Hello everybody. I am new here.
For the last 8 mos I have been making regular weekend trips CLE-BOS return. I book 14 days in advance, it costs $249, and I was told that there would be no charge for same-day flight changes.
I have successfully switched from a 9:30 pm departure to a 5:40 pm departure, on the day I was scheduled to depart, with no charge.
A few weeks ago, I tried to switch from a 5:40 pm to a 9:30 pm departure, and was told I'd have to pay a couple hundred bucks because later flights were somehow more "desirable". They said I could switch to an earlier flight, but not a later one. Fair 'nuff. Nothing about airline ticket prices make any sense to me anyways.
Two weeks ago I booked a flight for this weekend, and the price has gone up to $263. I'm scheduled to depart today on the 5:40 pm flight. Boss asks if I can stay late, I tell him I can't change without it costing me, he doesn't believe me. So I call my Elite HotLine to confirm it.
Now they tell me that feature is gone, and with the price increase came rule changes. Now they say that to change even to a differnt same-day flight (earlier or later) you pay the full fare difference, as if I was rebooking the flight on same-day departure. The guy wanted to charge me over $800.
I dunno, I think I smell a misinformed employee. Anybody have any info on this?
For the last 8 mos I have been making regular weekend trips CLE-BOS return. I book 14 days in advance, it costs $249, and I was told that there would be no charge for same-day flight changes.
I have successfully switched from a 9:30 pm departure to a 5:40 pm departure, on the day I was scheduled to depart, with no charge.
A few weeks ago, I tried to switch from a 5:40 pm to a 9:30 pm departure, and was told I'd have to pay a couple hundred bucks because later flights were somehow more "desirable". They said I could switch to an earlier flight, but not a later one. Fair 'nuff. Nothing about airline ticket prices make any sense to me anyways.
Two weeks ago I booked a flight for this weekend, and the price has gone up to $263. I'm scheduled to depart today on the 5:40 pm flight. Boss asks if I can stay late, I tell him I can't change without it costing me, he doesn't believe me. So I call my Elite HotLine to confirm it.
Now they tell me that feature is gone, and with the price increase came rule changes. Now they say that to change even to a differnt same-day flight (earlier or later) you pay the full fare difference, as if I was rebooking the flight on same-day departure. The guy wanted to charge me over $800.
I dunno, I think I smell a misinformed employee. Anybody have any info on this?
Uninformed telephone agents are all too common, however I believe that changes to a reservation record requires a change fee (if applicacable) and fare adjustments.
Stand-by for earlier/later flight is normally permited in fare rules, for example a discounted ticket I recently purchased (Q fare) includes "REROUTE........PSGRS WITH CONFIRMED TKTS MAY STANDBY FOR EARLIER/ LATER SAME DAY FLIGHTS ON WHICH THESE FARES APPLY."
I hope this helps, welcome to FlyerTalk.
Stand-by for earlier/later flight is normally permited in fare rules, for example a discounted ticket I recently purchased (Q fare) includes "REROUTE........PSGRS WITH CONFIRMED TKTS MAY STANDBY FOR EARLIER/ LATER SAME DAY FLIGHTS ON WHICH THESE FARES APPLY."
I hope this helps, welcome to FlyerTalk.
I just realised that I booked this one ticket using a $250 coupon I'd been given a few months ago as compensation for being bumped. Do you think this put me in a different fare class?
It just doesn't make sense to me: if the flight isn't full, why should they care if I want to fly at 5:30 or 9:30?? How do they keep a straight face when they say "that will be $800 please, ma'am"!
It just doesn't make sense to me: if the flight isn't full, why should they care if I want to fly at 5:30 or 9:30?? How do they keep a straight face when they say "that will be $800 please, ma'am"!
I think that the term "ON WHICH THESE FARES APPLY"also may refer to time of day or flight number restrictions in fare rules.
These restrictions are often in competitive fare matches where the competing airline has limited service on a route.
My experience as an elite standing-by for an earlier flight on cheapo tickets has been that if there was a seat available for a revenue passenger 10 minutes before departure, I was given it.
These restrictions are often in competitive fare matches where the competing airline has limited service on a route.
My experience as an elite standing-by for an earlier flight on cheapo tickets has been that if there was a seat available for a revenue passenger 10 minutes before departure, I was given it.
Original Member
I, too, have done the same thing, Old Gold. However, the "catcher" clause is there for a reason. What reason, I'm not sure, but probably to take advantage of someone not aware.
As much as I like CO's OnePass program, one of the main reasons I stay close to United is the fact that 50K fliers and up can make changes on the same day, earlier or later, for no fee.
Original Member
I think the key point is "STANDBY". You risk nothing if you are booked at 9:30pm and standby for the 5:40pm, but if you are booked for 5:40pm and standby for 9:30pm there are no guarantees unless you PAY.
For example, another airline could cancel a flight and send over all their pax to CO and you could be outta luck. Of course, they really should confirm you on the later flight as a courtesy, but sometimes you get an overly ambitious type, like the supermarket checkers who read the fine print on the coupons.
[This message has been edited by mrjohnnyt (edited 04-14-2001).]
For example, another airline could cancel a flight and send over all their pax to CO and you could be outta luck. Of course, they really should confirm you on the later flight as a courtesy, but sometimes you get an overly ambitious type, like the supermarket checkers who read the fine print on the coupons.
[This message has been edited by mrjohnnyt (edited 04-14-2001).]
Last week I had a 4-segment run from CAK-DTW-GRR-MSP-MCI but when I got to the airport I was really tired, so asked if there was any chance of an invol re-route. The ticketing agent rerouted me CAK-DTW-MCI, in 3A from DTW-MCI. Much nicer than 3 coach flights (I was in FC MSP-MCI already).
Initially one of the ticketing agents said I'd need to pay or use miles to reroute, since the only seat available on the DTW-MCI leg was in FC, but I pointed out that I was Silver Elite, and that did the trick. It never hurts to ask. :-)
This was a NWA ticket flying on my OP number, btw.
Initially one of the ticketing agents said I'd need to pay or use miles to reroute, since the only seat available on the DTW-MCI leg was in FC, but I pointed out that I was Silver Elite, and that did the trick. It never hurts to ask. :-)
This was a NWA ticket flying on my OP number, btw.