Delta Eliminates Change Fees for International Tickets Originating from North America

Delta Air Lines is permanently eliminating change fees for tickets when flying from North America to the rest of the world.

Delta made the announcement on Thursday, saying that the change would be effective immediately. Delta flyers can now expect to change fees on tickets originating from North America (except for basic economy tickets, which are excluded), including those operated by its joint venture and codeshare partners.

At the same time, Delta said it would be extending its existing waiver of no change fees for all of the rest of its tickets through March 30, 2021. The goal behind both of the moves, Delta said, was to add more flexibility to tickets and give its clients peace of mind both during, and after, the COVID-19 pandemic.

“No year has better demonstrated the value of flexibility than this one,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said. “Our approach has always been to put people first, which is why we’re extending our current change fee waiver and making lasting changes to our practices, so customers have the trust and confidence they need long after the pandemic ends.”

Delta has long been seen as one of the more consumer-friendly airlines for practices like change fees and for COVID-19 protocols, including being one of the last major carriers to block middle seats for passengers flying during the pandemic.

Delta, in September, announced that it would extend loyalty benefits further into 2021 and also announced that it would be extending travel credits through December 2022 for travel originally scheduled to depart after March 1, 2020.