Online Travel Booking and Bidding Agencies - Stuck on an exhorbitant airfare - how do I make the best out of this?

On Wednesday I booked a DEN - ORD flight on UA for me and my gf (leaving on 11/26, coming back on 11/29) and I paid $452 each. Booked through united.com. LAP10CS fare on the way out and HA0KY fare on the way back.

Now Orbitz + Cheaptickets shows the exact same flight on codeshare with CO and US for $287 a head. I called UA but they charge $150 per person for a flight cancellation.

What else can I do? Does UA allow for a change of itinerary using the same money as credit? I was also thinking about doing ORD - MIA on 11/29 instead and coming back to DEN on 12/5 or 12/6.

Thanks.

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You would have to look at the fare rules to be sure, but chances are changing flights would cost $150 each plus any fare difference. If your new flights were less than your old ones you could probably get a credit on file.

In summary I don't think you can do much.

On Wednesday I booked a DEN - ORD flight on UA for me and my gf (leaving on 11/26, coming back on 11/29) and I paid $452 each. Booked through united.com. LAP10CS fare on the way out and HA0KY fare on the way back.Neither of those fares are anywhere near the "exhorbitant [sic] airfare" level -- the actual exorbitant (AKA Full Y) fare on that route is ~$2800:

[KVS Availability Tool 5.1.2/Diamond - Galileo: Fares/PSH/RU] (http://www.KVSTool.com/?R)
DEN Denver Int'l CO US [KDEN]
ORD Chicago O'Hare Int'l IL US [KORD]
FRI 15 Jan 2010 | RT | Economy

Carrier From To Fare Cur AdvanceP Min Max Fare Basis | Travel Period
--------- ------ ---- -------- ---- -------- --- --- --------------------------
UA DEN CHI 191 USD 10 Days LAK10CS -26 May
UA DEN CHI 211 USD 10 Days LAP10CS -26 May
UA DEN CHI 274 USD 14 Days TA14KN
UA DEN CHI 319 USD 7 Days SA7KN
UA DEN CHI 369 USD 7 Days WA7KN
UA DEN CHI 430 USD 7 Days VA7KN
UA DEN CHI 482 USD 60 KLVUSA -31 Mar
UA DEN CHI 583 USD QA0KY
UA DEN CHI 623 USD HA0KY
UA DEN CHI 820 USD UA0CY
UA DEN CHI 1080 USD EA0CY
UA DEN CHI 1427 USD 7 Days HUA7UP4Z
UA DEN CHI 1427 USD 7 Days HUA7UPN
UA DEN CHI 1549 USD MA0FY
UA DEN CHI 2060 USD BUA
UA DEN CHI 2101 USD YUA
UA DEN CHI 2200 USD HUAUP
UA DEN CHI 2200 USD HUAUP4D
UA DEN CHI 2606 USD BUAUP
UA DEN CHI 2606 USD BUAUP4C
UA DEN CHI 2667 USD CUA
UA DEN CHI 2667 USD FUA2F
UA DEN CHI 2667 USD JUA
UA DEN CHI 2817 USD Y
UA DEN CHI 3743 USD FUA

As always, purchase tickets when feel the price is fair. Then if the price increases, you are ahead of the game. If the price decreases, you have to remember that you paid a fair price. Fares change all the time and as you said, unless the fare changes by more than the $150 change fee, you are out of luck.

no practical advice - I don't think there is anything to do.
but it pays to be philosophical about this.
if it helps; a lot of people on the flight will have paid more than you as well...

Prices go up, prices go down. It happens with the NYSE, rental agreements, autos, computers, lettuce, hookers and even booze.

MisterNice

Now Orbitz + Cheaptickets shows the exact same flight on codeshare with CO and US for $287 a head. I called UA but they charge $150 per person for a flight cancellation.

What else can I do? Thanks.

Do you really WANT to play the "floating fare" game? Do you really want to be billed if, as the plane fills up, ticket prices rise to $1000+? Would you have gone to the airline and offered to pay up extra? The sword cuts both ways, I'm sure the airline would love to pay $150 to get out of a $300 fare when the price rises to $900.

Your ticket is a contract, and you agreed to it at the point where you felt it was a fair exchange of passage for money. The BEST thing you can do in the future is: don't look back! After you buy an airline ticket/hotel room/rental car, don't check afterwards to see what the prices are. Expect them to float, expect that sometimes they'll go up and sometimes they'll go down.

FWIW, one time I actually DID have an airline inform me that my ticket had dropped in price, and they offered to exchange my expensive ticket for a cheaper one, giving me credit "on account" for future travel. I was really surprised. Recently, I've come to expect a fair deal from this airline, and it's less of a surprise that they have no checked baggage fees, no ticketing fees, no cancellation fees, etc. Yes, IflySWA.com as often as possible!

The BEST thing you can do in the future is: don't look back! After you buy an airline ticket/hotel room/rental car, don't check afterwards to see what the prices are. Expect them to float, expect that sometimes they'll go up and sometimes they'll go down.

Bad advice!

Especially with car rentals, prices fluctuate and when you see a lower price you can easily book the lower price then cancel the original higher-priced reservation (in that order). Very few car rental reservations require any sort of a guarantee or prepayment. Similar with hotels, though I don't find them fluctuating as much as rental car prices.

Even with airfares, it doesn't hurt to check, especially for higher-priced itineraries. If the fare goes down by more than the change fee, you can get a credit. Just don't complain if the fare goes down and you get no credit. But no harm in looking.

Bad advice!
Especially with car rentals, prices fluctuate and when you see a lower price you can easily book the lower price then cancel the original higher-priced reservation (in that order). Very few car rental reservations require any sort of a guarantee or prepayment. Similar with hotels, though I don't find them fluctuating as much as rental car prices.

Even with airfares, it doesn't hurt to check, especially for higher-priced itineraries. If the fare goes down by more than the change fee, you can get a credit. Just don't complain if the fare goes down and you get no credit. But no harm in looking.

OK, ok, fti, since this is a forum on booking and bidding, where people are going the extra mile to save money, your argument beats the "ignorance is bliss" approach I suggested. "Set-it-and-forget-it" isn't for everyone. :)

Might I take this opportunity to brag that AS is the only major network carrier that allows you to refare without a penalty? :)

Not only that, they round UP to the next-highest increment of $25. So if your fare drops by $76, they'll actually grant you a $100 voucher.

You can view the airlines' fare-drop rules here:

http://www.yapta.com/faq/content/9/27/en/airline-rules-for-obtaining-a-voucher.html

Might I take this opportunity to brag that AS is the only major network carrier that allows you to refare without a penalty? :)

Not only that, they round UP to the next-highest increment of $25. So if your fare drops by $76, they'll actually grant you a $100 voucher.

You can view the airlines' fare-drop rules here:

http://www.yapta.com/faq/content/9/27/en/airline-rules-for-obtaining-a-voucher.html

This is an awesome program from AS... booked travel for my family over Thanksgiving ANC-OGG... was $570 or so... price dropped to $411 AI RT... and ended up with 2 $175 credits with AS :cool: [but only applicable if done within 3 months of booking]

So yes, I thought the price was 'fair' before, it dropped, and I got a credit (which I have used already for a flight in June to DCA, so it stimulated even more travel with AS)