I reported previously about my success in changing an ex EUR MFU at the T4 Terraces ticket desk, after having flown the first Euro leg. Definitely a no-no accordingto the rules, but no problem in practice.

The paid fare basis required a 100 Euro change fee and a change should have required a re-issue with the pernicious £25 (?) fee on top. There was no mention of this when the change was made. The only concern was whether there was U availability on my selected flight.

On the longhaul return, I presented myself at the airport a day early and asked very 'nicely' whether they could move me onto that day's flight. "Oh its an award ticket, lets see. Yes we have space, why not ?"

Again no mention of any additional charges or any issue with the fact that this meant that my last Euro leg (which I am not going to use) would depart more than 24 hours after my arrival into LHR, although I had not originally paid the additional fee for a stopover on that return leg.

I am curious whether these agents knew that they were bending the rules or can they only see the booking as an award tickets ?

I am even more curious why the system is not programmed to ring bells and blow whistles when 'illegal' changes are made. I have noticed this with a number of other bookings, most notably certain of the old ex LIS fares which only permitted a 7 day London stopover, but which could be booked with unlimited stopovers.

By way of computer curiosities, the 1st Euro leg did not post at all in terms of miles / points, whereas the 1st longhual leg posted correctly as T/U with the correct miles and points. How does this come about ? It certainly seems to defy any logic.