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
Sep 2, 2022, 8:34 pm
#3061
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 114
One of my DL flights was delayed and as a result I missed my subsequent TATL DL flight and was sent to KLM last minute. The fare class booking for the last minute change was (J) from the change in itinerary I saw on Delta/My trips, but that flight has disappeared now. I am crediting miles to VS for the entire itinerary, and all the miles have shown up in VS within two days of the flight flown, except for the missed/rebooked flight.
Who should I take up the case for the missing miles? is It VS or Delta? I talked to Delta and the rep said I should talk to VS.
Sep 7, 2022, 3:16 am
#3062
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 114
I am still completing this fare itinerary. Have a flight left to finish up. I have a question for the board:
One of my DL flights was delayed and as a result I missed my subsequent TATL DL flight and was sent to KLM last minute. The fare class booking for the last minute change was (J) from the change in itinerary I saw on Delta/My trips, but that flight has disappeared now. I am crediting miles to VS for the entire itinerary, and all the miles have shown up in VS within two days of the flight flown, except for the missed/rebooked flight.
Who should I take up the case for the missing miles? is It VS or Delta? I talked to Delta and the rep said I should talk to VS.
One of my DL flights was delayed and as a result I missed my subsequent TATL DL flight and was sent to KLM last minute. The fare class booking for the last minute change was (J) from the change in itinerary I saw on Delta/My trips, but that flight has disappeared now. I am crediting miles to VS for the entire itinerary, and all the miles have shown up in VS within two days of the flight flown, except for the missed/rebooked flight.
Who should I take up the case for the missing miles? is It VS or Delta? I talked to Delta and the rep said I should talk to VS.
Skyteam = marketing
Star Alliance = operating
One World = marketing
Last edited by sarpotd; Sep 7, 2022 at 2:36 pm
Sep 7, 2022, 4:25 am
#3063
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: DXB
Programs: Marriott Titanium Elite, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, BA Silver, A3 Gold, Sixt Diamond
Posts: 2,811
Are you sure? It's my understanding that Skyteam cares only about the marketing carrier, like Oneworld. It seems more likely that you were rebooked into J class?
Sep 7, 2022, 4:29 am
#3064
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: AMS
Programs: BAEC Silver, Flying Blue Gold, TK M&S Nobody
Posts: 2,482
Credit was to VS: not a SkyTeam carrier. I think OP might be confusing ticketing carrier and marketing carrier anyway. Flying Blue is definitely marketing carrier, I think DL is too.
Sep 7, 2022, 8:36 am
#3066
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Seattle
Posts: 339
Yes. I changed my itinerary twice after flying the outbound. Bought ticket on delta.com. Only requirement was new flights were in same original booking code - for me "I"
Sep 7, 2022, 8:49 am
#3067
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: AMS
Programs: BAEC Silver, Flying Blue Gold, TK M&S Nobody
Posts: 2,482
Likewise, also with Delta - though the second ticket wasn't all that easy to get done. Not sure anyone's had much luck if booked with AF/KLM though?
Sep 7, 2022, 11:15 am
#3069
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: AMS
Programs: BAEC Silver, Flying Blue Gold, TK M&S Nobody
Posts: 2,482
Sep 7, 2022, 2:16 pm
#3070
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 114
My original itinerary booked in 2020 had a stopover in CDG. When I got the ticket reissued it had a stopover in CDG but it followed the same itinerary including the layover airports. Since then I added a stop over in AMS, changed the flight to include connection in ATL and changed the outgoing dates. Some agents were helpful and accomodative. Some were not.
Sep 7, 2022, 2:23 pm
#3071
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 114
I am done flying this Great deal from Delta and want to appreciate and thank the very helpful and informative posts from Etiene and many others over the last few months/years that guided us through the rebooking. I would never have been able to handle the Delta agents without this extra knowledge shared here and I am sure the agents would have caused/forced me to use only the face value of the ticket instead of flying the original itinerary. Thank you for all your generous help and sharing.
Last edited by sarpotd; Sep 7, 2022 at 2:40 pm
Sep 7, 2022, 2:25 pm
#3072
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: AMS
Programs: BAEC Silver, Flying Blue Gold, TK M&S Nobody
Posts: 2,482
My itinerary was booked with DL, so it is the marketing carrier. I missed my ATL-AMS DL flight and my ticket was exchanged for a KLM boarding pass/ticket for a flight leaving 2 hrs later. Both tickets have 006 as leading digits.
So I assume DL is marketing carrier and KLM is the operating carrier? Let me know if I am mistaking something. DL J class credits more miles to VS than KLM J class. So I would need to follow up with VS about it.
So I assume DL is marketing carrier and KLM is the operating carrier? Let me know if I am mistaking something. DL J class credits more miles to VS than KLM J class. So I would need to follow up with VS about it.
Sep 7, 2022, 3:59 pm
#3073
Join Date: Feb 2012
Programs: Flying Blue Platinum, Le ClubAccor Gold
Posts: 776
In my experience, once you have flown outbound, it is really easy to change flights with delta. Ticket validity is December 2023 for nearly all tickets. Just message delta, make sure to have I class inventory available and let them calculate fare difference. It always come back with “oh, it is an even exchange”.
I was able to catch new flights for the last part from CDG/AMS and even NTE to BUD that were suitable to start the next ticket. Last flights are on October 22nd on this great adventures. I got 130000 flying blue miles and nearly 400xp in the process. Now, i am ready for the next error fare to start !
I was able to catch new flights for the last part from CDG/AMS and even NTE to BUD that were suitable to start the next ticket. Last flights are on October 22nd on this great adventures. I got 130000 flying blue miles and nearly 400xp in the process. Now, i am ready for the next error fare to start !
Oct 31, 2022, 4:25 am
#3074
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: DXB
Programs: Marriott Titanium Elite, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, BA Silver, A3 Gold, Sixt Diamond
Posts: 2,811
I have an AMS-BUD segment “left over” that I would like to rebook.
Do I need I class availability for that or is J ok for intra-Europe?
Do I need I class availability for that or is J ok for intra-Europe?
Oct 31, 2022, 4:28 am
#3075
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: AMS
Programs: BAEC Silver, Flying Blue Gold, TK M&S Nobody
Posts: 2,482
I think it hinges on what you were booked/rebooked in initially, which was dependent on whether you had a fare from DL [I connections I think] or AF/KL [J connections]. You may just have to try it though. I may need to do the same soon, so would appreciate if you can report back...!