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Old 03-23-2018, 08:29 PM   #21
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Originally Posted by JustCurious View Post
My general memory also tells me that even though you can't get a refund, you may be able to get a credit good for a certain period of time if you cancel a non-refundable ticket. But of course the terms of your ticket control, and please let us know what happens.
Not on a basic economy ticket. It is not only non-refundable, it is also non-changeable.

This is a new fare class that has been around for only a couple of years which is why so few folks here are familiar with the much tighter restrictions.

I will never buy a basic economy ticket. They aren't that much less expensive than standard economy. You can't upgrade to economy+, you don't get miles on United, you can only take one small carry on, you can't pick your seat, you can't change flights, the list goes on and on.
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Old 03-23-2018, 08:32 PM   #22
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Sometimes... If you book directly with the airline.

I booked a ticket that I thought was regular economy because it didn't have the word basic anywhere. I booked it through my travel credit card portal because they had a special deal going to get extra points. (I was paying cash, not points). I assumed if be able to select my seat. No luck. It was a red eye so I really wanted to not be in a middle seat and the flight was 6 weeks out. Turns out basic, in this case meant they randomly assigned your seat the day before the flight. No bueno. I tried reversing the purchase through the website when I realized it was a 'basic economy' fare. No luck.

Fortunately, I was able to get fairly cheap upgrades to premium economy when I called the airline directly. Since I was able to get some cheap upgrade, it worked out ok.

The word basic was never mentioned on the credit card travel portal. Nor the extra restrictions.
I think you still do have a 24 hour cancellation window with full refund even with basic economy fares - as long as it's 7 days before departure. I believe the 24 hour cancellation window is required by DOT regulations.

Unfortunately if more than 24 hours has passed before you realized there is a problem you are SOL.

http://liveandletsfly.boardingarea.c...-cancellation/
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Old 03-24-2018, 08:10 AM   #23
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Given what the fine print said, I don’t think Delta has any obligation to refund or credit your ticket. If they do help you out, they deserve some credit. Do let us know what happens.
OP here. Since a few folks have asked what the outcome of this was, I thought I'd share. I called Delta and explained that I wouldn't be able to take the flight due to circumstances beyond my control, and asked if they would be willing to give me a credit for the fare to apply to a future Delta purchase. Not an outright refund, but a credit.

To my surprise and amazement, they agreed to do this. They used the phrase "one time courtesy" and said I would have a credit to use within one year for purchasing a future Delta flight, which would also have to be a basic economy class ticket. Needless to say, I thanked the customer service rep profusely and hung up the phone feeling quite lucky and fortunate that it worked out better than expected.
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Old 03-24-2018, 09:04 AM   #24
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Well, that’s very nice of them. If I were planning to fly in the US, I would certainly take that into consideration in choosing an airline. Delta yes, United, no way!
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Old 03-24-2018, 10:21 AM   #25
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I suspect that the OP benefited from the fact that many people buy these Super Economy tickets not understanding the full scope of their restrictions. And they new it would happen.

The airlines know that people will get worked up and there will be a lot of bad PR so they have factored in a break-in period that includes some give on the rules and awarning shot across the bow. At some point this break-in period will end and it will be - the money is gone, goodby, no more Ms. Congeniality.

I have to remember that.
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Old 03-24-2018, 11:05 AM   #26
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That's amazing... didn't realize that. I definitely need to give much stronger consideration to SW when I book future flights. Even if I have to pay $10-20 more to book each flight on SW vs. Delta, it's probably worth it over the long run if I average one cancelled or changed flight out of every dozen or so.


SW is great! No change fees, no bag fees, early bird boarding for $15. I fly them whenever I can.
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Old 03-24-2018, 01:24 PM   #27
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There's a lot to be said for SW.

One tactic I have heard about to get around the no-refund policy is to buy the non-refundable tickets and then buy 'cancel for any reason' insurance. However, I can't help but wonder if this is cost effective. That is, what is the price of a fully refundable ticket versus a no-refund ticket and the insurance.
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Old 03-25-2018, 11:19 AM   #28
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When something similar happened to me, I was able to get a credit for future travel from Southwest which was satisfactory to me.
Standard operating procedure with Southwest. You can cancel at any time for any reason with Southwest on the website, and it automatically saves what you paid as travel funds for the named passenger. Come back and book another flight any time within a year of when the tickets were purchased and you simply provide the original confirmation in the payment screen and you're golden.

If you see a lower fare pop up for your itinerary any time before your trip, maybe a flight at a different time/day that works for you, simply click to change your flight to the new one (or even the same one if its price dropped) and it will likewise store the difference as travel funds which can be used as credit for another flight within a year of original purchase date.

When you add the no change fee benefits, and on top of that the 2 free checked bags, carry-ons, and no games like "basic economy" Southwest is the way to go. We won't fly any other carrier unless we are forced to.
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