Priceline and Delta Keep Sending Me Back and Forth — Seeking Goodwill Cash Refund for 3 Tickets
My family booked a Thanksgiving vacation package to New York City through Priceline for three travelers, totaling $5,151.14, including hotel fees.
Due to an unexpected change in our traveling party, we decided to drive rather than fly. We’re keeping our hotel reservation.
On October 19, I canceled our outbound American Airlines flights through Priceline and received approximately $700 back. However, the app wouldn’t allow me to cancel our three Delta Main Classic return tickets because their free-cancellation deadline had expired October 18.
I contacted Priceline on October 20, just two days after the deadline, requesting a one-time goodwill cash refund exception.
Priceline sent me to Delta. Delta said Priceline had to handle the request because it issued the booking. I called Priceline again and spoke with a supervisor named Jesper who repeated the cancellation policy and referred me right back to Delta.
I understand the tickets are ordinarily nonrefundable, and I’m not claiming an automatic right to a refund. My concern is that nobody could tell me whether an actual goodwill waiver request had been submitted or whether someone authorized to consider exceptions had reviewed our situation. He said he was as far in the chain as I could go.
I’ve now submitted complaints to the Priceline Legsl Department, the U.S. Department of Transportation and Delta Customer Care. I also have a Priceline customer service case number and have contacted Elliott Advocacy.
I’m hoping someone here can advise me on three questions:
Is there a Priceline corporate customer relations or ticketing escalation department that can request a goodwill cash refund waiver from Delta?
Is there a way to determine whether Priceline actually submitted a waiver request?
How can I pursue a cash refund without risking the remaining value of the tickets before departure?
We are not seeking a hotel refund or cancellation. Our request concerns only the three unused Delta return tickets.
I’d appreciate any guidance from advocates who have experience resolving third-party airline booking disputes.
Alvita,
I'm sorry to hear about the difficulties you've been having with this situation.
Priceline should not simply be directing you to Delta for assistance, as Priceline is aware that airlines generally require the ticketing agency to service tickets it issued. Ultimately, Priceline should be able to tell you whether a refund, waiver, or other exception is available under the circumstances.
We are not aware of any general requirement or policy that obligates a booking agent to request a waiver from an airline. In most cases, the booking agency is bound by the applicable fare rules as well as the terms of its agreement with the airline. It is also possible that Priceline is only permitted to request certain types of waivers, such as those involving the death of a passenger or a serious medical condition that prevents travel.
Based on our experience, airlines rarely approve refunds of nonrefundable tickets as a goodwill exception, and those exceptions can be even more difficult to obtain when the tickets were purchased through a third-party booking site. Depending on the fare rules, however, each passenger may be able to retain the value of the ticket as a credit toward a future flight, typically within one year of the original ticket's purchase date. The airline may also require that any rebooking be handled by the original ticketing agent.
At this point, you can try making a polite, concise appeal to Priceline's executives and explain the resolution you are seeking. The best approach is to begin with the primary contact listed on our website and then work your way up the executive contact list one person at a time, giving each person an opportunity to review your situation and respond.
While there is no guarantee that Priceline will make the exception or be able to request a waiver, but this gives you the best opportunity to advocate for yourself and have the matter considered at the appropriate level:
https://www.elliott.org/company-contacts/priceline/
If the tickets are not eligible for a credit but are changeable, you may also want to consider changing the flight dates before departure so that you do not forfeit the value of the tickets. Keep in mind that, in most cases, you would be responsible for any applicable fare difference and change fees.
I hope this information is helpful, and I wish you the best in resolving this with Priceline.








