Plane Ticket Dilemma

Double check Delta's policy. Delta should have recently sent you at least two emails, which as I recall, let you change or cancel without penalty.

We're supposed to be flying in a week into Berlin thru LHR. Our return leg has been cancelled, and we can get a full refund. But we cannot get the travel agency on the phone and they are not returning our email. British Airways won't talk to us directly..
We are of the age where people really get sick, and we must minimize our chances of getting the virus.
We're not the only ones in this same predicament. To Be Continued . . . . . . . .

I recommend holding out for a couple of weeks. The airlines' cancellation/rebooking policies are being updated daily. By waiting you may also find it easier to contact customer service-or, better yet, they may even contact you with updated information. I know the waiting is difficult-our flights for the 15th weren't cancelled until the 11th, but everything has worked out (well, everything except actually taking the trip.......). Best wishes to you!

Jen, I just read that Delta is canceling Portland - Amsterdam flights among others. Check it out on their website under the corona virus post.

We know Delta has cancelled all Portland to Amsterdam flights through April 12th. But we are scheduling to fly AFTER April 12th. I have tickets for an April 13th departure and my husband has tickets for April 24th departure. Delta's current cancellation does not affect us.

We know we can modify our flights now (assuming we can get through to talk to an agent).

What we are trying to decide is how long to wait to modify our current flights in hopes Delta will cancel them.

I'd just wait. I think that cancellation is almost certainly going to happen; it's just a matter of when.

(My opinion only. I have no inside information.)

I received an email from Delta this morning telling me my PDX-AMS flight was cancelled and that they are trying to rebook it. They did not offer the option of cancelling and receiving a refund.

I do not want to rebook. I want a freaking refund for the flights they cancelled.

Eric, I'm sorry for you and for me. That suggests we should just give up and modify. But I'll wait until those with more immediate flights have got through the system.

We too have tickets on Delta, to London on April 27. I want a refund as we already have a trip in September booked. We are waiting a bit longer

We got an email from United this morning saying we could accept the changes or not. I said not, but I imagine it will be some time before I get a call.

Keep in mind that travel representatives are overwhelmed with the immediate cancellations and flight restrictions imposed. I advise waiting a few days (maybe more now that the UK and Ireland have been added to the restricted list). Most likely you will be able to cancel without penalty, but keep a close eye on communications from Delta. It seems likely that the virus will continue to spread across Europe for the next few weeks at least, and the April 13 date will be extended.

If you don't have flights within the next 72 hours, Delta is requesting you wait to call.

"To help address customers with immediate travel needs, we are asking those who do not have travel in the next 72 hours to wait and contact us closer to your trip."

https://news.delta.com/delta-evaluating-europe-flights-helping-customers-return-us-after-coronavirus-travel-directive

Wait.

Things will not clear up by April 13. Dr. Fauci predicted 6-8 weeks before we know better how things will play out. That is mid-May for clarification of the situation, not back to normal. Rolling cancellations seem to be the pattern for everyone.

Government Policies/Facts about the virus on the ground are changing too fast for anyone to know how they will function more than a few weeks ahead (see Spain). Travel staffs are overwhelmed with immediate changes. Business insurance policies have limitations on what companies can do, or they won't be covered by insurance for losses. Just like the fine print on our travel insurance!?#?

Smells like a cause for a class-action against any airline that requests aid from The Federal Government. Any bail-out or loans must be predicated with the requirement that the airline make all passengers whole for tickets purchased for cancelled flights. Not just offering to re-schedule, with the addition of any change of fare for the re-scheduled flight. The airlines must not be both asking for money from our government at the same time as profiting from cancelled flights. I have already contacted my US Rep on this, and I would appreciate others following suit.