<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by QF WP:
No it wouldn't. You've paid the $27.50 cancellation fee + purchased a fare in a higher class (albeit on your preferred flight). QF wins, you win.
We do things differently Down Under. 
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Yep, you sure do!
In the U.S. (on AA), they would have been more than happy to charge me $100 (the standard change fee here - about A$150) plus the fare difference. QF was a perfunctory "no - you can't change".
All QF got for that approach was two OW emerald fliers who weren't exactly impressed with the level of "service" provided and who, along with the QF/QC member they were travelling with, spent about 7 hours sitting in the QC, using the conference rooms and eating and drinking whatever was on offer.
Depending on what the fare difference was, we might - or might not - have changed. However, refusing to even discuss it (or setting your fare rules so it can't be done) strikes me as a pretty dumb way to run an airline.