Asking for a refund when you've paid with miles
Jul 7th, 2009, 09:05 AM
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Asking for a refund when you've paid with miles
I booked a last minute trip this past weekend on Delta (leaving on Thursday morning); the roundtrip fare was $140.
I paid for $100 of that fare with miles (arguably a poor decision but it was a last minute trip and I was looking to save in the short term).
Thursday morning rolled around; my flight was scheduled to leave at 8:15am. I received a recorded phone call at 5:30am letting me know that my flight had been canceled. I was rebooked on a flight leaving on Friday at 10pm. After scrambling to find an alternate way, I ended up just barely making an Amtrak train at 6:15am (don't ask how I did it!).
I ended up taking the return flight on Monday morning; Delta instructed me to call back this week to determine what my refund may be. I don't know if these types of situations are negotiable; will they likely refund me a portion of the miles? While I assume they have their policy, in similar situations, it has helped if I have my own idea of how the situation could be rectified.
This is the third time (two others on Jet Blue) that I've had a flight canceled in a little more than over a year; do you think it's just my bad luck? Should I stop booking early morning flights?
I paid for $100 of that fare with miles (arguably a poor decision but it was a last minute trip and I was looking to save in the short term).
Thursday morning rolled around; my flight was scheduled to leave at 8:15am. I received a recorded phone call at 5:30am letting me know that my flight had been canceled. I was rebooked on a flight leaving on Friday at 10pm. After scrambling to find an alternate way, I ended up just barely making an Amtrak train at 6:15am (don't ask how I did it!).
I ended up taking the return flight on Monday morning; Delta instructed me to call back this week to determine what my refund may be. I don't know if these types of situations are negotiable; will they likely refund me a portion of the miles? While I assume they have their policy, in similar situations, it has helped if I have my own idea of how the situation could be rectified.
This is the third time (two others on Jet Blue) that I've had a flight canceled in a little more than over a year; do you think it's just my bad luck? Should I stop booking early morning flights?
Jul 7th, 2009, 10:58 AM
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Hi Katie, I sure do not know but will be interested in the outcome. Btw, did you let Delta know you would not be taking the outgoing flight (the one they changed to Friday at 10:00p.m.)? I ask as I always thought if the first leg of the trip wasn't taken the rest of the flight would be cancelled. Glad you were able to take the return flight on Monday morning however.
Jul 7th, 2009, 11:09 AM
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Couple of things -
your experiences with cancelled flights may have to do w/ where you fly to/from so without those city pairs and who serves them it's impossible to know if it's just luck of the draw.
On the refund, with a cancelled flight you are entitled to a rebooking or a full refund. You chose to make other arrangements for the outbound - did you let Delta know that? And that you would take the return as planned? I think some of the refund will depend on that. Delta may not be used to someone wanting a partial refund when you've paid partially w/ miles and partially $$\.
All that said, I'd ask for the miles back and let them keep the $$ and see if they will do that The miles don't cost them anything exactly.
your experiences with cancelled flights may have to do w/ where you fly to/from so without those city pairs and who serves them it's impossible to know if it's just luck of the draw.
On the refund, with a cancelled flight you are entitled to a rebooking or a full refund. You chose to make other arrangements for the outbound - did you let Delta know that? And that you would take the return as planned? I think some of the refund will depend on that. Delta may not be used to someone wanting a partial refund when you've paid partially w/ miles and partially $$\.
All that said, I'd ask for the miles back and let them keep the $$ and see if they will do that The miles don't cost them anything exactly.
Jul 7th, 2009, 11:18 AM
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Ideally, I'd get all of the miles back---but I imagine that won't be the case.
I was flying into and out of Richmond, Virginia where I have family. I called Friday morning to cancel my spot on the flight that evening; the woman that I spoke with said that she didn't blame me for not wanting to take the flight since it was practically two days later. She assured me that I could use the second portion of the flight however and I had no problems checking in. I was glad there was no hassle related to that---I was surprised.
The last time this happened I was on Jet Blue and it was the return flight. I needed to be back at work so I ended up renting a car (ooh, a long unexpected drive!). That was a little more straight forward because I had just paid for the flight and I was refunded that portion of the flight.
Maybe I should encourage these family members to relocate to New York.
I was flying into and out of Richmond, Virginia where I have family. I called Friday morning to cancel my spot on the flight that evening; the woman that I spoke with said that she didn't blame me for not wanting to take the flight since it was practically two days later. She assured me that I could use the second portion of the flight however and I had no problems checking in. I was glad there was no hassle related to that---I was surprised.
The last time this happened I was on Jet Blue and it was the return flight. I needed to be back at work so I ended up renting a car (ooh, a long unexpected drive!). That was a little more straight forward because I had just paid for the flight and I was refunded that portion of the flight.
Maybe I should encourage these family members to relocate to New York.
Jul 7th, 2009, 11:27 AM
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IMO, you definitely are entitled to some kind of refund, since your rescheduled flight is like 30 hours later. I don't know what you will end up getting in your situation, but if I were you, I'd insist on getting some miles back...
Regarding early morning flights, IME, those are the most reliable flights. So maybe it's just you.
Regarding early morning flights, IME, those are the most reliable flights. So maybe it's just you.
Jul 8th, 2009, 02:51 AM
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Katie, this is something of a gray area. You would have certainly been entitled to cancel the whole ticket and receive a full refund, but I can't find any rule that specifically discusses canceling the outbound portion and then flying the return.
Realistically, I think your best, and the most equitable, result would be a refund of 50% of the miles and cash that you paid.
As for the likelihood of flights being canceled, <b>yk</b> is correct that morning flights have the best chance of being on-time and flown.
Realistically, I think your best, and the most equitable, result would be a refund of 50% of the miles and cash that you paid.
As for the likelihood of flights being canceled, <b>yk</b> is correct that morning flights have the best chance of being on-time and flown.
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Jul 8th, 2009, 10:57 AM
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Katie, I hate to say this, but my bet is that they won't refund the miles. Mileage tickets are always on a Round Trip basis, you can't use miles for a one-way. So I'm guessing (based on some past experience with NW -now Delta) that they will determine that you did in fact use the <u>value</u> of your miles with the return portion of the ticket. I think you will find that the purchase price of a one-way ticket would have been much, much more than the $140 (or $$+miles equal) and DL will consider you got more than value. Let us know what actually happens.
Jul 8th, 2009, 11:09 AM
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Sounds like Katie used Pay With Miles instead of redeeming an award. PWM is simply applied as a credit toward the ticket purchase. In this case, I believe she's owed something for the canceled segment. I just don't know what form the refund would be. Let us know what you end up with, Katie.
Jul 8th, 2009, 11:16 AM
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You may want to post on http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta-skymiles-489/ -- there are some on that site that seem to know everything.
