A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
Programs: AA Gold 1MM, AS MVP, UA Silver, WN A-List, Marriott LT Titanium, HH Diamond
Posts: 53,012
If you think you're going to be changing the dates of your flights, your best bet is Southwest (since you're asking about U.S. carriers...).
If you need a legacy carrier, I know AA sells a no-change-fee add on to most fares. They bundle it with a lot of the basic elite benefits, so if you're already elite it's not a particularly good value. (If you *aren't* elite, then it depends on how much you value the elite benefits.) But it's definitely better than buying a fully-refundable ticket, as long as you're fairly certain you *will* eventually fly.