Sorry to tell you this but they do not give you a break on the change fee. I thought that the price was $200 but I guess it must have gone up since last summer. However, if you look at it from another perspective, you may feel better. How much money did you save by purchasing R fares vs J fares? I suspect each R ticket saved you several thousand dollars, so you will be saving a bit less than before, but you are still better off than having no R fare at all. Have a great trip and enjoy the up front amenities.