Change fee waived when buying up to upgradeable fare class?
 

I'm just outside the 24-hour window on a ticket, and I realized that it's probably worth my miles to upgrade one direction to first. I see G availability, and the fare difference to K is only $50. However, when I try to price the fare upgrade online, it comes out as $200 because of the change fee.

Has anyone ever had any success getting a phone agent to waive the fee? $50 + 12.5k miles is worth my while. At $200 + 12.5k miles, I might as well buy the one-way P fare filed...

The only way to not have the $150 change fee is when you upgrade in class. Being that you're just buying a higher fare, but still in coach, you get hit with the change fee

depending on the agent, you might find one who will waive the change fee. your chances increase as your level of elite increases.

Bumping an old thread here.

I booked a flight a while back (T fare), and the A fare is now only $185 more per person (for DCA-SLC).

I called to see about paying the fare difference, but the agent wanted to hit me with a $150/person change fee. Same flight, same date. She said it was a better seat. I said Economy Comfort is a better seat, and day-of-departure upgrades are better seats and neither of those requires an extra $150/person, so it didn't make sense to charge me a fee just for the privilege of buying a higher fare.

I asked to be transferred to a supervisor. She put me on hold, and came back with "How about $75 per person?"

Does anyone have a source to confirm mendel k's post, that there shouldn't be a change fee for buying up to a higher class?

Just moved from a U to a Q-UP tonight and it didn't have a change fee.

Interesting. Will call back.

I have been able to do this more than once with no fee. They wont agree at first, but be polite and ask for a supervisor. My argument is that I'm a good customer and thay I am not changing flights but instead buying a higher fare.

There is already a more recent discussion going on in this thread.

Why are so many phone reps so poorly trained?

This has nothing to do with reps being trained. they are not suppose to do it unless you are moving up a class (Economy to First) Not from L fare to K etc.

I just thought about it. Unless you meant they are not suppose to do it that is why they are poorly trained.

-dave

My source is from personal experience and from other posters here, sorry I'm not able to provide you with anything more concrete.
Im assuming that they wanted to charge you because an A fare is really Y seat with an instant upgrade, it's still not a F seat

An A fare is a F seat. You sit up front, DL sells you those as 'first/business' and you can SDC into F with them as well.

You're right, I was thinking of a P fare

Same with P. Both are first class fares that DL sells if you select 'first/business'. A is usually less expensive, and P is available closer to date of departure as the infamous FCM.