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
Mar 15, 2020, 12:29 pm
#331
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: DXB
Programs: Marriott Titanium Elite, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, BA Silver, A3 Gold, Sixt Diamond
Posts: 2,811
It won't be. If you miss your connection because the first flight was delayed, they have to rebook you and you may eben be due a compensation.
Mar 15, 2020, 12:32 pm
#333
Join Date: Jul 2006
Programs: DL DM/MM
Posts: 2,272
I put the DL fare rules in the Wiki. Looks like the fare was live from 13 March, so a full 2 days out there in the wild before it was shut down. Ouch for SkyTeam but I guess at this point any revenue is probably welcome and they know the pricepoint to get people to buy ;-)
I flew the DL A330-900 suite in November and really wasnt impressed, so I booked us one way on the AF 777 directly into Seattle and the KL 787-10 from SFO to AMS so as to be able to try new equipment.
Safe travels everyone.
I flew the DL A330-900 suite in November and really wasnt impressed, so I booked us one way on the AF 777 directly into Seattle and the KL 787-10 from SFO to AMS so as to be able to try new equipment.
Safe travels everyone.
Mar 15, 2020, 12:53 pm
#335
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: TXL
Programs: A3 Silver
Posts: 1,116
Compensation of 600 euros. More than what you paid for the ticket. I have a short connection in AMS as well and I'm not at all worried.
Mar 15, 2020, 1:05 pm
#336
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: TLV
Posts: 522
For my second trip, in mid January to LAX, I'd like to stay through late February. However, when booking, the calendar allowed return flights only up to early February, so that's what I booked. Once I get to LAX, I intend to call to push the return out - assuming that I can push it out as far as mid March (a year from booking) so long as I class is available. Am I correct to assume so? Could I be told that there is no historical fare for the later flights, since they weren't bookable at the time of ticketing?
Mar 15, 2020, 1:27 pm
#337
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 28
Sincere thanks to all contributors for information on this great deal. I was the lucky one to book Hawaii yesterday. I wanted to optimise the routing a little bit today and change one leg. DL site allows me to search an alternative flight and quotes this leg even slightly cheaper than the original one (I should receive some HUF back as e-credit). However I need to go through payment page, provide my CC details (for reimbursement probably). when I am clicking 'complete' I see error message that the payment may not be processed (error 9002A). I don't need any refund, I just want to change the flight. Any ideas how to proceed? Or changes will not work after the fare is gone? I purchased the ticket directly on Delta, so 006 stock. Many thanks
Mar 15, 2020, 1:36 pm
#338
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 1999
Posts: 11,468
Ended up cancelling mine out of the same concern, that it might reprice. Also, did not want to bother with repositioning flights and overnight stay in BUD before travel. Happy for all this deal worked out for!
Mar 15, 2020, 1:39 pm
#339
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: BUD, ZRH, GRU
Programs: BA Silver, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 20
Thanks for all who posted here. I missed HNL but booked quite a few nice ones, as I'm based out of BUD 
Las Vegas, New Orleans, NYC and LAX (hoping to go to HNL over NYE) (I booked most of them with Delta with the exception of one with AF)
Where's the best place to credit those flights? I am Silver with Flying blue but I fly mostly C and don't really need the status, I want to credit them somewhere where I can make the most of the miles I will earn. Any recommendations are very welcome!
Las Vegas, New Orleans, NYC and LAX (hoping to go to HNL over NYE) (I booked most of them with Delta with the exception of one with AF)
Where's the best place to credit those flights? I am Silver with Flying blue but I fly mostly C and don't really need the status, I want to credit them somewhere where I can make the most of the miles I will earn. Any recommendations are very welcome!
Mar 15, 2020, 2:54 pm
#340
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: AMS
Programs: KLM PLAT, Qatar PLAT, AA Silver, Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond, Starwood Gold, IHG Plat
Posts: 184
Was able to get Bud-Mia later July then return mid August IAD-AMS (month layover) then Bud for about 800 per person. Got it late last night on KLM. Used multi city.
Mar 15, 2020, 2:57 pm
#341
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: DXB
Programs: Marriott Titanium Elite, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, BA Silver, A3 Gold, Sixt Diamond
Posts: 2,811
Mar 15, 2020, 2:59 pm
#342
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: DXB
Programs: Marriott Titanium Elite, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, BA Silver, A3 Gold, Sixt Diamond
Posts: 2,811
Sincere thanks to all contributors for information on this great deal. I was the lucky one to book Hawaii yesterday. I wanted to optimise the routing a little bit today and change one leg. DL site allows me to search an alternative flight and quotes this leg even slightly cheaper than the original one (I should receive some HUF back as e-credit). However I need to go through payment page, provide my CC details (for reimbursement probably). when I am clicking 'complete' I see error message that the payment may not be processed (error 9002A). I don't need any refund, I just want to change the flight. Any ideas how to proceed? Or changes will not work after the fare is gone? I purchased the ticket directly on Delta, so 006 stock. Many thanks
But once you've flown at least one segment of your original ticket, you should be able to rebook using the original prices (provided that there's availability in the same booking class).
Mar 15, 2020, 3:24 pm
#343
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 28
I'm honestly surprised that it would even give you such an option without quoting a much higher price. It should show the current prices now.
But once you've flown at least one segment of your original ticket, you should be able to rebook using the original prices (provided that there's availability in the same booking class).
But once you've flown at least one segment of your original ticket, you should be able to rebook using the original prices (provided that there's availability in the same booking class).