Originally Posted by
pinniped
This is completely wrong on many airlines. I rebook myself in response to IROPS all the time, often via the mobile app but sometimes using a mobile browser. If I have to speak a human to do a simple rebook of same origin/destination, that tells me I'm dealing with a primitive airline.
And no, at that point (following a cancellation), you do not need your same fare bucket available (what the OP is getting at). You need seats available in your cabin of service but do not need to upfare after a cancellation.
Of course if you're trying to change something else - flying to a nearby airport that isn't really a coterminal, trying to refund the entire flight, trying to change to a lesser/greater cabin of service, trying to select a flight that is farther away from your original flight than other available ones, etc. - you might need a human...
This has never been my experience. If you work with the carrier to rebook, there is never any issue. If you go online and book another ticket, you're stuck with fare difference. And that's assuming your flight was refundable. There is a difference between waiving a change fee and refunding the ticket.
Originally Posted by
Often1
Not my experience either and an odd differentiation. If a flight is cancelled, the first thing to do is to get in line and on the phone and deal with whoever you reach first.
The differential here is that if you simply go out and buy a new ticket, that is not rebooking. You will pay whatever the prevailing price for the new ticket is and then you will in due course be due a refund for the ticket for the cancelled flight.
Assuming the original ticket was refundable. It's generally a good idea to work with the airline in these situations.