One, because the non-refundable fare has been booked and paid for and passed the 24-hr refund mark; two, because it appears that purchasing the EQMs will actually cost more than the fare (if there's a trick around that, I'd love to know it... every time I've looked at that possibility the cost is prohibitive) and three, I don't have the cash in the bank account, or room on a card right now to purchase a refundable fare, let alone miles at the price that's being offered.

If there's something I'm missing I'd love to know what it is. If you operate on a tight budget, purchasing EQMs doesn't appear to make much sense. Is there a cheap way to buy them that I've not discovered?

Apologies to the OP. This was your question thread, not mine. Sorry.