I go to school in New Orleans, and planned to return home to Atlanta for Thanksgiving break. About a week before I was planning on leaving, my schedule cleared up and I suddenly had an extra 5 days of free time. Deciding I wanted to spend that extra time at home, I called Delta. I had looked into changing my ticket, but the costs would’ve been an additional $400.

So I explained to the customer service rep that I simply wasn’t going to be able to make the first half of my trip, but that I would still be using the return ticket that I had already purchased. The rep bluntly told me that I couldn’t do that. Confused, I asked for an explanation, and was told that to do that would constitute a ‘change in my reservation’ and would cost and additional $193. Thinking there must be some mis-communication I explained that I didn’t want to change the reservation, I was simply not going to be using the first part of the ticket I had already purchased. In a pompous tone most would reserve for serious arguments the rep replied “What part of this don’t you understand sir? Thats a change to your reservation.” But wait, I asked, “you’re telling me that you’re going to charge me for not using the ticket that I already paid for?” Condescendingly, she continued to explain that by not using the first ticket I purchased, I had invalidated the contract of !
the reservation and as such would either have my return trip canceled, or I could pay the $193 fee to change my ticket from a roundtrip to a one-way.

Frustrated at her snarky tone and generally unpleasant disposition, I asked to speak to her supervisor, at which point I was told “there’s no one here for you to talk to.” After pressing the issue further, she finally relented, telling me “well they aren’t going to be able to do anything for you.” Turns out she was right, as the supervisor, while pretending to be more civil, admantly refused to explain this corporate policy beyond ‘well all changes made to a reservation are subject to this fee’.

Finally, giving up in disgust, I ended up simply booking a return ticket on a rival airline for less than Delta’s original adjustment fee.