America West FlightFund (Discontinued Program) - Charges to Change Deep Discounted Ticket

Bought one way Anchorage to Memphis ticket. Had separate ticket on another airline (SWA) for outbound. due to change in plans, we will have to chuck the outbound. Now we are looking to go with America West both ways.

Any experience in dealing with America West and exchanging tickets for new flight... maybe adding leg, or changing city?

My experience is that you won't be able to get the price online through the phone reservation agent.

Also, they will charge you change fee, instead of deducting the change fee from the value of your old ticket.

Let's say your original ticket is $300, and your new flight is $250, you will still need to pay $100 change fee to use your original $300 ticket on the new but cheaper flight.

Also, there is a $5 charge to book through an agent.

However, if you are adding one segment to your original itin, and the net result is extra reveune to AWA, I believe you have a strong case to ask for a change fee waiver.

Also, why don't you just buy another one-way segment for your outbound?

Any experience in dealing with America West and exchanging tickets for new flight... maybe adding leg, or changing city?

Lots of experience changing tickets. How much it is going to cost you depends upon how close you are to the date of first travel and how full the flights are. It really doesn't matter whether you change dates, destination, routing, go from from one-way to round-trip or any other change you can think of. Just think of your current one-way America West ticket as being worth what you paid for it, less a $100 change fee. I would not expect HP to waive that change fee for you, they only do so under very limited circumstances and I predict you won't qualify for that exception.

So here's how to figure out the options and respective costs.

Price out your new itinerary on-line either at americawest.com. Then add a $100 change fee to that amount. Then subtract the amount you paid for the one-way ticket you currently have. That's your new cost.

Then, assuming the one-way return ticket you currently have is still workable for you in terms of date and time, price out a second, one-way ticket for the outbound leg. Compare that to the cost of the first option. Those two options are what what a telephone agent will offer you.