Unfortunately Delta is correct in this situation. When purchasing an excursion fare, you are engaged in a contract in which you agree to fly two segments, an outbound and return. When you failed to show up for your outbound flight, you broke the contract. Had you cancelled the ticket in advance, the ticket may have retained its value for one year. It could have been applied toward the purchase of another non-refundable ticket plus a change fee. However, as a no-show, Delta has no idea why you did not present yourself. Moreover, the extenuating circumstances are irrelevant, because a non-refundable ticket means just that... non-refundable. I agree Delta is probably the worst airline out there, but this rule applies to all non-refundable fares. As a side note, no-shows like yourself are exactly why most airlines overbook. Regardless, you may want to look at Southwest in the future, which offers one-way fares that are changeable, but not always refundable. Sorry, but Delta got you on this one.
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