[baerobin]

I used my FF miles to book a flight, I paid the unbelievable surcharge and booking fees which equaled the cost of a flight. An hour later I realized I had booked the wrong date, I called customer service and was told I could get my miles back (whew) but that I would be assessed a $100 flight change fee , even though I canceled the flight and did not rebook, which would have cost $100. So I was under the impression that you had 4 hours to change a flight without any penalty, apparently that has changed. Delta stole my money.
There policy's change on a whim and it is never a benefit to the customer.

[PHXFlyer]

Who booked the wrong date?

An hour later I realized I had booked the wrong date...

Somehow this is the airline's fault? It sounds like you booked over the phone so I'm sure the itinerary details including dates was read back to you by the agent before the tickets were issued. Sorry, the fee to change your date, even after 4 hours had passed, was legitimate.

[Silent Bob]

I believe the majority of the blame falls on you for not insuring the date. However if you were gonna pay the 100 change fee, why did you cancel the booking completely and took back the miles???

[baerobin]

I did write Delta a very nice, polite letter explaining the situation and I was issued a $200 voucher. Squeaky wheel.

[PHXFlyer]

So for assesing you a $100 fee to re-deposit your miles (which is customary) for the itinerary that was booked on the incorrect dates due to YOUR error, you basically extorted the airline out of $200. Is it any wonder why the airlines are doing so poorly financially?

May I ask why you did not, for the same $100, adjust your itinerary to the correct dates? Was it that you booked the wrong dates in error or did you plans actually change and you should have been charged this fee anyway?

I hope you feel good about yourself when you're flyimg on the ticket purchased with your ill-gotten gains. I hope Delta re-routes your baggage to Thailand!!!

[jimworcs]

but missed this one, and it is a doozy!

Writing a letter of complaint to an airline amounts to extortion in your opinion? A frequent flyer, who disagrees with an airlines policy of charging to correct an error, is guilty of extortion, and deserves to have his bags re-routed to Thailand?

I hope I never have a complaint against the company you work for, it sounds like I am quite likely to get a visit in the night. Perhaps you would be more comfortable living in a more controlled country, (can I suggest Stalinist Russia or perhaps China), than in a great democracy in which people have freedom of speech and can actually disgree with policies with impunity.

[PHXFlyer]

Originally Posted by jimworcs

but missed this one, and it is a doozy!

Writing a letter of complaint to an airline amounts to extortion in your opinion? A frequent flyer, who disagrees with an airlines policy of charging to correct an error, is guilty of extortion, and deserves to have his bags re-routed to Thailand?

I never said that simply writing a complaint is tantamount to extortion. In this case, however, baerobin admitted the mix-up with the dates was not the airline's fault:

Originally Posted by baerobin

...An hour later I realized I had booked the wrong date, I called customer service and was told I could get my miles back (whew) but that I would be assessed a $100 flight change fee , even though I canceled the flight and did not rebook, which would have cost $100. So I was under the impression that you had 4 hours to change a flight without any penalty, apparently that has changed. Delta stole my money.
There policy's change on a whim and it is never a benefit to the customer.

The title of the thread was "Robbed by Delta" but in reality Delta was only being consistent in charging a fee to re-deposit the miles on a canceled award ticket. (And why do you think baerobin decided to cancel the ticket instead of correcting the dates? It would have cost $100 in either scenario.) Just because baerobin thought the policy was different and felt that the fee shouldn't apply doesn't change the fact that there is a fee to re-deposit miles once an award is ticketed.

If baerobin were driving down a street @35 MPH thinking the speed limit was 40 when in reality it was 25 would that be an acceptable defense if s/he were issued ticket for driving 15 MPH over the limit?

So, baerobin feels robbed because Delta charges a fee to change or cancel a ticket. It charges this fee to everyone but baerobin feels that for some reason it shouldn't apply to baerobin because
baerobin is so special and Delta should kiss baerobin's butt. So baerobin, knowing that the date error wasn't Delta's and having been advised of the fee, writes a letter to Delta because baerobin still feels violated as a consumer even though Delta has done no wrong in this situation.

baerobin is then proud to announce that in exchange for the $100 fee which was legitimate Delta issued a $200 voucher basically to shut baerobin's trap and put a swift end to the complaint. In baerobin's own words:

Originally Posted by baerobin

...Squeaky wheel.

In other words, with an attitude of entitlement and "the customer is always right even when wrong" a large company such as an airline will just throw dollars at the situation to make it go away. Right or wrong. This is what borders on extortion and this is why I said to enjoy the ticket purchased with the $200 voucher (ill gotten gains) and that karma has a way of biting people like this in the butt (bags to Thailand).

[jimworcs]

I am not saying that the fee should not have been levied. I am saying it is perfectly legitimate for a customer to contact the service provider and tell them that although they may legally be permitted to charge $100 for this, in his opinion this was unreasonable.

I see you downgraded from accusing him of "basically extorting" the airline to it "bordering" on extortion. Some improvement, but no cigar.

Let me help you out here. The passenger made a mistake and failed to check the rules. The airline applied the rules and charged him a fee. He feels the fee was unreasonable based on his circumstances and writes to the airline to complain. The airline responds by providing him with a voucher. The voucher by it's very nature requires him to purchase a further service from them to have any benefit. The customer is happy, because he feels his complaint has been heard and he has been put right. The airline is happy because they have satisfied the customer and encouraged him to buy further services from them. Meanwhile, PHX is unhappy. In his opinion this is extortion! At the least he now hopes that his bags end up in Thailand. Could you just tell us who you work for so that we can avoid ever having to deal with your company? Your attitude to customers is unbelievable!

FYI

ex⋅tor⋅tion 
–noun 1.an act or instance of extorting.2.Law. the crime of obtaining money or some other thing of value by the abuse of one's office or authority.3.oppressive or illegal exaction, as of excessive price or interest: the extortions of usurers. 4.anything extorted.