Change Fee for for increasing coach fare class?
Jan 20, 2014, 7:50 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2008
Programs: AS MVPG, CO, NW(now DL), Flying Blue
Posts: 6,554
Change Fee for for increasing coach fare class?
A friend that doesnt have elite status has 2 segments on AS that are in Q and K class. If they want to use miles to upgrade will there be change fee charges for calling and having them put into the higher H fare bucket?
I know there will be difference in fare costs
I know there will be difference in fare costs
Jan 20, 2014, 12:51 pm
#3
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If its within 60 days I think there is a charge. Only clear exception I saw was upfaring to F:
If its within 60 days I think there is a charge. Only clear exception I saw was upfaring to F:
Code:
EXCEPTION -
FARES MAY BE UPGRADED TO ANY F- TYPE FARE
WITHOUT COLLECTING THE CHANGE FEE. PASSENGER MUST
PAY ADDITIONAL COLLECTION BETWEEN ORIGINAL FARE
AND FIRST CLASS FARE. THE NEW TICKET MAY BE
REFUNDED TO A CREIDT CERTIFICATE ONLY. NON-REF
MUST BE SHOWN IN THE ENDORSEMENT BOX OF REISSUED
TICKET
2/ IF CHANGES ARE BEING MADE TO ALL SEGMENTS
OF A TICKET THEN PRICE ITINERARY WITH THE CURRENT
FARES AND ALL RULES PROVISIONS MUST BE MET.
3/ IF CHANGES ARE BEING MADE TO ANY FARE
COMPONENT THEN PRICE THE FARE COMPONENTS THAT ARE
CHANGING WITH THE CURRENT FARES AND ALL RULE
PROVISIONS MUST BE MET.
4/ IF CHANGES ARE BEING MADE TO THE 1ST FARE
COMPONENT AND THERE ARE SUBSEQUENT FARE
COMPONENTS THAT ARE NOT CHANGING THEN THE 1ST
FARE COMPONENET MUST BE PRICED WITH CURRENT FARES
AND ALL RULE PROVISIONS MUST BE MET. THE
SUBSEQUENT FARE COMPONENTS DO NOT NEED TO BE
CHANGED.
5/ FOR ALL OTHER CHANGES PRICE ITINERARY WITH
CURRENT FARES AND ALL RULE PROVISIONS MUST BE MET.
IN ALL CASES THE UNUSED SEGMENTS MAY BE PRICED
AT CURRENT FARES AND RULES AND IF THE ITINERARY
PRICES SUCH THAT AN ADD-COLLECT WOULD NOT APPLY
THEN THIS METHOD OF REISSUE MAY BE USED. CHARGE
THE CHANGE FEE AND APPLY THE CANCELLATION
Jan 20, 2014, 1:15 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2008
Programs: AS MVPG, CO, NW(now DL), Flying Blue
Posts: 6,554
thanks,
When I read over the fare rules this morning I didnt see any exceptions for it either and assumed there might be a charge although IMO you arent really "changing" the PNR and if someone is willing to pay a higher fare bucket than whats currently being sold and burn miles for the exact same flights AS would be foolish to discourage it with a change fee
FWIW I just got off the phone with AS. It took them 20 minutes to upgrade 2 segments but in any case there wasnt a change fee. In better judgement I didnt even bring it up nor did they bring it up. I dont know if its because I called the gold desk and used my miles to upgrade someone or if merely upgauging to a higher fare catergory doesnt really constitue a "change" since date, time, location, and flights dont change at all and probably no new PNR generated. So it all worked out. Otherwise the person wouldve been better off keeping their original coach seats or paying up to F to get extra miles, BR access and my saved 15K miles because with a change fee tacked onto the up faring wouldve brought the cost within about $75 to $125 of paid F
When I read over the fare rules this morning I didnt see any exceptions for it either and assumed there might be a charge although IMO you arent really "changing" the PNR and if someone is willing to pay a higher fare bucket than whats currently being sold and burn miles for the exact same flights AS would be foolish to discourage it with a change fee
FWIW I just got off the phone with AS. It took them 20 minutes to upgrade 2 segments but in any case there wasnt a change fee. In better judgement I didnt even bring it up nor did they bring it up. I dont know if its because I called the gold desk and used my miles to upgrade someone or if merely upgauging to a higher fare catergory doesnt really constitue a "change" since date, time, location, and flights dont change at all and probably no new PNR generated. So it all worked out. Otherwise the person wouldve been better off keeping their original coach seats or paying up to F to get extra miles, BR access and my saved 15K miles because with a change fee tacked onto the up faring wouldve brought the cost within about $75 to $125 of paid F
Last edited by ANC; Jan 20, 2014 at 1:21 pm
Jan 20, 2014, 1:22 pm
#5
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Glad it worked out ^
Try doing this on DL (ducks)
Glad it worked out ^
Try doing this on DL (ducks)
Jan 20, 2014, 1:39 pm
#6
Ambassador: Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS MVP Gold
Posts: 2,732
In theory any change to the PNR will require a change fee except for the explicitly-listed waivers:
- 1st 24 hours
- more than 60 days out
- upfare to F
- MVPG members
This includes changing the fare class. It sounds like you were able to get some special consideration from AS for this particular case (which I agree was probably the right choice in this case), but we should be careful to set expectations correctly for future/other cases.
- 1st 24 hours
- more than 60 days out
- upfare to F
- MVPG members
This includes changing the fare class. It sounds like you were able to get some special consideration from AS for this particular case (which I agree was probably the right choice in this case), but we should be careful to set expectations correctly for future/other cases.
Jan 20, 2014, 1:41 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2008
Programs: AS MVPG, CO, NW(now DL), Flying Blue
Posts: 6,554
In theory any change to the PNR will require a change fee except for the explicitly-listed waivers:
- 1st 24 hours
- more than 60 days out
- upfare to F
- MVPG members
This includes changing the fare class. It sounds like you were able to get some special consideration from AS for this particular case (which I agree was probably the right choice in this case), but we should be careful to set expectations correctly for future/other cases.
- 1st 24 hours
- more than 60 days out
- upfare to F
- MVPG members
This includes changing the fare class. It sounds like you were able to get some special consideration from AS for this particular case (which I agree was probably the right choice in this case), but we should be careful to set expectations correctly for future/other cases.
Jan 21, 2014, 12:25 am
#8
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 30
At this time (always SCWN), the policy is that if you are not changing anything else but the fare (i.e. going from Q to H) in order to be eligible for a redemptive upgrade, we charge only the difference in fare - no service fee. Since the majority of passengers who wish to use miles book the ticket in the upgrade class to begin with, there aren't that many calls with this request so an agent may have to review the rules before processing the change.
Jan 21, 2014, 7:50 am
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Programs: HH Gold, AA Gold
Posts: 10,457
At this time (always SCWN), the policy is that if you are not changing anything else but the fare (i.e. going from Q to H) in order to be eligible for a redemptive upgrade, we charge only the difference in fare - no service fee. Since the majority of passengers who wish to use miles book the ticket in the upgrade class to begin with, there aren't that many calls with this request so an agent may have to review the rules before processing the change.
Jan 21, 2014, 9:27 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2008
Programs: AS MVPG, CO, NW(now DL), Flying Blue
Posts: 6,554
excellent thanks for answering and its good to see that AS staff still has common sense when it comes to this policy! You could probably decrease your calls greatly if after buying the H or higher fares online if after the purchase, the customers could upgrade themselves if they were using their own miles rather than calling in 
Last edited by ANC; Jan 21, 2014 at 2:55 pm
Jan 21, 2014, 11:17 am
#11
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: BOS
Programs: DL GM
Posts: 300
So glad I came across this thread today. Just five minutes ago, noticed that both the T and K fare for a ticket had dropped significantly in price for me and a companion. Well below my original booking price. Plus U space had opened.
I was able to GARR online, but it forced me into the T-fare online. The website wanted to charge a change fee for my companion to upfare, but I was able to call in to upfare to the K-fare (for $10 each) with no change fees and apply a Gold Guest cert. Woohoo! Saved some money PLUS got an upgrade.
Thanks to ANC for asking the question, and EskimoGirl for answering.
I was able to GARR online, but it forced me into the T-fare online. The website wanted to charge a change fee for my companion to upfare, but I was able to call in to upfare to the K-fare (for $10 each) with no change fees and apply a Gold Guest cert. Woohoo! Saved some money PLUS got an upgrade.
Thanks to ANC for asking the question, and EskimoGirl for answering.