Botched Online Ticket Change
 

I used delta.com to change the date of departure for the first half of a round trip. I was able to use their website to see the correctly updated information, and even received a confirmation email the day before my flight, confirming I had a ticket, with all of the correct information.

When I went to print my boarding pass the next morning at the airport, the kiosk gave me an error. After 30 or so minutes with a representative, I was informed of the following: apparently, I had changed my itinerary online, but due to an error, my debit card was never charged, and my ticket was never changed. However, I was sent a confirmation email. Why this was possible was never explained.

So I was stuck at the airport without a ticket (I had my OLD ticket, which was for two days prior), a confirmation email that meant nothing, and a return ticket for a week later. So, I had to buy a ticket at the gate. I was quoted $480 (I have no doubts about the amount, because I was very distraught and made them confirm the amount), but was never given anything to sign or physically shown the amount on the screen. After giving them my card and buying the ticket, I only found out, while walking through security and reading the receipt, they had actually charged me $740.80. I have no idea what she was quoting before, but it was $509.76 for the ticket, $81.04 in tax, and they even charged me the $150 ticket change fee (even though, at this point, my old ticket had expired).

Since then (this was early December), I've been on the phone many times and have talked to people online. There has yet to be a single Delta representative who has offered the slightest amount of help. They all tell me that I am not entitled to a refund, because I did fly on the flight. This does not take into account the erroneous confirmation email they sent me that is the cause of the whole problem. It seems insane to me that they would send out an email the day before my flight, a measure that only serves to reassure the customer that everything is, indeed, taken care of, and that there is nothing to worry about, and then when things go wrong, they take no responsibility or attempt to right any of their wrongs.

This is part of their official response I received in an email: "Further, please know that while we would like to offer special consideration in cases such as yours, we are unable to honor the many requests that we receive from others in similar situations. We follow a consistent policy to ensure that Delta is fair to everyone who travels with us. Accordingly, we must respectfully decline your request for the refund of the ticket. I am truly sorry to disappoint you, as I am sure this is not the answer you expected."

I would consider taking this to small claims. Delta erred in not charging your card, and the consequential costs to you are unreasonable, particularly since they gave you written confirmation. You are entitled to rely on the veracity of official communications from Delta. They were negligent in not charging your card and are not entitled to make you responsible for the costs which would not have been incurred had they not been negligent.

You should calculate what the cost to you of the original change was. Anything over this is recoverable, as would be your court costs. I cannot think that Delta thinks their actions are defensible. They are not, and I doubt very much this would get to court. They would settle.