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
Jun 15, 2022, 4:41 am
#3016
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: AMS
Programs: BAEC Silver, Flying Blue Gold, TK M&S Nobody
Posts: 2,487
I think I may have been advised of some cutoff dates for rebookings when my tickets were parked, but that was a looong time ago. I have also booked (and flown) the ALG AF error fare, and for rebooking that, there was an earlier deadline. But I think that was possibly more about ticket validity than about any bulletins...
What's strange is that there is no consistency. Some agents say free class-to-class rebookings ended Dec 31, 2020. Others say it ended Dec 31, 2021. And still others say it ended March 27, 2022. Either way, they all say it's over.
What's strange is that there is no consistency. Some agents say free class-to-class rebookings ended Dec 31, 2020. Others say it ended Dec 31, 2021. And still others say it ended March 27, 2022. Either way, they all say it's over.
Jun 16, 2022, 1:51 am
#3017
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Netherlands
Programs: Skyteam Elite+ / Hertz PC / Sixt Platinum
Posts: 80
That's pretty crappy that they've just removed the ability to rebook under Bulletin 6, but at the end of the day it was Bulletin 6 which was the massive outlier in terms of allowing trips to be preserved through the pandemic. The number of remaining eligible trips must be tiny, so I'm not really sure why they felt the need to do that rather than let things end naturally.(..)
Unfortunately, Bulletin 11 actually seems to apply to such tickets:
https://pro.delta.com/content/agency...---------.html
What’s worse, the supervisor I spoke to pulled up Bulletin 6 on his end and it didn’t contain the parts about 2022 travel. So probably the statement for travel agencies that can be found on Google is in fact outdated.
Well, or his version is, but how would we prove that.(..).
https://pro.delta.com/content/agency...---------.html
What’s worse, the supervisor I spoke to pulled up Bulletin 6 on his end and it didn’t contain the parts about 2022 travel. So probably the statement for travel agencies that can be found on Google is in fact outdated.
Well, or his version is, but how would we prove that.(..).
TheTravel Exception Policy Finder tool which is found on the page of Bulletin 11 (even the most recent version) literally indicates that Bulletin 6 is valid.
> Is the ticket issued on Delta, AF/KL, or another partner? Delta
> Was the original ticket issued on or before April 17, 2020? Yes
> Is travel domestic? International
> Was travel scheduled between February 25, 2020 and March 31, 2021? Yes
This ticket qualifies for a waiver under our Coronavirus Situation – All International Travel – Bulletin 6 policy.
> Is the new itinerary the same origin and destination as originally ticketed or a different origin and destination than what was originally ticketed? Same origin and destination
> When is the new itinerary travel scheduled to begin? On or after January 1, 2021
> Is the same class of service as originally ticketed available for the new itinerary? Yes
Please use the class to class waiver code B3Z8F within the Coronavirus Situation – All International Travel – Bulletin 6 policy.
Last edited by XyberBorg; Jun 16, 2022 at 1:57 am
Jun 16, 2022, 2:11 am
#3018
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: AMS
Programs: BAEC Silver, Flying Blue Gold, TK M&S Nobody
Posts: 2,487
TheTravel Exception Policy Finder tool which is found on the page of Bulletin 11 (even the most recent version) literally indicates that Bulletin 6 is valid.
> Is the ticket issued on Delta, AF/KL, or another partner? Delta
> Was the original ticket issued on or before April 17, 2020? Yes
> Is travel domestic? International
> Was travel scheduled between February 25, 2020 and March 31, 2021? Yes
This ticket qualifies for a waiver under our Coronavirus Situation – All International Travel – Bulletin 6 policy.
> Is the new itinerary the same origin and destination as originally ticketed or a different origin and destination than what was originally ticketed? Same origin and destination
> When is the new itinerary travel scheduled to begin? On or after January 1, 2021
> Is the same class of service as originally ticketed available for the new itinerary? Yes
Please use the class to class waiver code B3Z8F within the Coronavirus Situation – All International Travel – Bulletin 6 policy.
TheTravel Exception Policy Finder tool which is found on the page of Bulletin 11 (even the most recent version) literally indicates that Bulletin 6 is valid.
> Is the ticket issued on Delta, AF/KL, or another partner? Delta
> Was the original ticket issued on or before April 17, 2020? Yes
> Is travel domestic? International
> Was travel scheduled between February 25, 2020 and March 31, 2021? Yes
This ticket qualifies for a waiver under our Coronavirus Situation – All International Travel – Bulletin 6 policy.
> Is the new itinerary the same origin and destination as originally ticketed or a different origin and destination than what was originally ticketed? Same origin and destination
> When is the new itinerary travel scheduled to begin? On or after January 1, 2021
> Is the same class of service as originally ticketed available for the new itinerary? Yes
Please use the class to class waiver code B3Z8F within the Coronavirus Situation – All International Travel – Bulletin 6 policy.
Was travel scheduled between February 25, 2020 and March 31, 2021?
Jun 16, 2022, 1:34 pm
#3020
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: DXB
Programs: Marriott Titanium Elite, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, BA Silver, A3 Gold, Sixt Diamond
Posts: 2,812
Just had another extremely patient agent check everything:
”Thank you so much for your patience. I have checked every place that I can check for an exception that you are speaking of. Any of the Corona Virus exceptions have expired.”
”*Travel dates only for customers purchasing tickets between March 1, 2020 - April 30, 2021
Tickets must be reissued on or Before
Rebook Travel Dates
All tickets issued between March 1, 2020 - March 30, 2021
March 1, 2020 - March 27, 2022* (See guidelines above)”
Regarding my other ticket:
”I see where there were many times it was said it could not be done. I'm not sure how that agent was able to make it work because that is not a valid waiver.”
“That waiver is not a Delta waiver, we don't apply Travel Agency waivers to a ticket that is purchased directly through Delta.”
”Thank you so much for your patience. I have checked every place that I can check for an exception that you are speaking of. Any of the Corona Virus exceptions have expired.”
”*Travel dates only for customers purchasing tickets between March 1, 2020 - April 30, 2021
Tickets must be reissued on or Before
Rebook Travel Dates
All tickets issued between March 1, 2020 - March 30, 2021
March 1, 2020 - March 27, 2022* (See guidelines above)”
Regarding my other ticket:
”I see where there were many times it was said it could not be done. I'm not sure how that agent was able to make it work because that is not a valid waiver.”
“That waiver is not a Delta waiver, we don't apply Travel Agency waivers to a ticket that is purchased directly through Delta.”
Jun 16, 2022, 4:54 pm
#3021
Join Date: Jul 2009
Programs: M&M
Posts: 997
Bulletin 6:
New travel must be rebooked no later than: December 31, 2022
Date of Impacted Travel: February 25, 2020 – March 31, 2021
That's all that matters.
eta: regarding USVI, can't believe anyone would be that dumb, it refers to USA-PR/USVI trips, not intercontinental to PR or USVI. Hang up, get a new agent.
- Applies to tickets issued on/before April 17, 2020.
- For travel between February 25, 2020, and March 31, 2021 (this refers to original travel dates, see below).
- The Class to Class waiver will continue to be available for tickets reissued and travel completed by December 31, 2022.
New travel must be rebooked no later than: December 31, 2022
Date of Impacted Travel: February 25, 2020 – March 31, 2021
That's all that matters.
eta: regarding USVI, can't believe anyone would be that dumb, it refers to USA-PR/USVI trips, not intercontinental to PR or USVI. Hang up, get a new agent.
Last edited by FrankTalk; Jun 16, 2022 at 4:59 pm
Jun 16, 2022, 5:07 pm
#3024
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: DXB
Programs: Marriott Titanium Elite, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, BA Silver, A3 Gold, Sixt Diamond
Posts: 2,812
The agents are consistently telling me that the information found online does not apply. It only applies to travel agents, they cannot/are not allowed to use those waiver codes.
When they check their own documents, they all say that the covid bulletins have expired. Even their version of bulletin 6 does not allow for such rebookings anymore.
When they check their own documents, they all say that the covid bulletins have expired. Even their version of bulletin 6 does not allow for such rebookings anymore.
Jun 28, 2022, 10:07 am
#3026
Join Date: Apr 2020
Posts: 53
Anyone here that was successful in rebooking with KL/AF as it was ticketed by them?
Otherwise is there any argument I can pull up to get Delta to reissue a KL ticket? Heard about international rebooking desk one day...
Thanks!
Jun 28, 2022, 10:45 am
#3027
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: DXB
Programs: Marriott Titanium Elite, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, BA Silver, A3 Gold, Sixt Diamond
Posts: 2,812
Try Delta iMessage chat and push for a global/partner ticketing agent. The first-level agents definitely won't be able to help.
What you can do is, you can ask the first-level agent (the first agents you speak to), to prepare a rebooking in I class. They can search for availability and prepare the booking. Then they can forward the chat to a global/partner ticketing agent, who will only have to approve the change.
The easier you make it for them, the higher the chances that they'll do it. ;-)
But I have no idea if they can do it for AF/KL-issued tickets. The first-level agents apparently usually can't even open those tickets.
What you can do is, you can ask the first-level agent (the first agents you speak to), to prepare a rebooking in I class. They can search for availability and prepare the booking. Then they can forward the chat to a global/partner ticketing agent, who will only have to approve the change.
The easier you make it for them, the higher the chances that they'll do it. ;-)
But I have no idea if they can do it for AF/KL-issued tickets. The first-level agents apparently usually can't even open those tickets.
Jun 28, 2022, 12:08 pm
#3028
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Somewhere between BHX and HUY
Programs: Flying Blue Plat, Eurobonus Silver, ALL Gold
Posts: 1,686
AF/KL tickets have been a write-off for over a year now. They always refused to honour changes on these. Your only chance was to fly the original dates. I sadly lost mine. (by which i mean, full refund)
Only Delta had the generous extension which is why some people are still flying this fare 2+ years onwards.
Only Delta had the generous extension which is why some people are still flying this fare 2+ years onwards.