Trying to cancel your flight at this time of tumult and self-quarantine? Good luck.
Because of incredibly busy phone lines, airlines ask thaty fliers not contact them sooner than 72 hours before a scheduled flight. They also suggest trying to cancel online, though Delta admits people are having problems doing so.
Delta Airlines posts:
Need to make a change to your travel plans? To help address customers with immediate travel needs, we are asking those who do not have travel in the next 72 hours to refrain from changing your travel plans until closer to your trip.
We know that customers are experiencing long phone wait times and issues on delta.com due to the incredibly high volume. We are actively working on improving the experience.
American Airlines posts the similar 72-hour advice and says: "You can cancel your flight online now and call when you’re ready to rebook. Please contact your travel agent for help if you didn't book directly with us."
Here's what airlines offer in terms of credit, according to Vox:
American Airlines will waive change fees for passengers who’ve bought a ticket prior to March 1 for travel through April 30.
Delta will waive rebooking and cancellation fees for all flights through April 30.
United will let all passengers scheduled to travel through April 30 change flights without a fee.
Southwest never charges a fee to change or cancel. Money used to pay for their flight can be applied to future travel, as long as a flight is cancelled at least 10 minutes before scheduled departure.
Jet Blue will waive change or cancelation fees for all flights through April 30. Passengers can rebook through Oct. 24.
