Originally Posted by
HanBkk
After I booked the new ticket, it occurred to me that I should have called back and talked to a different agent. I should have thought of that before booking the new ticket. I guess I believed her because when I tried to do the change online, I received an error message that there was no suitable fare available. At least the 20% extra loss for the refund fee is not too much given that the fare was actually very good.
Based on your accounts, it does appear that the agent was wrong.
I change tickets frequently, and usually use Ctrip or elong because apart from the fact that their agents tend to be competent, they are MUCH better than airline staff when it comes to rebooking on other carriers.
I only book directly with airlines when the fare difference is substantial ,(often the case with spring), and my plans are unlikely to change.
The extra 3% usually doesn't affect me, but even if it did, I maintain that is a small price to pay for better (and faster) service. I say this in spite of the fact that neither are as good now as they were in past years.