Change fee over double the cost of new flight?
Oct 6, 2011, 3:48 am
#1
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Change fee over double the cost of new flight?
I have just tried to change a flight for next week from one day to the next day. Ba.com served me up an error and I tried via the BAEC Sliver Line.
I was quoted £224 to change my BA2914 to the BA2906 on the following day. I appreciate there are change fees (I am currently booked in a Q fare bucket) but did not expect the fare to be more than double the cost of booking a new one-way flight £110!
This is not a rant, just wondered if it was usual?
NV
I was quoted £224 to change my BA2914 to the BA2906 on the following day. I appreciate there are change fees (I am currently booked in a Q fare bucket) but did not expect the fare to be more than double the cost of booking a new one-way flight £110!
This is not a rant, just wondered if it was usual?
NV
Oct 6, 2011, 4:05 am
#3
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If i have to discard a domestic to/from EDI, it's always better just to cancel the ticket and buy a new ticket. Never would save money by changing the ticket.
I suppose if it was the first part of a leg, and you couldn't just bin the ticket, you'd need to pay the change fee. But the fee seems disproportionate to the work and costs to BA of changing a ticket
I suppose if it was the first part of a leg, and you couldn't just bin the ticket, you'd need to pay the change fee. But the fee seems disproportionate to the work and costs to BA of changing a ticket
Oct 6, 2011, 4:09 am
#4
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Is it a plain (MAN-)LON-MAN ticket or is it just the final leg of a ticket to a further destination? If the latter, it could be that the whole fare component needs to be upgraded and therefore cost more. I am struggling to find any other explanation.
Oct 6, 2011, 4:16 am
#5
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If the new flight is close to departure and/or pretty full, it may be that only the higher fare buckets are now available.
On LGW-MAN, the base one-way fares ranges from GBP2.00 to over GBP100. The Q bucket one-way is GBP11.00. Certainly a wide variation.
Which date are you looking at ?
hth
On LGW-MAN, the base one-way fares ranges from GBP2.00 to over GBP100. The Q bucket one-way is GBP11.00. Certainly a wide variation.
Which date are you looking at ?
hth
Oct 6, 2011, 4:34 am
#6
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If the new flight is close to departure and/or pretty full, it may be that only the higher fare buckets are now available.
On LGW-MAN, the base one-way fares ranges from GBP2.00 to over GBP100. The Q bucket one-way is GBP11.00. Certainly a wide variation.
Which date are you looking at ?
hth
On LGW-MAN, the base one-way fares ranges from GBP2.00 to over GBP100. The Q bucket one-way is GBP11.00. Certainly a wide variation.
Which date are you looking at ?
hth
a) there is an extremely high change fee (which would not be the case on a plain vanilla MAN-LON-MAN ticket);
b) the flight is part of a wider itinerary and the whole fare component beyond LON/MAN is being repriced (and may also have a fairty high change fee);
Oct 6, 2011, 4:56 am
#7
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The ticket in question is the return segment of a simple MAN-LGW-MAN and I have not yet taken the first MAN-LGW leg. Iis the high change fee because I have to effectively book into a new bucket as well for the first leg?
The quote of £110 for the o/w LGW-MAN was taken from the BA website just before I posted the thread. Whilst on the phone I was informed that the flight was busy (hence £110 o/w I guess) but still didnt expect it to be that much to change the ticket.
I think I will just take the train between Euston-Manchester for £23 instead.
NV
The quote of £110 for the o/w LGW-MAN was taken from the BA website just before I posted the thread. Whilst on the phone I was informed that the flight was busy (hence £110 o/w I guess) but still didnt expect it to be that much to change the ticket.
I think I will just take the train between Euston-Manchester for £23 instead.
NV
Oct 6, 2011, 5:32 am
#8
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Yep. That explains it. Generally speaking, on most airlines, changes made before the first segment is flown results in a cancellation of the whole ticket and repricing at current fares.
Oct 6, 2011, 5:51 am
#9
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: near EDI
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One of the rules for changing is that you can't change into a lower fare bucket, even if they are available.
So, I had a semi-flex EDI-LHR-EDI and arrived early back at LHR to catch the return.
At the desk, th eoption I was offered was to pay the £60 change fee, plus £30 admin (?) plus the difference up to the next bucket which was fully flex Y. Total just under £200.
The agent advised there were lower non-flex buckets available but the system wouldn't let her change me down to one of them.
Other option, as mentioned above, was to abandon the booking and buy a one-way for approx £120.
In the end, neither were worth it to save an hour which I passed quite happily in the lounge.
So, I had a semi-flex EDI-LHR-EDI and arrived early back at LHR to catch the return.
At the desk, th eoption I was offered was to pay the £60 change fee, plus £30 admin (?) plus the difference up to the next bucket which was fully flex Y. Total just under £200.
The agent advised there were lower non-flex buckets available but the system wouldn't let her change me down to one of them.
Other option, as mentioned above, was to abandon the booking and buy a one-way for approx £120.
In the end, neither were worth it to save an hour which I passed quite happily in the lounge.