Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer - Excessive Fee for Canceling Internet Tickets

My wife and I arrived in Hong Kong on a Holland America cruise on Sunday. We are staying at the Conrad in Hong Kong and made internet reservations on Singapore Air's website for a one way ticket to San Francisco for Sunday, 11/1. This ticket was bought in early September. The fare was 4701 HKD per ticket, which included taxes and surcharges. The fare basis code is WWBOX and the Booking class is W.

The 'fare rules and conditions' for these tickets disclose that the tickets may be cancelled prior to departure for a cancellation fee of 500 HKD.

Upon rechecking the website a couple of days ago, I noticed that the same flight was now 4111 HKD. Even after paying the 500 HKD per ticket fee, we would still be ahead. Since Singapore Air has a ticket office near the hotel, we walked in earlier today and inquired about changing the ticket. We were told that the agent could not work wth a ticket that had been purchased on the internet, only with published fares. Therefore, we would have to make the changes ourselves, on the internet. We were advised to purchase the tickets at the new fare, then cancel the existing tickets. I asked, and the agent confirmed, that the cancellation fee would be 500 HKD per ticket.

So imagine my shock when, after purchasing the tickets at the lower fare, I set about to cancel our other tickets online, only to be shown a cancellation fee of 1,000 HKD per ticket! Therefore, I did not cancel, but am trying to figure out what to do.

Suggestions and advice would be appreciated.

:eek: You did all this to save yourself HK$90 (approx US$11)? You do realise the cheaper fare is a Sweet Deals fare which is a non-mileage earning fare? I would understand if the savings were greater but it isn't much when you factor in the cancellation fee.

I would do this. Cancel the cheaper tickets as they do not accrue any frequent flyer miles. Keep your original tickets and earn 7,000 miles each.

Actually, the difference for two tickets was $23, which is not that inconsiderable a sum. What I was trying to find out was why the cancellation fee was 1,000 HKD per ticket, while the rules and conditions disclosure stated that the fee was 500 HKD.

Probably you were charged a rebooking fee. (Or a cancellation and a rebooking fee.)
You can read about it here:
http://www.sqtalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5425

It might be a computer glitch?

I would call them, here are the Hong Kong contact infos:
http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/content/company_info/contact.jsp
There is no way, that on-line reservation can be changed only on-line. Many people do not have on-line access at certain destination cities.

As for the $23 saving: beside the lost miles, you lost your reserved seats too. (If you reserved them in September.) HK-SF is a very long trip on a middle seat.

What I was trying to find out was why the cancellation fee was 1,000 HKD per ticket, while the rules and conditions disclosure stated that the fee was 500 HKD.

As indicated under 'Summary of Fare Conditions'

Note: The charges mentioned above are on per passenger basis.