Originally Posted by
zkzkz
I think what they're saying -- which hasn't been explicitly explained -- is that if you change the return flight now before travel has started the whole ticket is repriced using prices currently in effect as if you were buying the ticket today. If the travel is soon that would mean paying "last minute" prices. However if travel has begun then it's repriced using "historical" prices which means it's as if you were buying the new fare when you bought the original fare.
I hope this isn't too much of an aside/derail, but I've always wondered why this is the case (i.e., why is it that "historical" pricing is used after travel has already begun, whereas current pricing is used if travel has not)? Is this driven by technical/IT reasons, or is there some strategic pricing rationale?
Just curious as I learned about this on Flyertalk, but have never understood
why it works like this!