Don't forget to try calling the airline when you're in a pickleA few weeks ago I purchased two tickets for my dad and sister to fly PBI-LGA for Memorial Day. Unfortunately, my dad was hospitalized and they couldn’t go. Since the tickets were $150 each and the change fee was $200 each I decided to monitor the flight to see if it would be delayed or canceled so I could get my money back (I usually do this). If it wasn’t, I decided I’d just let them be no-shows.

About 30 minutes prior to departure, I saw the flight was going out on time so I called Delta just to see what they could do. Shockingly, the agent agreed to let them apply the value of their tickets to new flights within a year since my dad was in the hospital and rehab. I just had to provide the hospital’s name to prove what I was saying is true.

Kudos to Delta for being so consumer-friendly, which brings me to today’s tip: If you ever find yourself in this sort of situation, make sure to call the airline to see if it can help—even you have a non-refundable ticket. (As always, it’s best to have travel insurance. I have a yearly plan with Allianz. I’m one of their brand ambassadors.)

Related: This Robot Lawyer Will Automatically Rebook Your Flight or Hotel if the Price Drops

 

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2 Comments On "Don't Forget to Try Calling the Airline When You're in a Pickle"
  1. Marilyn|

    A similar situation arose with my family with Delta last year. We had scheduled a trip to Dublin, and two weeks before the flight my son broke his leg. His doctor discouraged the trip, and cobblestones and crutches are generally not a good combination.
    Anyway, same scenario – the rep was lovely and immediately said we could bank the funds for one year. She took down doctor’s contact info, and we were off the phone in five minutes.
    I do not always laud Delta, but in this case, they showed great compassion and customer service!

  2. Lou|

    I recently told a friend about this tip. he had purchased 2 tickets back east and because his girlfriend couldn’t go her ticket was going to go to waste. so sure enough the flight was going to be delayed by 3 hours . which meant he was going to miss both his connections . so he called and they refunded his money for her flight and changed his flight to the next day .also gave him a more leg room seat and a $25 voucher to use during the flight . this was frontier airlines

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