Refundable Fare - Change Fee!
Aug 8, 2007 | 10:52 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: PHL
Programs: UA 1K, Avis President; Marriott Platinum
Posts: 495
Refundable Fare - Change Fee!
I have a tight connection (30 min) in IAH, coming form PHL I didn't want to chance it so I called to get the next light to LA which is an hour later. The CSR makes all the changes, which I can see online. Tells me the price is the same for the flight since it was refundable, then says oh wait, since this was done by my corporate travel I had to pay a fee to make the change. What the hell, I could cancel it with no charge. What bonehead made this great decision to stick it to the business traveler 
So after doing all the work she cancels it and returns it as was.
So after doing all the work she cancels it and returns it as was.
Aug 8, 2007 | 10:56 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: A festering pit; a pustule of a fistula set athwart the miasmic swamps of the armpit of the Gulf of Mexico - a Godforsaken wart upon a dark crevasse of the World. (IAH)
Programs: UA Lifetime Gold, BA Silver, Marriott Lifetime Plat, Hilton Gold, Accor Gold
Posts: 31,403
I have a tight connection (30 min) in IAH, coming form PHL I didn't want to chance it so I called to get the next light to LA which is an hour later. The CSR makes all the changes, which I can see online. Tells me the price is the same for the flight since it was refundable, then says oh wait, since this was done by my corporate travel I had to pay a fee to make the change. What the hell, I could cancel it with no charge. What bonehead made this great decision to stick it to the business traveler
So after doing all the work she cancels it and returns it as was.
So after doing all the work she cancels it and returns it as was.
Aug 8, 2007 | 11:22 am
#3
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: LAX/TPE
Programs: United 1K, JAL Sapphire, SPG Lifetime Platinum, National Executive Elite, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 47,221
I know Delta charges a fee to pull a reservation away from a travel agency to make adjustments, re-ticket, etc. Perhaps CO does to?
Aug 8, 2007 | 11:38 am
#4
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: DCA
Programs: AS MVP Gold 75K
Posts: 949
How much was the change fee?
Aug 8, 2007 | 11:43 am
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Between AUS, EWR, and YTO In a little twisty maze of airline seats, all alike.. but I wanna go home with the armadillo
Programs: CO, NW, & UA forum moderator emeritus. Eurobonus Millionaire
Posts: 38,711
Why not just have the TA change the ticket at no cost? Since CO is paying a fee to the TA to handle the reservation they want the TA to take care of the cost of changing it. That certainly seems fair...
Aug 8, 2007 | 11:52 am
#6
Moderator: Avis and Rental Cars
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 8,070
2 weeks ago I had a fundable reservation from my TA that needed changed. I called CO to change the tix and they did so without a penalty (the class was N, which shocked me that N was refundable on the market I was flying). I ended up changing the tix two more times (once via the phone and once on co.com) before my trip and CO didn't charge me anything.
Aug 8, 2007 | 1:58 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: PHL
Programs: UA 1K, Avis President; Marriott Platinum
Posts: 495
Aug 9, 2007 | 12:27 am
#8
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: IAH
Posts: 23
As the ticket needed to be reissued, I suspect that was the fee involved and the Res agent did not explain it well.
Aug 9, 2007 | 4:23 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: PHL
Programs: UA 1K, Avis President; Marriott Platinum
Posts: 495
I have never been charged a fee for refundable fare when the price was the same or less, that is the purpose of an unresticted/refundable fare, or so I thought.
To make it worst I called my TA and they see the change to the later flight, now the record is out of sync.
It is not about the money, it is the principle especially since I wasn't informed prior to the CSR making the change. CO either wants the business traveler or the don't, they need to make it easier.
To make it worst I called my TA and they see the change to the later flight, now the record is out of sync.
It is not about the money, it is the principle especially since I wasn't informed prior to the CSR making the change. CO either wants the business traveler or the don't, they need to make it easier.
Aug 9, 2007 | 11:12 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: MN
Programs: Lots of programs, dirt on all of them!
Posts: 11,943