We are booking a 2-4-1 for July 2014 and are restricted to a 2 week Sunday to Saturday period while our daughter is at summer camp.

Originally booked ORD - LON - VCE at 355 days out. Added VCE - LON - EWR 2 weeks later. I figured I could add in positioning flights later on.

About 310 days out, I was able to rebook the outbound from IAD and upgraded J to F. DBV flights also opened up, so I started my return from there, still going to EWR.

Ticket was sent to the rate desk for tax calculation. When I called back a few days later, I was quoted a $4 tax refund and a $65 change fee, please 25K miles. I knew the mileage charge should only be 20K, so I decided to call back later.

Called in after the weekend. Quickly confirmed that the mileage change was only 20K. However was given a total tax / fee change of $292 pp. Rep could not give me a explanation of what changed from the previous call, but assured me he was right now. Final agreed to go through revenue quotes of new / old flights to determine the difference. Discovered that the additional change was for the changed today on the EWR segment timing, which created a 24.tr hour stopover in LON. I was not informed of that change.

Since my IAD flight change was not yet booked, I was given a choice: Keep the ORD flight origin and pay no taxes or pay the taxes and get the flights I wanted. Finally talked them into giving me the requested changes with no increased taxes, but had to keep the bad timing on the EWR flight.

Was told that if that moved me to an earlier LHR - JFK flight, my ticket would be marked as an involuntary change and I could not make any changes to any flight, unless all segment were currently available in reward classes. Really? Have the stars ever aligned like that? Since we are still 10 months out, I couldn't give up that flexibility.

That seems very restrictive. Are those really the rules? Or is this a situation where I need to call in one more time.

I am less hopeful that award flights will open up to IAD. Awards flight had been opening up on a daily basis, but seemed to have stopped at 7/16.

A 7 pm arrival to Newark is not really acceptable. I will need to take Amtrak to Washington and transfer from Union Station to IAD. We will also miss our daughter's Saturday performance at her WV Camp.


Other than hold out for an award flight to IAD, is there anything else I can do? I am exasperated from nearly 3 hours with NA on the phone today and was afraid to hang up as they were going to cancel my IAD departure changes.