Originally Posted by
JAXBA
Please expand! 
We like details!
We'll never know whether LA gets anything more than your satisfaction or if your change was the butterfly wings that causes a hurricane! Glad that you were able to get away early after all.
I often say that there's no harm in asking. Sometimes the answer can be yes, even if things have to be fudged slightly. If the answer's no, at least you tried. It's when certain pax demand things to go their way regardless that irks customer service staff and makes the whole interaction unpleasant...
LAN staffer in downtown PA office initially insisted not possible to change dates on this tkt, then concedes change is possible at a hefty price (it's a LONE4) . Get distinct impression I'm causing all sorts of problems to smooth running of her day and why don't I go and jump in the Magellan Straight and drown myself a mere 500 metres from the office.
I try to be super pleasant and helpful when asking for things like date changes. "Good afternoon, I was wondering if you could possibly assist me in this matter...that's most kind of you, I really appreciate...." It goes a long way. This Rosa Klebb lookalike was not having it.
But the LAN desk at PUQ late last Saturday night couldn't have been nicer. Super helpful and as a result we have spent a pleasant day in Mediterranean sunshine here in Santiago rather than another day in chilly Chile. Next stop: AUK.
A key rule of business: a useless member of staff can cost you a fortune in lost future sales. If I hadn't had a positive subsequent experience at PUQ I'd probably be forever slagging off LAN in person and via Internet.