I was in PVG this week, the board is still there.

I've asked at KIX and they wanted a reticketing fee to change flights.

Pvg and PEK I think still ok

the F class HKg checkin agent told me is a recent thing. Maybe a few exceptions or slip throughs.

Japan ports never allow free change unless overbook.

I recently did it in MNL and PVG...no issues

Tried one time with my ticket to TPE which is a avios redemption at HK station but the staff said they cant change it as it is a ticket issued by BA and asked me to contact BA directly (surely need a surcharge).

Guess it is not applicable to ticket issued by partners airline regardless redemption tickets or revenue tickets.

Not true. Avios ticket can be changed as well. Yet, Avios ticket going to taipei always have problem with online check-in and issuing e-boarding pass.

For PVG it seems that it depends on the agent. Sometimes im asked to pay the change fee which i believe is around HKD150 othertimes I am allowed to change to an earlier flight.

Side note last week i was stuck at lovely PVG for 5 hrs and the airside staff were no help at all. saw 4 cx/ka planes take off before mine was allowed to take off

Asked at PEK today and was told that since the days schedule was all on time and no delays then if I wanted to change then $1000HKD per person. (Not sure where this figure came from)

PVG, PEK - wow. Is CA and MU still allowing this?

I tried this at PVG back in June this year and was told the same. No delay, no free change. I was asked to pay the rebooking fee on my V ticket.

New rule creates more angst. But think these are revenue tickets not redemption tickets:

I'm not sure this is a new rule?
 

The thread points out something good for everyone to know. But I'm not so sure this is new?

At Taipei for years (I don't know exactly, but at least 3 years now) they simply haven't been willing to change a cash ticket for me, if I'm on a D or I fare biz ticket. (Asia Miles tickets are permitted to change.) Unless you pay the change fee for those ticket types. And I'm never asked to change when I'm on C or J sub fare classes, which makes sense because I don't think they have change fees. I've been asked to do this a few times the last few years: they ask you to walk over to the counter near the escalators, pay some money, and then you're on your way. There is an exception: If they need help shuffling loads around. For example later flights are booked full, or there was a cancellation, or a storm is coming, or there are a bunch of ID standbys expected for later, etc. etc. TPE ground staff managers have discretion. I've noticed they generally check with the station manager or person at those front seats before deciding whether to charge you or not, but the default is to charge you IME. I've been DM the last 10+ years and they haven't been shy about charging me for roughly the last 5 or so years. Back in the pre-2013 or pre-2014 days, yes I definitely agree it was you could change whenever you wanted. But this current policy, at least at TPE and HKG, has been going on for some time IME unless CX benefits by you switching, in which case they just do it for free.

I've seen it taken for fact on here that you could change willy nilly, especially us DMs. That might've been others' experiences but certainly wasn't mine! I know there are others who fly regionally more than me, but I'm not a lightweight either! I probably fly regionally on CX or KA 4-8 sectors a month. I agree you often can/could change without penalty as DM, but I also found fairly regularly in at least the last 3 years, maybe last 5 years (especially at TPE, SIN and HKG) the rules are enforced unless CX benefits by having you switch flights. The strictest ports IME have been TPE and HKG about charging for years. I suspect some of the "you can switch when you want" misnomer has grown out of the scenarios where CX benefits by you switching, or on Asia Miles tickets (which are allowed to change at the airport, and always have been allowed to), or maybe just simple confusion about the ticket terms. Another example, Mrs. QRC got charged at HKG earlier this year for changing a flight time to TPE. She is DM as well. She was on an ex-HKG round trip biz class fare to Taipei, and she must've booked one of the lower fare classes.

At PVG and PEK, there is something of a middle ground going on. If you are DM, IME they will waive it. I just had this happen a week ago, and many times before that. But GO is iffy, and under that forget it if the schedules are on time. There are so many DMs traveling ex-PEK and ex-PVG that CX doesn't need to accommodate Golds most of the time even if CX needs "help", if I'm just being blunt about it. A business partner who is CX Silver was flying ex-PVG in August; I remember it clearly because I was surprised, when KA refused to put her on an earlier flight, despite her having a 2 hour connection in Hong Kong. If she wanted to switch to the early flight, they were demanding an upfare. I was surprised because I had it in my head anybody could switch for free at PVG and take an earlier flight, especially with a connection. But no. Her regularly-scheduled flight left on time and she made the connection. Fwiw her ticket was purchased through an online travel agent.

Anyway, it's interesting they're playing tough right now given the situation. But I don't really blame them because I well remember those days 5+ years ago when you absolutely wouldn't get charged. You could just buy the cheapest tickets and really assume you could always get on earlier. I don't mind them doing it this way. Especially since it does seem to be fairly reasonable.

Thought I'd share because it definitely lines up with the thread's current state of affairs. Although IME the strictness started a while back. Very useful thread though.

This should be PRC's rule. No matter I'm in PVG or PEK, once I'm in airside i.e. I'm associated with a specific boarding pass, I can't change flight anymore. I did ask for flight change once years ago and I was told I need to go back to landside check-in counter to get a new BP and re-do the entire custom and security screening

Should be your ticket's T&C... Economy save ex-HKG now charges you $1000 for changing flight

I told them I was willing to leave and re-enter and they still were no help but thanks for the bit of news. I did not think that PRC rules would limit that!