Delta Air Lines review by Jennifer Daugherty

Several weeks ago I booked airfare for my wife and I to go to see her mother for her mother’s 75th birthday and for my wife to see a doctor for her medical diagnosis. My wife is battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer and we have been told it is terminal. This will more than likely be her last trip to see her mother and other family. I paid for first class tickets so we would have room to move around and so my wife does not have to walk down the tight aisles of the plane. I requested special assistance in the airport to get her to our gate and have done all the right steps to get her medical equipment approved for the flight. I bought flight insurance for both tickets in case we could not make the flight or we needed to change the flight. Mind you, the insurance alone cost me half of what the tickets cost me. Two weeks prior to our flight I came down with pneumonia. As our trip got closer, I only got more sick. 4 days before our flight I worked out to have my sister in law take my place on the flight so my wife could still go to WA and I can stay home to rest. My wife can’t fly alone. I called Delta to request to change the name on the ticket. I was told that they have a policy that will not allow them to change the name and there is ZERO exceptions to that policy. I explained the situation, spoke to a supervisor, and was still told no. I was told I could refund my ticket and then repurchase a new ticket in my sister in laws name but I would have to repurchase the ticket at the current days prices. Furthermore, i couldn’t use the money I paid for my first ticket to buy the new ticket. I was told they can’t do a fund transfer either. I had no choice and I was running out of time, so I chose to refund my ticket. I have to wait 3-5 business days to see my money back. However I couldn't wait 3-5 business days for the money to buy another ticket as I needed the ticket sooner than that. So, I had to quickly work out finances to pay for a new ticket AT THAT DAYS PRICES. (When your in massive medical debt for a terminally ill partner, figuring out finances isn't easy) As they were booking the new ticket I was then told that there was nothing left in first class like I had originally bought. I asked them why I can’t buy the seat I just refunded and I was told that when I refunded my seat it was automatically given to anyone who has requested an upgrade and is on an upgrade wait list. So my original seat is no longer available. (This all happened in a matter of minutes as I refunded my original ticket and bought a new ticket all on the same phone call). Now this means that my wife and sister in law are in separate seats on the plane. on top of all this, a round trip ticket in comfort plus is costing me more money than my original round trip ticket in first class because I have to pay that days prices. Delta won’t honor a name change, won’t honor me to put funds from my current ticket to a new one, wont honor the seat I originally booked (which is next to my wife), and won’t allow me to purchase at prices in the day I originally booked the flight. I’m wondering what flight insurance is even for and why it’s so expensive if it doesn’t do anything for you. Delta Airlines: I hope you see this, and I hope you have more of a heart for your future customers. as for me and my entire family, we will never fly with you again!