How to avoid the HK$300 flight change fee?
 

I have a full-fare (J) ticket issued by another carrier, but involving a CX flight. CX telling me that they have to charge HK$300 even if I want to change to an earlier flight on the same day -- fee applies whether confirmed in advance or even if standby for flight. Wow! Never heard that for a full-fare ticket. Anyway -- any suggestions for how to avoid the fee? I know that sometimes rules are different in different countries -- maybe I can call reservations in a different country (one in which that fee still doesn't apply?)

Any other ideas? On principle, it makes we want to just endorse it over to another carrier, but I'd rather fly CX!

I agree with you on principle. I'd endorse it to another carrier and write to someone senior in CX (perhaps James Barrington) telling him what I had done and why and how much revenue he lost as a result. CX has taken nickel'n'diming to a ridiculous extent now.

As far as I know though, if you want to fly on CX then you have to pay the fee.

I experienced the same on AA and BA and QF, so I think it is Fair for CX to start charging the fee.

What did AA charge for? I know that AA will charge for ticket reissues, but not for simple date/flight changes when the fare is unchanged and the full-fare ticket doesn't need reissuing. Yikes -- is BA now doing this, too?

Who booked it?

If its a full fare ticket issued by your TA, then your TA should be able to change it without penalty. CX will only charge you if you bring the ticket to the CX office/ticket desk, and they do the change for you.

If you just book it over the phone, they shouldn't charge you, as it does not require a reissue - or does it?

Thx for the query, GB. It was booked by my TA (in BKK) who is closed for the weekend, so I can't contact them. I even tried calling the airline on whose stock it's ticketed (OZ; the overwater carrier), and they can't make the change because they don't even see the original segment. I even asked OZ to make a new booking for me, but they refused.

Are you flying OZ segments? Are the CX segments add-ons to the OZ segments? If so, it may be full fare to OZ but not to CX. I am surprised that OZ cannot see your original segment.

Indeed. CX segments likely be booked in C/D/I, not J. All are discounted business classes, not full fare for CX. For manay interline bookings, only the primary carrier is full fare, interline segments are booked in discounted fare classes.

They will charge $25 for EVERYTHING (not jsut reissue) handled on the phone that is NOT booked by AA.

This includes simple things such as seat assignment (YES I know you can do it on aa.com, but in case you don't know sometimes when your reservation is made by a third party eg CX, when there are changes made, it can stuff up the aa.com mechanism and you can't access the booking).

I think CX is doign the right thing to avoid people misusing the CX service.

Also in CUPID you can't do seat assignment on other flights except CX.

My CX seg is indeed booked into J. And, wow, I see that AA now does charge 15 smacks for basically just LOOKING at a PNR they didn't create.

"A fee of $15 USD will also apply when our reservations representatives assign seats or assist with voluntary itinerary changes when the reservation was not created by American Airlines Reservations or on AA.com"

Back to my orig question ... any suggs?

Next up, fees for accessing OW lounges other than the one you are flying on or have status on?