Originally Posted by
Dr. HFH
When you call to make the change, take this approach: "I'm thinking about changing my ticket [describe change here]. If I did that, would there be any additional charge? How much?" That's what I always do on any ticket. If you call and say, "Hi, I'd like to change my ticket to....", you could end up with an agent who, in his/her zeal to provide good customer service, makes the change before you understand the cost. Then the space you previously had may be unavailable. Overly cautious, yes; but I always prefer to avoid rather than solve problems.
Nothing wrong with taking a cautious approach, of course. If on the phone with an agent, the usual process is for the agent to make the changes in the PNR and calculate the price/fees without committing the changes (like editing a document but not saving it). Then if you say "Oh, I didn't realize it would cost that much, never mind," the agent discards the changes and everything is as it was. As far as I know, there's not a way for an agent to know what the charge would be without tentatively making them and seeing, especially when changing the ticketed points or airline code on a flight, since there could be tax differences even if there's no fare difference or fee.