Delta Air Lines is making travel more flexible for the rest of the year as it tries to manage long customer service wait times.
Effective immediately, all basic economy tickets for flights through Dec. 31 can be changed or canceled for free.
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Basic economy tickets are normally "use it or lose it" and do not allow for any changes to the itinerary. But for the rest of the year, travelers can change the date, time or location of their trip online at Delta.com without paying a change fee.
If a new flight costs more than the original flight, you'll have to pay the difference. If a new flight is less expensive than the original flight, you'll receive credit for the difference, redeemable toward future travel. If you cancel a trip, you'll receive credit for the value of the unused ticket.
The rules only apply to flights in 2021. Basic Economy flights in 2022 remain nonrefundable and nonchangeable.
As travelers return to the skies, Delta CEO Ed Bastian says the airline has experienced an unprecedented level of questions about travel policies and schedule changes, which has resulted in significant wait times for customers.
To help alleviate the problem, the Atlanta-based airline is hiring more than 5,000 people, including 1,300 reservations specialists who will be trained by September.
