Question on Ticket Changes
Oct 1, 2014, 4:20 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: QF WP LTG PC+,OW Emerald
Posts: 286
Question on Ticket Changes
I booked a ticket during a business sale almost a year ago.
Looking at the booking and the E-ticket - I can not find the terms and conditions anywhere. So I phoned and was told the only way to get the terms and conditions was verbally from the operator.
She advised that if I could find I bucket seats I could do the change for just something like $60 and any small change in taxes.
When I came to make the changes I phoned again and was told that it would need to be re-ticketed because it involved a date change of the first flight. This would cost $60 and the difference in fair which would be hundreds. This was regardless if the routing was the same.
Rather than pay the telephone assistance fee as well - I made the change on the website and it cost me about $900. The new fair were also in I on all sectors.
The new ticket did involve a change of routing (no stop overs) but ADL-HKG via SYD one way and BNE the other instead of MEL both ways. This I might expect to involve re ticketing and airfare difference.
What is the real story? I don't recall getting so stung for change of dates before - unless it required a fair bucket change.
Is there a publicly available reference on all this IATA stuff?
What would normally prompt pay 'difference in fair' requirement?
Looking at the booking and the E-ticket - I can not find the terms and conditions anywhere. So I phoned and was told the only way to get the terms and conditions was verbally from the operator.
She advised that if I could find I bucket seats I could do the change for just something like $60 and any small change in taxes.
When I came to make the changes I phoned again and was told that it would need to be re-ticketed because it involved a date change of the first flight. This would cost $60 and the difference in fair which would be hundreds. This was regardless if the routing was the same.
Rather than pay the telephone assistance fee as well - I made the change on the website and it cost me about $900. The new fair were also in I on all sectors.
The new ticket did involve a change of routing (no stop overs) but ADL-HKG via SYD one way and BNE the other instead of MEL both ways. This I might expect to involve re ticketing and airfare difference.
What is the real story? I don't recall getting so stung for change of dates before - unless it required a fair bucket change.
Is there a publicly available reference on all this IATA stuff?
What would normally prompt pay 'difference in fair' requirement?
Oct 1, 2014, 4:23 am
#2
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,571
If you make a change to outbound , then you will be liable for any change fee plus any fare difference ... and it is based on what the fares are now...not what the fare was in the sale last year
If you had made changes after departure then you may have only been up for change fee if the new routing was valid for fare purchased and if there had been availability in the same booking class
If you had made changes after departure then you may have only been up for change fee if the new routing was valid for fare purchased and if there had been availability in the same booking class
Oct 1, 2014, 4:25 am
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: BA Gold, QF WP
Posts: 12,551
You would need to read the fare rules for what you've purchased, but generally unless you have flown the outbound you would pay the change fee (as determined by the fare rules) and the ticket would be repriced according to the current fares available.
Once the outbound or first segment is flown, then any changes just involve the change fee (assuming the fare rules allow changes).
Once the outbound or first segment is flown, then any changes just involve the change fee (assuming the fare rules allow changes).