US Delta Air Lines expands change-fee waivers for new bookings

As of 30 July, Delta extended its change-fee waiver to new flights purchased throughout August and now offers the ability to re-book travel for up to two years for customers who purchased flights prior to 17 April 2020 that are pending travel through the end of the year.

The airline is also implementing automatic seat blocks through at least September, 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.

Delta said it knows the scale of the Covid-19 pandemic was unexpected and wants to ensure customers who booked early and have upcoming flights beyond 30 September have greater flexibility if their plans have changed. That’s why Delta is waiving change fees and extending the ability to plan, rebook and travel until 30 September 2022, to customers who purchased a ticket before 17 April and are scheduled to travel through 31 December 2020.

Also effective from 30 July is an adjustment Delta has made to its Contract of Carriage, which the airline updated as its schedule continues to fluctuate in response to evolving customer demand and travel restrictions. Customers who purchase US domestic tickets issued on or after 30 July 2020 are eligible for refunds upon request if their flight is cancelled or delayed for 120 minutes or more, which is a marginal increase of 30 minutes from the previous policy.

Dwight James, SVP for Pricing and Revenue Management at Delta, said: “When booking their travel, customers tell us they value more space and greater flexibility during a time of physical distancing and heightened uncertainty. 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.”