Just a couple of points I want to make:

1. The refund policy depends on airlines as well as the <b>fare class</b> the ticket is in. For example, on Continental Airlines alone, some tickets have no change fee, some $100, some $150, some $200. It's the same with DL.

2. I've called DL's reservation/Skymiles people about 6 times in the last few months, and my experience is that they have some serious problem with the people they hire in the US and in India (I think they have 3 call centers in India and 10 in the US, and is closing one of those three abroad). Some seem to have little knowledge about the fares/policies; while others are better. You really can't take what a phone agent says as actual facts, as they probably know less than many of us on this board do.

That's true, the lack of training is one of their major downfalls.

In any case, just FYI this is what I got from Delta website:

Change Fees
For travel within the 50 U.S. (including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and between the U.S. &amp; Canada, the change fee is $100 (USD); Song&reg; is $25 (USD).
For all other locations, the fee is $200 (USD) but can vary based on location and fare type. Changes are usually permitted only to the return portion of an international itinerary. Please review the applicable fare rule or contact a Delta representative or your Travel Agent for assistance.

I agree that the customer service agent should have mentioned the fee. I know he should have read the rules and should have asked, but I do think the agent should have mentioned it. I thoughtanyone who's flown very much would know there are change fees for doing anything with a discount ticket, and I've read many times about this issue (in the paper, travel newsletters, etc., probably even heard about it on TV). If you know you hve a restricted discount fare, I would think you'd know to expect a fee.

Even though I think the agent should have mentioned it, I don't think they owe you anything, and no consumer magagine like COnde Nast is going to care about this. Unfortunately, a lot of customer service agents at airlines are similar to this and not that sharp or welltrained. I'm actually amazed they ever issue refunds for that -- I think they started that after 9/11 when traveling was down and they were trying to get back customers. They don't have that problem now. MOst stores I know won't refund your full amount for a returned item if it has been reduced considerably since you bought it, for example.

They would have to have a fee or there would be no point of sale fares and they couldn't stay in business.

I don't usually book over the phone, but when I do they always tell me the boilerplate &quot;This is a nonrefundable ticket. There is a fee of $___ to change....&quot; I feel like I know that spiel as well as I know the pre-takeoff safety talk! If I then asked &quot;What if the airfare goes down?&quot; I wouldn't expect to be told about the change fee again. Maybe this agent didn't give the usual change fee warning, but that certainly would be an exception.

Maybe it's just my being naive, but I guess I've difficulties understanding how giving vouchers for fare differentials is the same as changing an air ticket. I mean, if the fare goes down, I'm not changing my ticket. I'm just asking for the price difference. I wouldn't have thought that there's an associated fee with this too.

But I guess I know to ask now.

An alternative way of phrasing or addressing the issue is -- if that's what the airlines will do, why bother giving a voucher in the first place? Wouldn't it be better? Then there wouldn't be (un)reasonable expectations on the part of the traveler.

This could be wrong, but based on my experience if the fare goes down they cancel you at the higher fare, rebook you at the lower fare, and rewrite the ticket. The lower fare has to be available for the flight you want, and you have to meet any requirements such as adavance purchase period.

That sounds reasonable, KT. Maybe if you think of things that way, then a fee is reasonable.

I don't know. In my case, I remember asking the AA agent how I would claim a voucher if the price goes down, and he said that as long as I see a fare that's a published fare (he emphasized the fact that the fare must be published) that's below the one that I paid, then I could just contact AA.

Anyway, it's certainly one potential wrinkle to worry about. I do find many of these business practices rather dishonest -- I mean, don't dangle carrots in front of people and then take them away. If that's what you plan to do, don't dangle these carrots in the first place!

Just to clarify, I don't mean to imply that I had a nasty experience with AA in terms of claiming a voucher -- I haven't tried at all. And perhaps there's no fee charged or whatever -- I don't know.

I'm just offering this story to explain why I sympathize with the original poster.

I was thinking along the same lines as 111op on this. Seems like ridiculous wording and reasoning on the part of the airlines. Even reading the fine print, I would not equate a voucher for future travel with making a change in his current ticket. After all, Bigboy is not changing times, dates, airports, or even the price - the airline would be issuing a voucher not a new ticket.

Everyone on this thread may want to read &quot;The Paradox of Choice&quot; by Barry Schwartz about how having too many options just makes us miserable. We always want the very best deal (&quot;maximizers&quot, go back and forth, search and re-search, until we're nuts. Bigboy, go take your trip and have a good time; it ain't worth the worry. Besides, Delta forgot how to run an airline more than 15 years ago.

I am afraid that we are no longer speaking to Delta. Last night my husband called to get the exact amount of mileage we have for an upcoming trip. They took it away. Our time ran out. Continental is upgrading us to First Class with our mileage with a smile.

Scarlett, could you please explain in case this happens to somebody else. Is this right: your Delta miles expired but Continental is using them for an upgrade anyway? How did you get them to use miles that you no longer have in the program? Or do you mean that Delta was holding an award reservation for you and that the hold expired without their telling you that it would?

Thanks.

Sayonara,
Small cramped seats, no honor re: FF miles/coupons, FA's who look like they just stepped out of a nightmare meeting with bosses who demanded more from them and have $$mills in parachutes: Bankruptcy would be a merciful bullet!
M

Maybe the time has come for this thread to be deleted.