Originally Posted by
QRC3288
3+ years ago, yes I agree you could just show up and they'd basically ignore your ticket conditions. But they are definitely hemming a much tighter line in recent years. If your fare requires an update or change fee, they ask for it in my recent experiences (except at PVG and PEK).
It must be way more than 3 (at least 8) years ago. I bought a ticket with a USD100 change fee. I went to TPE and tried to check in early. The check-in lady initially said I had to pay the change fee. Then she took a closer look and found that my flight was behind schedule for 30 min. She asked me to wait while she requested her manager to waive the fee. I was able to switch to an earlier flight for free because of flight delay. I was a DM and they still need to find a reason to waive the fee.