Originally Posted by terenz
Yes, changes can be made via phone reservations without penalty up until the free refund/cancellation deadline despite what online fees are generated. Bear in mind that any itinerary changes force the entire itinerary to be reconstructed (agents told me they just can't replace a flight or two) so fares may change due to fare structure and routing.
This is true, but it can also sometimes work in your favor. A couple months ago bought a ticket returning to EWR, then found out that it would be much easier if I returned to LGA. Called the next day, and they swapped out the MSP-EWR leg for a MSP-LGA leg, _and_ refunded me the $18 difference between the fares (although it took a week or two for the $18 to show back up on my credit card).
I had bought the ticket at nwa.com, and the changes were reflected in
MyInfo immediately after I got off the phone. Plus my travel companion (who I had recently referred to Worldperks) still got the online purchase bonus and we both got the referral bonuses for buying the ticket online.
I really really like this customer first thing.