Delta's Refundable Fares - How to View and Price Refundable Fares in the GDS
Delta is offering the option to purchase fares with additional flexibility using an easy-to-read display in the GDSs and in some corporate online booking tools (OBTs)1.
The new fare option offers the following benefits:
- Fares are fully refundable to the original form of payment
- Allows free Same Day Confirmed Domestic ticket changes (a $75 value - see terms and conditions)
Many routes in Domestic, Latin America and trans-Atlantic markets offer these fares and Delta plans to continue rolling out systemwide through the coming months. The refundable fare can be identified by the fare basis code or in the fare rules and must be purchased at time of booking. Examples are provided below for reference.
Initially, refundable fares featured the option to purchase additional flexibility in the GDS or OBT channel displays across each cabin product type, excluding Basic Economy, for most domestic and international flights.
Fare Basis Code Identification of Refundable Fares
Identifying these new refundable fares works the same way that refundability has been identified in the past. Refundable fares can be identified in the Fare Basis Code (FBC) by finding the following FBC characters in the specific FBC position depending on the Entity of the fare (examples are included below):
Entity |
FBC Position |
FBC Character |
Domestic |
4th |
1/2/3/4/5/H/P/R/X/Y/Z |
Latin |
6th |
G/L/R/T/X/Y/Z |
TATL |
4th |
H/R/T/U |
TPAC Exit North America |
6th |
R/T/V/Q/S |
TPAC Exit APAC |
6th |
K/L/H/B |
ALL Entities |
--- |
“Full Fares” F0/Y0/W0/J0/J0F/Y9/W9/J9 |
Note – Fare Basis code structure is covered in Agency Resources
Instructions on how to Price a refundable fare in the GDS
Display Examples:
Sabre
When searching for refundable fares, for example a flight from ATL to LAX, users can search for a fare quote using the entry below and proceed through the fare options to arrive at “Refundable” fares DL0/REFMAIN (see third screen below)
The screen will indicate the user is viewing Refundable fares. Additionally, the Fare basis codes display one of the following characters in the 4th position (For domestic fares): 1/2/3/4/5/H/P/R/X/Y/Z
Price by Refundable brand from itinerary –WPNCB#BRREFMAIN
To price specifically for refundable fares, including the entry “BRREFMAIN” will limit pricing to refundable fares
Travelport:
Green Screen Fare Quote – 4FATLLAX12SEP-DL
A fare entry in Worldspan (1P) does not provide brand or refundable information in the display. Refundable fares must be identified through the fare basis code by looking at the corresponding character (when the 4th character for domestic fares is 1/2/3/4/5/H/P/R/X/Y/Z, the fare is refundable, see the table below).
After a fare search, when clicking on the dollar amount highlighted in blue, the brand options will appear in the rands and Ancillaries tab.
Amadeus
Green Screen Fare Quote – FQDATLLAX/D12SEP/ADL/FF
After using the entry for a fare quote, moving through the screens will bring you to “REFMAIN” which will indicate the “refundable main” fares.
Searching for fares using the following code will provide refundable fares – FXB/FF-REFMAIN
Concur
GetThere
1 Displays on Concur/Sabre and newer OBTs like TripActions/Travelbank; dependent on account policy allowing refundable fares
Questions
Delta cannot guarantee the validity of any GDS entries listed above. Please contact the appropriate GDS Help Desk for assistance, if you need additional information or have questions about a specific GDS entry.