Flexibility when flying: Delta expands change-fee waivers for new bookings, travel through 2020

Friday, July 31, 2020

Delta is continuing to double down on our mission to make it easier for customers to book, change or cancel their travel plans, and to fly comfortably with more space for safer travel.

Effective July 30:

We’re extending our change-fee waiver to new flights purchased through August 31.

• We’re offering the ability to rebook travel for up to two years for customers who purchased flights prior to April 17, 2020, that are pending travel through the end of year..
• We’re implementing automatic seat blocks through at least September 30, which will automatically block seats adjacent to those selected by a customer once a reservation is complete and allow parties of three or more to book seats together, including middle seats.
• “When booking their travel, customers tell us they value more space and greater flexibility during a time of physical distancing and heightened uncertainty,” said Dwight James, S.V.P. – Pricing and Revenue Management. “We want our customers to book and travel with the peace of mind in knowing their health and safety remains Delta’s top priority, and that we’ll continue evaluating our policies to maintain the high standard of care they expect.”

No change fees for new flights purchased through August 31

Customers can continue booking with confidence in case their travel plans change, as Delta is extending our change fee waiver for all new flights purchased through August 31. Travelers will have the option to change their flight without a change fee for a year from the date of purchase.

Extending the ability to rebook travel for two years to pre-pandemic bookings

We know the scale of the COVID-19 pandemic was unexpected, and we want to ensure customers who booked early and have upcoming flights beyond September 30 have greater flexibility if their plans have changed. That’s why we’re waiving change fees and extending the ability to plan, rebook and travel with us until Sept. 30, 2022, to customers who purchased a ticket before April 17 and are scheduled to travel through Dec. 31, 2020.

This means customers who booked further in advance for travel in the fourth quarter of 2020 have additional reassurance that the value of their ticket is secure and redeemable for up to two years.

When you’re ready to rebook your flight, Delta will waive the change fee. The fare difference will apply, so customers may receive a credit or pay the difference on the new flight.

Automatically blocking adjacent seats through September 30

We are continuing to make sure customers have more space for safer travel. Delta will now automatically block seats adjacent to those selected by a customer once a reservation is completed. The block will be visible in the seat map once the customer revisits their booking in My Trips on delta.com or in the Fly Delta app.

And while middle seats will continue to be visibly blocked, new technology will ensure that customers in parties of three or more will also have the option to book seats, including middle seats, together. This functionality, which will be implemented across all cabins except Delta One, allows us to maintain our commitment to giving customers more space onboard while offering them more flexibility with their seat choices.

Also effective July 30 is an adjustment we’ve made to our Contract of Carriage, which we’ve updated as our schedule continues to fluctuate in response to evolving customer demand and travel restrictions. Customers who purchase U.S. domestic tickets issued on or after July 30, 2020, are eligible for refunds upon request if their flight is canceled or delayed for 120 minutes or more (including due to schedule changes), which is a marginal increase of 30 minutes from the previous policy.

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