Originally Posted by jrkmsp

Called in, and the first agent tried to tell me I was not eligible for a new flight unless the change was more than four hours. I pressed very gently ("I thought it was just one hour?") — and was firmly rebuffed. Fine. I know how this is going to go. ("Well, I guess I was mistaken. Thanks so much for your help. Click.")

Call back five minutes later and get a lovely agent who processes my request within 5 minutes.

I know I'm not the first, and won't be the last, FTer to encounter incompetent airline reservation agents, but I still don't know how it happens. How do these airlines tolerate it?