Originally Posted by
Earthman
EI do the same.
It seems a bit
jobsworth of any airline to refuse to do it.
I mean whats the difference between an empty seat on the later flight and an empty seat on an earlier one?
If anything it seems the better policy to allow a change as it gives them time to sell the later seat for money which is something that would obviously not have been possible for earlier seat if it's going up in the air empty.
They're effectively turning down an opportunity to have 2 paid seats.
It wouldnt be the only thing that would be empty,the laughter by BA for refusing the request for a change would be empty too.
Empty in that case in the sense of being stupid/without justification financially.
There is a huge commercial justification for doing this, otherwise why bother buying a flexible ticket, which after all is where the money is/what pays the bills.
Easyjet only have the one ticket type, so they're not cannibalising higher fare types with the flexibility. If BA did this, why would the business traveller fork out £200 for a one way LHR-EDI when they're not quite sure when their meeting will finish when they can just buy a £30 ticket on the last flight & rock up when it suits them.
There may be a lot of goodwill to be gained from the flexibility, but at the same time it's commercially stupid.