Airline Prices and Policies

Carrie Ellis

DIS Veteran
Joined
Apr 7, 2004
Hi everyone!

We have booked a Disneyland trip for this November. Of course, like everyone, it is all based on what happens in the world. I have researched airline prices but I have not researched policies. The prices are beautiful on flights. Any advice? I am not a frequent flyer and definitely have not dealt with flight issues during CV-19. I would like to consider getting them since prices are good. We will be coming from Atlanta so they can be on the higher side in normal times.

Carrie
 
I just used some eCredit for a flight I had to cancel in April to book January flights for (hopefully!) a trip to WDW on Delta. I agree the prices right now are very good for everything I have been searching (round trip LAX-HAV would be about half what I paid for a January 2020 flight).

It seems like most airlines are currently allowing you to change or cancel new bookings without a fee, and will issue you airline credit. Delta's policy right now is to allow these changes for any flights booked March 1-May 31, and the airline credit will be good for 1 year from the date of original booking.

Most airlines have an announcement on their home page to click and read the most current policy. I will say that Delta's policies have only gotten better with time. The credit I used to book this new flight got extended twice I believe after I cancelled; what's left of it is still good through September 2022. Since I fly pretty frequently, I am okay booking now to take advantage since I know I should be able to easily use any credit I receive.
 
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I know I need to do my own leg work! I kind of took the easy way out asking because I know there are many on here who might have hints are suggestions! ha!
One of the best flights I have found for us is on American Airlines. I am wondering if we apply for the credit card that we might have a little bit more security charging the flights on a AA credit card?
 


Disclaimer; Be sure and check refund policies and be comfortable with whatever that is before you purchase.

That said;
I set a Google Flights alert for my August LAX-Orlando flight WAY back pre-COVID. Flights then were around $380 - not bad but a little steep for my family of 5, so we booked everything then using Jet Blue points. The ticket price dropped to about $135 for a time, and is now back up to $220. YMMV - I don't think the price is going back down though. Confidence is coming back - SLOWLY.
 
Lumpy1106...that is why I am thinking we might need need to do this sooner than later. The RT flight from ATL to LAX is $133/person right now. That is pretty great...
 


It is best to review the latest cancellation policies on each airline website since the whole Covid19 thing is so new and continues to evolve. If you book on one of the budget airlines that tend to operate on a shoestring even in good times, you can imagine their financial situation will only get worse over time. I am not sure if an airline goes bankrupt what happens to any tickets you might be holding. Honestly, at the present time no one knows how long this will last and when people will again be comfortable flying. Even those of us who are frequent flyers have never experienced anything like this.
 
It is best to review the latest cancellation policies on each airline website since the whole Covid19 thing is so new and continues to evolve. If you book on one of the budget airlines that tend to operate on a shoestring even in good times, you can imagine their financial situation will only get worse over time. I am not sure if an airline goes bankrupt what happens to any tickets you might be holding. Honestly, at the present time no one knows how long this will last and when people will again be comfortable flying. Even those of us who are frequent flyers have never experienced anything like this.

I agree! It is a lot of work to be positive and move forward because there is also reality!
My gut tells me things are going to get worse before they get better.

I am going to review AA's policy first then..

I am thinking we will apply for the American Airlines Credit Card and book the AA flights on it.
I feel like that might have a little bit more security or back bone.
My sister's family had 4 tickets to HI in April. They have 2 rental homes there and they go 1 to 2 times a year to work on them etc.. They had tickets on United. United was not wanting to make it easy to get their money back. Their flight was changed significantly plus HI did the 14 day quarantine. I think after her experience, I will avoid United.
 
Hi everyone!

We have booked a Disneyland trip for this November. Of course, like everyone, it is all based on what happens in the world. I have researched airline prices but I have not researched policies. The prices are beautiful on flights. Any advice? I am not a frequent flyer and definitely have not dealt with flight issues during CV-19. I would like to consider getting them since prices are good. We will be coming from Atlanta so they can be on the higher side in normal times.

Carrie
The only airline that allows you to cancel for any reason and not pay a fee is Southwest, they will return your money in the form of a Southwest Voucher that must be used within like a year of when you purchased your ticket. Other than that you will have to pay a change fee or cancellation fee that can run up to $200 per ticket. Some airlines are running specials that waive the change fee on tickets purchased right now (you cannot get your money back, only change to another time/flight within a set amount of time) so read very carefully the terms of whatever ticket you are looking to buy.

Reasons you CANNOT use to get money back: my hotel is closed, Disney is closed, I'm scared to travel, my work won't let me travel, a stay at home order is in place. (I specifically mention those because I have seen people in recent weeks think each of those are reasons airlines will refund tickets. They are not.)
 
I agree! It is a lot of work to be positive and move forward because there is also reality!
My gut tells me things are going to get worse before they get better.

I am going to review AA's policy first then..

I am thinking we will apply for the American Airlines Credit Card and book the AA flights on it.
I feel like that might have a little bit more security or back bone.

My sister's family had 4 tickets to HI in April. They have 2 rental homes there and they go 1 to 2 times a year to work on them etc.. They had tickets on United. United was not wanting to make it easy to get their money back. Their flight was changed significantly plus HI did the 14 day quarantine. I think after her experience, I will avoid United.
It will provide zero security or back bone to your ticket, if AA screws people on that flight over you will be screwed over equally. (It's a common misconception, so rest assured you aren't alone in that assumption.) That credit card gives you free bags, "priority" boarding and some miles that may or may never be of use to you. That is all.

Airlines only have to give you money back if they cancel your flight and right now you may have to fight even for that. DOJ issued a second warning to airlines to refund customers who flights were cancelled a day or two ago airlines are being so bad about that- specifically United and Jetblue. Quarantine and schedule changes are not reasons any* airline will refund you. You have to play the game and see if your flight gets cancelled, if it doesn't most airlines are offering vouchers right now so at least all your money isn't lost.

*some are being nice and refunding if it's a big schedule change, others aren't and as it's not defined by DoJ it's a total grey area for the airlines to do what they want
 
I don't fly super often. My sister's flight to HI fell under their refund policy based on "the flight times were significantly changed" (by united). They did not just refund though. It appeared, based on the news, that AA was refunding right away if this was the case. United required my sister to fill out a form and submit it. I asked her today if they had gotten a refund yet. She has not answered.
The only reason I mentioned the 14 day quarantine was because it was on top of the significant change in their flight time and date. Not a reason for a refund.

The reason I thought I might go with AA is because of the policy that they will allow one free change if you book before the end of this month.

This has given me a lot of food for thought!
 
It's all a crap shoot right now. Everything is evolving and changing as the airlines try to stay in business, as they get bailouts, as customers start travelling again--hard to know. I had a flight booked for April on Delta that they changed the time on 4 times and then to a connecting flight. I called and they said I had grounds for a refund and issued one with no problems. We were supposed to go to Europe this summer (also on Delta-just by coincidence) as of right now they are issuing a voucher if we want to cancel (we do) so I am waiting until closer to our travel date to see if they change or rebook my tickets which would give me grounds for a refund. Otherwise I'll be forced to take the credit. I will say I am super glad that if I end up with the credit that it is on Delta and not a European airline that we might not ever use. Never thought about that before we booked and now I'm super relieved. Bottom line is if you are unwilling to take a credit and rebook these tickets if things aren't better, don't book! Good luck! :)
 

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