Moving delta flight retunr date up full#
Moving delta flight retunr date up free#

“I know the airlines are struggling, but you just feel so helpless,” she said. Orbitz said they cannot access my records and that I may not get the refund until the end of 2021,” more than 18 months after the flight was canceled. “I had to wait another hour to speak to someone. Woolard a retired nurse from Winston-Salem, N.C. I got called back from Orbitz four hours after I called,” said Ms. “Aer Lingus tells me they issued the refund and I have to call Orbitz. With new fare rules and such a surge of customer service calls, consumer frustration has risen. 31 of that year.Īll issues with fares purchased or vouchers issued through an online travel agency have to be dealt with by that particular company, not the airline, adding an extra layer to the process. American Airlines and United allow already-issued flight credits to be used through March 31, 2022, while Delta has extended its flight credit validity to Dec. Most airlines have issued vouchers with extended expiration dates to travelers wishing to change their travel plans during the past year.

Moving delta flight retunr date up free#

Otherwise, airlines are free to do what they wish for passengers who have canceled their flights for personal reasons.

Moving delta flight retunr date up full#

Rules set by the Transportation Department state that airlines must give a full refund within seven days for a flight that they cancel, or for one that has a “significant” delay or schedule change or for a ticket that a consumer cancels within 24 hours of purchase. Whether booked through an online travel agency or direct with the airlines, flight credits and vouchers will generally expire in one year those granted because of the fear of flying during the pandemic often have longer expiration dates. “We don’t set airline policies, and we have to deal with 3,000 different ones across all the airlines.” Expedia understands customers’ frustrations, said Mr. When it comes to issuing vouchers and credits, online travel agencies must follow the rules set forth by the airlines. Consumers cite multiple disconnected calls, six-hour (and longer) wait times to speak to often-unhelpful customer service reps and an inability to use certified flight credits.

They are also shown in rock-bottom ratings of online travel agencies, such as, as well as Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity (all owned by Expedia) on ratings websites such as Trip Advisor and Trustpilot and with the Better Business Bureau. That’s down from the 75 percent in March and the 88 percent in April 2020, but still far above the level of April 2019, when refund issues accounted for just eight percent of all complaints.Ĭonsumer frustrations in rebooking canceled flights, receiving refunds and using vouchers come from often-hours-long wait times to speak to a customer service agent, at both the airlines and online travel agencies. In April, refund issues still accounted for nearly 70 percent of all airline complaints to the Transportation Department. With the United States and other countries easing travel restrictions in recent months, it appears that some travel companies have been unprepared once again. And at that time, we could only handle 10 percent of flight cancellation requests online,” said Shiv Singh, senior vice president and general manager for the Expedia brand, in Seattle. We also had to deal with changes in policies from the airlines. “Once Covid hit, we saw our call volume increase up to seven times normal. In April 2020, the Department of Transportation received over 17,000 complaints about inabilities to get refunds for flights, a more than 17,000-percent increase from just 98 in the same month in 2019. Would-be fliers complained of untimely answering of calls and representatives not understanding the rules for using credits.

When pandemic-related travel restrictions began last year, many airlines and online travel agencies appeared unprepared to deal with an unprecedented number of travelers calling customer service to cancel or reschedule flights.

Two senators have sent a letter to the airlines, saying they have convoluted credit- and voucher-granting rules. The frustration and resulting chaos have come to the attention of the federal government.