Hello chaps... I just wanted to report back to this really old thread.

On my flight date from HKG to TPE, there weren't any suitable alternatives (there was a flight leaving an hour earlier operated by a regional 777... hmmm no thanks :P). So I didn't ask.

Yet, when returning, I tried to change to a later flight in TPE operated by an A350. I asked nicely to the check-in and the friendly agent tried asking her supervisor and, later her manager... but to no avail... apparently neither the supervisor or the manager were having very goods days... :/

Oh well.

I've got a flight on the MAN-HKG route... if they somehow do the impossible and change the a/c on this long haul route (not possible right? :P) they must really not want me on the A350 hahaha

I was flying Class I, which yes, is the lower-end J fare class

No ticket change restrictions besides fare class?

Changes are allowed, but aren't free. I was hoping a change on the day would be excluded from this.

The agent even calculated the fee to change to the other flight to be around ~ $500 for a one hour flight...

In some outports they are more lenient, for example Shanghai and Beijing, where delays are endemic. Despite service-related complaints in other threads, I've come to be thankful for the (true, sometimes curt) BJIA / Shanghai Airport staff. They get the job done for those of us who are stuck traveling to and from those two godforsaken airports multiple times a month.

HKG and TPE you are almost guaranteed they'll charge you, unless they really need you to switch. But if it's voluntary on your end and they don't have any issues, you should just expect to pay. It's not the end of the world. The manager in Taipei told me (on an occasion I had to pay up) the increased enforcement a few years ago was a direct result of elites buying I fare and low end economy tickets, and expecting to be able to change it for free at the airport due to status. She said there were some major DYKWIA incidents at Taipei with lovely Diamond members being quite rude about it.

I always felt that CX is just helping herself for PEK and PVG. It is better to put a person onto a flight as early as possible to avoid rebooking the passenger.

For TPE, they are willing to rebook passengers free if their original flights are delayed.

The otherwise happened to me not once but quite a few times.
I used to fly to TPE quite often two years ago. For several inbound flights back to HKG, the check-in staff were usually more than happy to put me on an earlier flight upon my polite request depending on seat availability (regardless of the fact that I had a connecting flight or not). Oh yes the changes were foc.

P/S I booked myself in Business but not sure if I class had already existed back then.

Yup - this is still true until today. I fly out of Taipei 2-3x per month and every time I get to the airport early they're willing to move me to an earlier flight if available. (Almost always book I class)

Really? My last two ex-TPE trips - one on some cheapo economy ticket, and the other on an intra Asia D fare ticket - I was asked to pay the difference. This is in the last two months. I guess it's YMMV.

It's worth nothing I never was asked to pay from about 2-3+ years ago as far back as I can remember. But a few years back they started asking sometimes.

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I've changed almost every time in TPE and never paid. That said, I do it airside not at the checkin desk (because I use TPE as my in-out route for cheaper fares).

Interesting. I've never tried that, smart.

The Diamond card probably helps as well!

Any chance of moving award flights from HKG?