No surprise here. I can tell you that I make changes to tickets frequently now. Also - given that we can all subscribe to services to know how the fares work, we often can be more knowledgeable than the agencies. The agencies are also in a high-risk game since they have to pay for their mistakes but they don't get commissions. One big mistake could wipe out a full month of booking revenues for an agent.
One thing that I have noticed is that when making changes on an international completely changeable ticket - Air Canada has almost been completely incapable of making the change. I made a change in July - it involved a new routing (after departure). They then went on to make the following errors.
1.) Did not refund the tax (GB) when routing no longer went via LON or had a stop ($200)
2.) Decided that the new routing was over the MPM and so a surcharge was charged (fare was not mile based and routing chosen was on the valid routing chart).
3.) Took almost 4 weeks to get to the change being made.
It took me telling them they were wrong - after the change was finally made - and having this escalated at AC - that it finally was resolved. I received my refunds 10 days ago - and the charge was made mid-July.
Now - My other half is in the same situation on essentially the same ticket- however - we are only requesting a date change on the exact routing. Date change is around 2 days earlier. Ticket is full-fare and refundable. So far - 3 weeks after requesting the change - it has not been done because they are still "Looking into it".
Frankly - The speed at AC (now - I believe it is mostly my agent's fault - but you never know - many finger pointing) is really completely unacceptable. If I want a change and it's allowed - this should be able to be accomplished with me telling them the date change - and waiting for the ticket to be re-validated or exchanged.
On these complex itineraries - it is a disaster out there because almost nobody does them and agents have seen them so infrequently.
Glad to hear the refund came through - It's just not Orbitz.