Delta Air Lines is the latest airline to announce that it's permanently eliminating change fees for most ticket types purchased for domestic travel, joining competitors American Airlines and United Airlines.
Delta's new policy, effective immediately, applies to tickets purchased for travel within the domestic U.S., Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands in First Class, Delta Premium Select, Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin with the exception of Basic Economy.
The carrier also announced that it's extending its current waiver on change fees for newly purchased flights due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including international flights and Basic Economy fares through 2020. What's more, Delta will extend its expiration on travel credits for tickets booked before April 17, 2020 through December 2022.
"We've said before that we need to approach flexibility differently than this industry has in the past and today's announcement builds on that promise to ensure we're offering industry-leading flexibility, space and care to our customers," Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a statement accompanying Monday's announcement. "We want our customers to book and travel with peace of mind, knowing that we'll continue evaluating our policies to maintain the high standard of flexibility they expect."
Delta first expressed its intent to overhaul its change fee structure late last year and implemented a waiver to eliminate change fees in March. The latest move gives customers added flexibility and peace of mind when they need it most.
The airline has been leading the way this year in terms of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, earning the highest score on the Safe Travel Barometer. Delta recently announced that it will become the first U.S. airline to install hand sanitizer stations onboard its aircraft and is also blocking middle seats through at least January 6, 2021 to allow for physical distancing.
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