Mar 15, 2020, 10:29 am
Last edit by: Maestro Ramen
FARE RULES:
I pulled down the DL fare rules (these are BUD-SEA but they all appeared nearly identical). I posted them on a share. We can easily grab the AF and KL variants if others need those.
Q: This is a fully flexible fare with free changes. Does that mean I can change the flight dates as I want without paying anything extra?
A: No. The airline simply doesn't charge a change fee. But depending on the fare rules, you will still need to pay the difference to the new price.
Q: But I read that some people could change their flights for free...?
A: The rules for this fare (linked to above) specify that historical pricing shall be used if either at least one flight from the ticket has been taken or the outbound remains the same. In other words, in order to be able to change your flights for free, you must have flown at least one flight from your booking. Otherwise, you can only change the inbound. The outbound has to remain the same or you will be charged the fare difference.
Q: Can I change the rest of the itinerary after flying the first segment without any other charges or additional fare differences?
A: Yes this is possible according to the fare rules where after completing the first segment, you can change the rest of the flights for free (with the condition that the same fare class is available- I-class - in this case. According to the fare rules, after flying the FIRST segment (in the case here BUD-XXX) the historical fare is used. Possible to use the first stopover at AMS or CDG (see post #830).
Q: But some people could change their outbound flights for free!
A: They got lucky. It was probably a bug on the website/in the app. When no flight from the ticket has been flown, the fare rules do not allow changing the outbound without repricing.
Q: Ok, ok, so I can only change the inbound for free. How do I do that?
A: You search for availability for alternative flights on ITA Matrix using "F ..I2FFHU" in the extension codes. You must search for round trip flights as this is a round trip fare. Then you ignore the outbound result (as long as you haven't flown at least one flight from your ticket) and just try to rebook your inbound on the website/app.
Q: I have found availability on ITA Matrix, but the app/website doesn't show me those flights!
A: Keep trying. Sometimes you may have to serach in a different way (split up the searches, e.g. HNL-LAX and LAX-BUD), sometimes you just have to repeat the search several times. But that's no guarantee the desired results will turn up (and without repricing).
Q: It doesn't work. Can I just call the airline to make the changes?
A: Please don't unless you need to. Calling can increase the risk for all of us that they'll change their mind and disallow all further changes, or simply cancel everyone's tickets. However, as this fare has now been running for months and has seen many calls made about it, it is reasonable to expect that calling will not cause issues at this stage. As best practice, avoid attracting attention on the low price paid, and avoid making additional demands or tempting your luck. Remember you get to fly a J ticket for the cost of a Y fare.
Q: How many times can I make changes?
A: In theory, as often as you like, but you can't make more than two changes online/in the app. After that, you'd have to call, which we are trying to avoid.
Q: I've changed my mind. Can I get a refund?
A: Yes, the fare was fully refundable. Just contact the airline or fill out a refund form online.
Q: Due to Coronavirus, I need to extend my travel plan beyond the original expiry date. What can I do?
A: For Delta tickets (starting with 006) you can travel at any point until December 2022. Changes to flights within a 10 month window can be done at any point on the app, following the rules above. If you want to fly later than 10 months from now, you can call Delta and ask them to "park" your ticket. You will receive a ticket number that ties to an eCredit which can be used later to buy tickets. As long as you keep the original itinerary, or if you have flown at least a segment, you will not be charged a fare difference. Bear in mind that the eCredit may only be refundable if your original flight was cancelled (which is very likely in those day and times). Note that only Delta in the US are able to do this so do not call the EU numbers (use Skype to save money on international calls). According to user feedback: iMessage agents seem to also be able to do this, but twitter agents not.
I pulled down the DL fare rules (these are BUD-SEA but they all appeared nearly identical). I posted them on a share. We can easily grab the AF and KL variants if others need those.
Q: This is a fully flexible fare with free changes. Does that mean I can change the flight dates as I want without paying anything extra?
A: No. The airline simply doesn't charge a change fee. But depending on the fare rules, you will still need to pay the difference to the new price.
Q: But I read that some people could change their flights for free...?
A: The rules for this fare (linked to above) specify that historical pricing shall be used if either at least one flight from the ticket has been taken or the outbound remains the same. In other words, in order to be able to change your flights for free, you must have flown at least one flight from your booking. Otherwise, you can only change the inbound. The outbound has to remain the same or you will be charged the fare difference.
Q: Can I change the rest of the itinerary after flying the first segment without any other charges or additional fare differences?
A: Yes this is possible according to the fare rules where after completing the first segment, you can change the rest of the flights for free (with the condition that the same fare class is available- I-class - in this case. According to the fare rules, after flying the FIRST segment (in the case here BUD-XXX) the historical fare is used. Possible to use the first stopover at AMS or CDG (see post #830).
Q: But some people could change their outbound flights for free!
A: They got lucky. It was probably a bug on the website/in the app. When no flight from the ticket has been flown, the fare rules do not allow changing the outbound without repricing.
Q: Ok, ok, so I can only change the inbound for free. How do I do that?
A: You search for availability for alternative flights on ITA Matrix using "F ..I2FFHU" in the extension codes. You must search for round trip flights as this is a round trip fare. Then you ignore the outbound result (as long as you haven't flown at least one flight from your ticket) and just try to rebook your inbound on the website/app.
Q: I have found availability on ITA Matrix, but the app/website doesn't show me those flights!
A: Keep trying. Sometimes you may have to serach in a different way (split up the searches, e.g. HNL-LAX and LAX-BUD), sometimes you just have to repeat the search several times. But that's no guarantee the desired results will turn up (and without repricing).
Q: It doesn't work. Can I just call the airline to make the changes?
A: Please don't unless you need to. Calling can increase the risk for all of us that they'll change their mind and disallow all further changes, or simply cancel everyone's tickets. However, as this fare has now been running for months and has seen many calls made about it, it is reasonable to expect that calling will not cause issues at this stage. As best practice, avoid attracting attention on the low price paid, and avoid making additional demands or tempting your luck. Remember you get to fly a J ticket for the cost of a Y fare.
Q: How many times can I make changes?
A: In theory, as often as you like, but you can't make more than two changes online/in the app. After that, you'd have to call, which we are trying to avoid.
Q: I've changed my mind. Can I get a refund?
A: Yes, the fare was fully refundable. Just contact the airline or fill out a refund form online.
Q: Due to Coronavirus, I need to extend my travel plan beyond the original expiry date. What can I do?
A: For Delta tickets (starting with 006) you can travel at any point until December 2022. Changes to flights within a 10 month window can be done at any point on the app, following the rules above. If you want to fly later than 10 months from now, you can call Delta and ask them to "park" your ticket. You will receive a ticket number that ties to an eCredit which can be used later to buy tickets. As long as you keep the original itinerary, or if you have flown at least a segment, you will not be charged a fare difference. Bear in mind that the eCredit may only be refundable if your original flight was cancelled (which is very likely in those day and times). Note that only Delta in the US are able to do this so do not call the EU numbers (use Skype to save money on international calls). According to user feedback: iMessage agents seem to also be able to do this, but twitter agents not.
{prem fare gone}: AF/KL/DL/VS: BUD-US from $750 R/T
May 5, 2021, 8:42 am
#2506
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: BER
Programs: OW Sapphire, *A Gold
Posts: 987
Thank you both for the data points. In about a month, I'm considering transiting on separate tickets, and am wondering what the time restrictions are on transit. I can do a 1.5 hour Schengen to Schengen transit, but this is tight in case of IRROPS. My other option, if allowed, is to have an overnight in BUD. I see the following on the airport website, but no details are provided on the permissible transit time, whether one must remain in a secured area, etc. Any information or guidance you can provide based on your experience would be much appreciated.
I am not sure if an overnighter is actually possible in BUD, but there are many BnB's in the vicinity of the airport that will gladly take you in. From the link that you provided, I found the below sections particularly "interesting" for US citizens:
Additionally, foreign citizens may also enter the country without restrictions if they are the citizens of one of the following countries, or are entitled to reside in one of the countries listed below for more than 90 days, and can attest credibly that they are entering the country for business reasons: United States of America, China, Russia, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Turkey, Ukraine, Singapore, Bahrein and the United Arab Emirates.
Non-Hungarian citizens arriving for international sports events or cultural events may also enter Hungary without restriction if they possess a negative PCR test result performed within 3 days prior to entry and an authentic ticket for the event in question, are able to present these upon entry and agree to undergo medical screening, which does not show any suspicion of infection. Such foreign citizens are obliged to leave the country within 72 hours of entry.
Non-Hungarian citizens arriving for international sports events or cultural events may also enter Hungary without restriction if they possess a negative PCR test result performed within 3 days prior to entry and an authentic ticket for the event in question, are able to present these upon entry and agree to undergo medical screening, which does not show any suspicion of infection. Such foreign citizens are obliged to leave the country within 72 hours of entry.
May 5, 2021, 9:03 am
#2507
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: RDU
Posts: 713
I'd like to add my thanks to Deckter and Hollandair for sharing their experiences. Deckter , did you travel by train from Austria? What kind of document checks were performed when and where? I'm currently rebooked for late June and actually have some hope that the restrictions will be loosened up somewhat by then, but in case they aren't, hearing about first-hand successful experiences with the transit option is great.
May 5, 2021, 10:17 am
#2508
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: BER
Programs: OW Sapphire, *A Gold
Posts: 987
I'd like to add my thanks to Deckter and Hollandair for sharing their experiences. Deckter , did you travel by train from Austria? What kind of document checks were performed when and where? I'm currently rebooked for late June and actually have some hope that the restrictions will be loosened up somewhat by then, but in case they aren't, hearing about first-hand successful experiences with the transit option is great.
I don‘t think anyone can speculate what goes inside Orban‘s head, but Hungary makes a lot of money from overseas tourists, and they will not pass on the opportunity to welcome them this summer, especially since the country is doing quite well with vaccinations.
May 5, 2021, 11:56 am
#2509
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: ATL
Programs: HH D, MB G, IHG P, Nat'l EE, Hertz PC
Posts: 496
Thank you for the reply and additional information! It is good to hear that one can indeed enter the country for the purpose of transit.
May 5, 2021, 1:51 pm
#2510
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 205
Thanks, that's good to hear. While not ideal to fly to BUD just to transit, at least that option is on the table.
May 5, 2021, 2:58 pm
#2511
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: RDU
Posts: 713
Thanks again for sharing your first-hand success story with the transit option.
May 5, 2021, 3:19 pm
#2512
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: ATL
Programs: HH D, MB G, IHG P, Nat'l EE, Hertz PC
Posts: 496
Can you share which airline you flew in on, whether the transit was Schengen-to-Schengen, and what kind of documentation they wanted to see to verify that you were just transiting Hungary before they let you check in for your flight to BUD - e-ticket receipt for onward flights, online boarding pass for onward flights, etc.? If you don't want to share here, a PM would be very much appreciated.
Thanks again for sharing your first-hand success story with the transit option.
Thanks again for sharing your first-hand success story with the transit option.
May 8, 2021, 4:54 am
#2513
Join Date: Feb 2012
Programs: Flying Blue Platinum, Le ClubAccor Gold
Posts: 776
I was checking the requirement to get to Hawaii and it seems that one need a test from a certified lab (located in the US, japan, Korea or canada) to avoid quarantine at arrival.
It is possible to make one in SEA or LAX for around 280$ (Half of the ticket price !) with results in a few hours. However, it is nearly impossible to make one with a 2-3hrs connection coming from BUD/CDG/AMS. We should probably make a next day connection to allow sufficient time to get all the tests.
This apply also for fully vaccinated people (14 days after 2nd shot)
All in all, it seems very unlikely we will be able to travel during the summer and really not sure we can postpone the ticket by another 12 months for next summer.
It is possible to make one in SEA or LAX for around 280$ (Half of the ticket price !) with results in a few hours. However, it is nearly impossible to make one with a 2-3hrs connection coming from BUD/CDG/AMS. We should probably make a next day connection to allow sufficient time to get all the tests.
This apply also for fully vaccinated people (14 days after 2nd shot)
All in all, it seems very unlikely we will be able to travel during the summer and really not sure we can postpone the ticket by another 12 months for next summer.
May 8, 2021, 8:38 am
#2514
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Manhattan Beach, California
Programs: BMI Diamond Club Gold forever
Posts: 6,367
Our August ‘21 tickets (BUD-CDG-SEA) were just changed because i believe CDG-SEA has been canceled. I cannot recall DL’s Contract of Carriage, does it allow rebooking when schedule changes add an additional connection (bud-cdg-msp-sea)?
May 8, 2021, 3:50 pm
#2515
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PlatMM, BA and Alaska Emerald, HHonors DIA, Accor, Marriott Titanium, IHG Plat Amb, UA Silver, AA
Posts: 4,514
I'd guess yes, but how much time did it add to the arrival/departure? If you're a few hours off from your previous, I think they'd allow some changes.
May 9, 2021, 12:40 pm
#2516
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Manhattan Beach, California
Programs: BMI Diamond Club Gold forever
Posts: 6,367
i am hoping to preserve these and use once my 8 and 10 year olds can be vaccinated (likely Sept-Oct). We have decided not to leave the country until we can all be vaxxed.
May 13, 2021, 4:49 am
#2517
Join Date: Feb 2012
Programs: Flying Blue Platinum, Le ClubAccor Gold
Posts: 776
CDG-SEA flights has been axed too making the combination of flights un flyable to Hawaii.
I will wait until borders open to reschedule even if I think that modification should be made before departure on AF tickets.
I don’t really know how i could make it until 2022. I would probably need to postpone to September, wish for new cancellation and make it to summer 2022 in a second time
I will wait until borders open to reschedule even if I think that modification should be made before departure on AF tickets.
I don’t really know how i could make it until 2022. I would probably need to postpone to September, wish for new cancellation and make it to summer 2022 in a second time
May 13, 2021, 5:32 am
#2518
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: BER
Programs: OW Sapphire, *A Gold
Posts: 987
CDG-SEA flights has been axed too making the combination of flights un flyable to Hawaii.
I will wait until borders open to reschedule even if I think that modification should be made before departure on AF tickets.
I don’t really know how i could make it until 2022. I would probably need to postpone to September, wish for new cancellation and make it to summer 2022 in a second time
I will wait until borders open to reschedule even if I think that modification should be made before departure on AF tickets.
I don’t really know how i could make it until 2022. I would probably need to postpone to September, wish for new cancellation and make it to summer 2022 in a second time
May 13, 2021, 8:56 am
#2520
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 57
Tbh I don't really know what they're waiting for anymore in the US. Anyone that wants to be vaccinated is vaccinated. It would make sense to let in vaccinated people (maybe with a PCR to be extra safe).