In another thread I asked for help on a problem my wife is having making a change in a full JR fare ticket on NW. This fare is described as BUSINESS CLASS UNRESTRICTED with UNLIMITED FREE STOPOVERS PERMITTED.

Hers is a one-way ticket with a two-leg itinerary. She wants to change the date of the second leg and insert a stopover at the connection city. NW says it would be OK; and it could be re-ticketed without penalty. But NW says the first leg is on an overbooked flight and the seat would be lost if it were cancelled in order to re-ticket. She has absolutely no flexibility on the first leg.

The fare calculation shows codes for the departing, connecting and destination airports and the total price. There is no breakdown for each leg. I assume that means it was priced based on a departure-destination through fare.

It has been suggested that she take the first flight and go to the ticket counter at the connecting airport and re-ticket for the later date. Has anyone had experience with “breaking” this type of fare by “inserting” a stopover at a connection point in a ticketed trip after the trip has begun?