Originally Posted by
KARFA
J just happens to be the booking class your short haul flights book in to for an I class fare. The flexibility relates to the fare itself, so if the fare is inflexible or only changeable for a fee then that would apply to changing any leg in that itinerary. Your J booking class short haul flight doesn’t mean it is completely flexible.
Yes this is the key point that needs emphasising here. While we often refer to Y, J, F as fully flex classes, it is the actual fare that matters.
Many connecting fares book into these 'flex' classes on the less significant (normally shorthaul) portion of the journey, even though the fare basis will be, for example, a discounted I fare, with the long sector booked into I. Such fares may be very restrictive and indeed in some cases completely unchangeable, including the Y/J sectors.
By contrast, sectors booked into Y/J do come with associated Y/J
class benefits for those sectors even when part of a discounted fare, namely:
- free seat selection
- higher avios & TPs
Flexibility is not one of those benefits, however.