As airlines got hammered with requests to reschedules or cancel flights this spring, Delta came up with a novel solution: The airline automatically issued an eCredit to anyone who skipped or missed a flight.
At the time, that was set to apply for flights scheduled in March and April. But Delta has quietly continued this practice. The airline will still automatically give you a credit for the value of your ticket if you don't make your upcoming flight.
Several Thrifty Traveler readers have said Delta agents recently informed them this is an option, and Delta confirmed it is still automatically issuing credits for skipped flights. The airline's page dedicated to changing and canceling flights hints that it's an option, saying: “Your unused ticket will be applied as an eCredit within 24 hours of your originally scheduled travel.” Those should deposit to your SkyMiles Wallet.
It's unclear when this policy may end, and if there are any limitations or exceptions for what flights are eligible. But for now, it's an easy way to ensure you don't lose out on a trip you decide not to take.
Delta also hasn't provided many details on how these automatic eCredits refunds work. It's unclear how long these eCredits toward future travel will last, and how they may overlap with the airline's waivers for free change and cancellation.
Like all other major U.S. airlines, Delta is giving travelers some unprecedented flexibility to change or cancel upcoming flights. Any Delta flight scheduled through the end of 2020 can be changed without paying a fee (though you'll have to pay the fare difference) or canceled for a voucher. The same is true for any new Delta ticket booked by Sept. 30.
Read our guide to how Delta is allowing free change and cancellation during the coronavirus outbreak.
But this ability to get an eCredit automatically could serve as a stopgap if you can't get through to Delta in time.
Months after coronavirus came to a head, airlines are still struggling with call volumes, processing refunds, and flight cancellations. American Airlines just recently brought the ability to rebook a canceled flight online. Support staff shortages forced Delta to suspend its popular support via Twitter direct messaging.
Bottom Line
Bravo, Delta. As airlines do more and more to try to give travelers more options, continuing to give travelers who miss or skip flights this automatic eCredit is generous. This should soothe travelers scrambling to change or cancel their flights who are struggling to get through.
I have tried to book using my ecredits from June using the website, however I feel like it has been made super dysfunctional and wonky, it changed the amount of our credits several times when we went to book, then after I pressed purchase, it suddenly raised the price of the tickets by a total of $700.
Delta’s IT system can be a bit wonky at times. I’d try calling in and chatting with an agent.
Hi Kyle,
We booked our tickets for Hawaii in December 2019 for travel on March 20th, 2020. We were not able to take our flight due to COVID. Our flight flight was not returned as a ecredit but is still on hold. I have our ticket numbers and can get ecredit for our flights but just want to know if these flights qualify for the extension until September 2022 since they were booked in December 2019. If they are only good for one year from the booking date we are not sure we would be able to go to Hawaii this year unless they lift the 14 day quarantine. Any information would be appreciated. Thanks.
Hey Matt,
Yours is an interesting case. Whenever you get your ecredit, I believe it should be valid until Sept. 2022. If not, I would kindly request Delta to make it so – these agents have a lot of power.
I am getting the ecredit error message “oops we’re sorry the E credit entered has no remaining value please contact Delta reservations“ .. I actually want to book flights like now! .. but i cannot get through to anyone at that number?? does anyone have an email or know how long this ecredit amount is going to be messed up?? its frustrating that i may have to spend more money on plane tickets when i should have a $850 ecredit that i can use 🙁
Hi. I just bought a ticket using my eCredit plus paying the difference in fare, but then I tried to upgrade it to First Class and accidentally canceled the trip. I thought I would get an eCredit for this, but it turned out that Delta refunded only the difference in fare I paid. I don’t need a refund. Last time I canceled my trip, there were several steps before the final confirmation, but this time, mistakenly click on the cancel button and then sucessfully cancel? Tried to call them to cancel my cancelation request and have them upgrade my ticket. Tried to call, message through Twitter and Facebook, and even text messages, but no response.
Kyle, I’m trying to re-book a trip using my ecredits but it is asking me for my credit card info. Do I need to put that in and if i do will it charge my card? Every time I call the number for help it hangs up on me, this is very frustrating!!!!
So long as the eCredit covers the entire cost of your new trip, you shouldn’t be charged.
Thank you! I figured it all out. I wish Delta would explain that you have to look up each individual to see their ecredit. Receiving a cancellation email and only showing 1 credit was scary.
I canceled my flight due to Covid and flight changes. They only gave me back 1 ecredit and I purchased 5 tickets for my family. Does anyone know why? Or What I can do?
Each person individually gets their own ecredit, unfortunately. It doesn’t all go back to the purchaser.
Hi there, I was booked my trip to Italy on 13 October 2019, fly out on 28 March 2020 from Montreal to Venice and back on 16 May 2020, after long time Delta send me a email with a full credit of my ticket totaling $1014.50cad. Allowing to be used towards to rebooking of a further travel. Documents numbers start 057. I try to buy on Delta airlines.com my fly ticket but when I apply on ecredit form, my name show incorrect, I wish to know what wrong?
And my ticket holds has a new expiration date of January 22, 2021, I was supposed I can rebook it until 2022.
Thanks
How long will credits be good as I had a trip planned to Ireland and it was cancelled. Will be going next June 2021
It depends on when you purchased them and/or when your flight was originally scheduled for. As of now, Delta is saying that credits from any canceled flight scheduled through September will be good for travel through September 2022.
I bought 5 tickets!!! And canceled them because of Covid19. They only gave me an Ecredit for each individual but I know we won’t be traveling any time soon probably until next year by the time my ecredits will be expired.. I need my refund back especially in this pandemic time where we need our Money back more than a flight ticket in the future!!! Or atleast use the E-credits for any future flights no matter whose name is under as long as it is under ones account…
Delta cancelled my upcoming flight without letting me about the cancellation, and without crediting me. Now when I search for the flight on the delta app, it does not exist, nor does it exist on my online Delta profile. So, because I won’t be missing a flight that won’t happen, they’ve sidestepped the need to refund me anything or credit me. THANKS DELTA! So, Now I’m on hold for an hour, to figure out where my money is. Disappointed in Delta.
How are award tickets being handled as far as modification and/or eCredit? Can you only change once (and what happens when the new flight cannot be flown)? Anyone know?
Your best bet would be just to cancel the award ticket outright – the $150 redeposit fee is waived, so you’ll get your SkyMiles back no questions asked https://thriftytraveler.com/delta-skymiles-awards-coronavirus/
Does the eCredit have to be used by the ticketed passenger? We had a trip booked for my husband, his dad and myself that we will have to cancel. My husband and I will likely used the eCredit in the future, but not sure his dad would. The trip was booked altogether and paid together.
eCredits will automatically go to each individual traveler’s account – not en masse to the purchaser. But you may be able to convince Delta to transfer an existing eCredit, given your circumstances. Worth a shot!
Can anyone confirm for how long the eCredit is good for. It’s great solution but I can not travel again any time soon (next year), the corona crisis will not allow my family and I to get holiday let alone have any extra funds for another vacation before a couple of years. If the eCredit expires I can not use it.
They are typically good for an entire year from the date you initially booked your trip. But airlines are being more gracious than usual to customers getting these vouchers (in order to avoid giving out cash refunds), so it’s worth asking Delta if they will extend the validity of your eCredits so that you can put them to use.
Are the eCredits that are automatically issued for the full amount of the ticket purchased?
In our experience, yes – 24 hours after missing the flight.
Thanks Kyle!
any answers on this question?? Will a Jamaican vacation package be refunded or credited for future use?
any answers on this question?? Will a Jamaican vacation package be refunded or credited for future use?
Anyone know if there are any wallet issues at present?
I managed to get through to a Delta rep prior to this policy, with a $2000 eCredit offered for a flight I was due to take in April. I was told by the rep it should show up in my Skymiles account, but the “My Wallet” section just times out with an error.
A credit *did* briefly flash up for a moment yesterday at https://www.delta.com/edocs/redeem-documents, but disappeared after (and didn’t mention a dollar value). I didn’t make a note of the eCredit number, and haven’t seen it since.
I figure it’s just IT systems overwhelm, but wondered if anyone else is due an eCredit and is having issues seeing it in their wallet?
Exact same problem – flight canceled. ECredit briefly showed up in My Wallet with a # but no $ value. Now it has disappeared with no way to rebook my flights later in the year. No way to contact these people without 5 hour wait on the phone. Why are they so busy if almost nobody is booking new flights?
Because they’re getting slammed with questions about rebooking, canceling, refunding, etc.
I’d highly recommend reaching out to Delta via Twitter direct message. Even if you don’t have a Twitter account, it’s worth setting one up just to message Delta. The response is typically quite fast.
I also had to cancel a flight to Rome, back around March 1st. I was told I’d get “ecredit”. I received an “ecredit number” but now that I’m checking online, it states my ecredit number correctly but state “ Hoops we’re sorry the E credit entered has no remaining value please contact Delta reservations“. My sons credit doesn’t even show up in his wallet! What’s going on?
Hi,
I specifically chose to book our flights with Delta in March just when the coronavirus started to be reported because of their flexible cancellation policy. I cancelled our flights in April, expecting to get an eCredit at some point, but when entering the ticket/document number to redeem credit, I get this message as well: “Oops! We’re sorry. The eCredit entered has no remaining value. Please contact Delta Reservations at 1-800-221-1212 if you have questions or believe this balance is incorrect.”. I would be OK with a credit and not a refund, but this is making me nervous! Tried calling, but the wait is 5 hours.
After numerous attempts, I was able to call and input my number for them to call me back. It took 3 hours. I was informed that the eCredits Online are not showing up but they are in their system. I was able to confirm mine ecredit number as well as my son’s. It does make it a pain in the ass in that when we are ready to book you will have to call, as the online reservation system can not pull up your credits. Hopefully they fix it soon. If you call the delta number, choose the selection that you want to make a flight reservation. Then we’ll they call you back tell them you changed your mind and want to check your credits. That’s what I did. Good luck…I know they are there for you to use…you just can’t view them.
Thanks Michelle! I also managed to get a call back after several hours. They did confirm our eCredits, and told me that we’ll have to call when ready to book a flight, providing my husband’s Skymiles number since he’s the one who booked the flights. We have until Sep 30 2022 to use the credit.
This is good to know. Same thing happened to me. I tried the number ending in 1212 and it said they had too many calls to try again and hung up on me. So I called my Gold Medallion service number and it let me leave my number for a call back… said to expect it in about 9 hours… which is past midnight 🙁
I also messaged them via FB.
I’m having the same issue months later…I looked up my eCredits several times after cancelling an April flight…the credits were there with amounts for both my husband and I. I never noted the # or amounts. Now there is nothing there for either of us. I have a companion pass that’s still showing up, no credit. I tried the message feature on delta.com and it spins for awhile before telling me to “go back to the previous page or log in to continue the conversation.” I am already logged in, and there was no conversation to continue. It seems like you can no longer access your credits online, but must call to use them, or even find out the amount…? I’m not sure why they would take away the ability for people to look them up online and force them to call instead.
Any idea how this would apply to a delta vacation package? My husband and I are supposed to travel to Jamaica at the end of March and we purchased everything thru delta vacations. Also purchased travel insurance.
Not quite sure how this particular policy will apply to Delta Vacations, but Delta’s broader change/cancellation waivers do: https://thriftytraveler.com/delta-coronavirus-waiver-update/
Delta is really stepping up to the plate. Delta is building a lot of loyalty with these moves. I know they are for me.