Reusing/Recovering value of partial used ticket (eg. cancelled return) [Consolidated]
Back in November I cancelled the return of my SFO-LIM paid ticket, choosing instead to return via an award ticket on a much-better itin. I assumed there would be no remaining value to the original ticket, but the agent on the phone (at the time it was cancelled) assured me otherwise, however, there was no way to know the value without booking another trip. That seemed odd. She assured me it wasn't an easy thing to figure out.
Today I tried to apply whatever credit there might be to an SFO-CDG itin in July. The agent tried, said she couldn't do it herself, was surprised that it appeared there actually should be some residual value, then worked with the rate desk. Something weird about how it had to be booked as an extension of the original ticket.
35 minutes later (ok, 33 minutes, I'll allow 2 minutes to explain the request, 35 minutes total call time) she says yes, there is a credit! The flight I want can be had for $1350. Plus a $250 change fee. She says this earnestly, like yes, she's surprised, this can work! Then I mention to her that the outright fare, which had been previously discussed, was $1387. Insert pregnant pause here. Oh.
Why do such things take so long, and if it's really this complicated, wastes so much time that could have been spent helping people who need to get where they're going, why isn't there a simple test that says sorry, nothing left on this ticket, go away, what do you expect when you throw away the return?