Rafael Sosa’s Weblog

For the benefit of all you flying with irregular schedules that sometimes cause you to have to cancel and then fly on a credit, I will analyze my recent experiences with cancellations and bookings with credit on three major airlines: American Airlines, Delta, and US Airways.

1. American Airlines – When I called to cancel, I had a $100 cancellation fee for changing my flying date. When I called to book my flight on credit, I received excellent and fast customer service. Fares published on the Internet were similar to those given to me over the phone.
2. Delta -They had the lowest cancellation fee of $30. I was informed that cancellation penalties usually range $30-50. When I called to book my flight on credit, customer service was excellent and I received similar fares to those shown on the Internet.
3. US Airways – has a $100 cancellation fee. When I called to book on credit, I was placed on hold for 20 minutes while the operator searched for available flights. A quoted price of $300 on the Internet was quoted at $500 over the phone. I asked for something better, and they offered me a sooner flight for $1100. I asked the woman to look for a better deal comparable to what they offer online. I was placed on hold again for 40 minutes and then was rerouted back to the main recording of US Airways. I called later for a different flight and again was quoted a cost nearly double of what is published online. I have not been able to book a flight with my credit on US Airways.

From my experience, I recommend booking a flight on Delta if you suspect any possibility of cancellations. Otherwise, I would go with American Airlines. Don’t buy the insurance, they are a ripoff.