fees) but TPG notes the redeposit fee no longer applies in these cases anyways, regardless of whether you’re 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.
But nice after nearly a decade of the stupid 72 hour rule, to finally have it gone. It seems to be a “permanent” change. Thoughts? Discuss.
This is both good and bad. It increases the motivation for speculative bookings. I can now book 3 outbound flights and 3 return flights and then just decide at the last minute (instead of 3 days before) which ones I will take and as a PM or DM get a full refund for the others. This hogs the cheapest inventory from others.
Dec 19, 2020, 5:14 am
#3
Join Date: Mar 2011
Programs: Delta Skymiles
Posts: 1,982
My hope is that agents will be allowed some flexibility for the flyer who booked their domestic ticket on say August 15, 2020, particularly if travel restrictions are in place during her/his travel.
I am glad to see the 3 day rule go away. I understand what they were trying to prevent, but I think that their new way of selling flights (i.e. not giving away firesale miles seats the day before travel) kind of negates the need for that silly rule which just felt mean spirited to me.
I am glad to see the 3 day rule go away. I understand what they were trying to prevent, but I think that their new way of selling flights (i.e. not giving away firesale miles seats the day before travel) kind of negates the need for that silly rule which just felt mean spirited to me.
Dec 19, 2020, 8:04 am
#4
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Denver, Colorado
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Posts: 1,551
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This is both good and bad. It increases the motivation for speculative bookings. I can now book 3 outbound flights and 3 return flights and then just decide at the last minute (instead of 3 days before) which ones I will take and as a PM or DM get a full refund for the others. This hogs the cheapest inventory from others.
This is both good and bad. It increases the motivation for speculative bookings. I can now book 3 outbound flights and 3 return flights and then just decide at the last minute (instead of 3 days before) which ones I will take and as a PM or DM get a full refund for the others. This hogs the cheapest inventory from others.
Dec 19, 2020, 10:14 am
#5
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Maybe DL will start to be more aggressive about detecting conflicting reservations and cancelling them (like AA reportedly does).
Dec 19, 2020, 10:38 am
#6
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Georgia
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sydneyracquelle View Post
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This is both good and bad. It increases the motivation for speculative bookings. I can now book 3 outbound flights and 3 return flights and then just decide at the last minute (instead of 3 days before) which ones I will take and as a PM or DM get a full refund for the others. This hogs the cheapest inventory from ohers.
Yes, and at the time, DL claimed that more than 80% of award flights were canceled within a day of travel indicating widespread abuse with this practice.
Originally Posted by sydneyracquelle View Post
.
This is both good and bad. It increases the motivation for speculative bookings. I can now book 3 outbound flights and 3 return flights and then just decide at the last minute (instead of 3 days before) which ones I will take and as a PM or DM get a full refund for the others. This hogs the cheapest inventory from ohers.
Yes, and at the time, DL claimed that more than 80% of award flights were canceled within a day of travel indicating widespread abuse with this practice.
Last edited by safigan; Dec 19, 2020 at 10:40 am Reason: Added quote attribution
Dec 19, 2020, 11:52 am
#7
Join Date: Aug 2007
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 1,079
And assuming this was indeed correct (not implying it wasn’t), the abuse would have been by their (supposed) most valuable customers. Not a great situation from my vantage point.
Dec 19, 2020, 3:01 pm
#8
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Join Date: Feb 2016
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This is both good and bad. It increases the motivation for speculative bookings. I can now book 3 outbound flights and 3 return flights and then just decide at the last minute (instead of 3 days before) which ones I will take and as a PM or DM get a full refund for the others. This hogs the cheapest inventory from others.
This is both good and bad. It increases the motivation for speculative bookings. I can now book 3 outbound flights and 3 return flights and then just decide at the last minute (instead of 3 days before) which ones I will take and as a PM or DM get a full refund for the others. This hogs the cheapest inventory from others.
Plus, haven’t you posted in the past that you’d call and ask agents to change the date of travel to outside 72 hours to get around this rule, and then cancel? Seems like the pot calling the kettle black.
Let’s enjoy a win for what it is. No need to find a fault in every move they make.
Dec 19, 2020, 5:24 pm
#9
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Atlanta, GA
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One of the more punitive Delta rules finally done away with. There was a theory at the time, debated on this board, that there were a few abusers of the system, especially for prize overseas and Hawaii awards. Supposedly, they continuously started and rearranged bookings and then never flew them, for the fun of it. Some others on here might understand that better, but I never believed that 80% of all award bookings are cancelled — that always seemed like Delta-spin.
Dec 19, 2020, 9:33 pm
#11
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DL's solution now is to make their pricing so exorbitant that nobody can hold more than two or three international J reservations at the same time.
Dec 20, 2020, 9:15 am
#12
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The last two years, it was in mid November, around November 14, as an unadvertised sale.
I didn’t even bother to look this year, with COVID and all, but also didn’t see any threads on it, as in years past.
Dec 20, 2020, 5:58 pm
#13
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There is plenty of inventory to go around. They needed to get in line with their competition. I wish they would do what AA does - allow a refund even after departure. There’s always standbys to fill empty seats at the gate.
Plus, haven’t you posted in the past that you’d call and ask agents to change the date of travel to outside 72 hours to get around this rule, and then cancel? Seems like the pot calling the kettle black.
Let’s enjoy a win for what it is. No need to find a fault in every move they make.
Plus, haven’t you posted in the past that you’d call and ask agents to change the date of travel to outside 72 hours to get around this rule, and then cancel? Seems like the pot calling the kettle black.
Let’s enjoy a win for what it is. No need to find a fault in every move they make.
Dec 20, 2020, 6:15 pm
#14
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About time. I get what they were trying to do, but this was always a stupid rule IMO. If people really were booking numerous duplicate reservations these should have been auto-canceled by the system. AA does 5 day AAward holds and you can cancel and reuse awards within a year right up to departure, and yet somehow their availability is still usually better than SkyPesos.
Dec 20, 2020, 6:30 pm
#15
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One of the more punitive Delta rules finally done away with. There was a theory at the time, debated on this board, that there were a few abusers of the system, especially for prize overseas and Hawaii awards. Supposedly, they continuously started and rearranged bookings and then never flew them, for the fun of it. Some others on here might understand that better, but I never believed that 80% of all award bookings are cancelled — that always seemed like Delta-spin.
One problem with such stats, is NW had a promo that awarded you for each reward booking. No requirement to fly. No penalty for upper elites to cancel.
I booked enough simple awards to max the promo out. I didn’t book difficult flights, or cancel just before the flight. But a 50k mileage promo, with very little effort isn’t that common. Especially as everything could be done online.