HI

I am currently in Shanghai and want to return a bit earlier, the internet is showing seats available in all classes for a PVG-DXB-LHR run on tuesday, but I have been told that I cannot change as they are only available for new tickets!!! I'm on a saver ticket so know I will have to pay, and don't have a problem with that.

Can someone enlighten me as to why I cannot change a reservation when there are seats available. ??

What are the rules for your ticket? Check that out to see if there are no changes allowed.

Its a regular saver changes allowed but at a price, I know I should have bought a flex as I always end up changing my tickets somewhere along the line !!

Flex and Saver concepts should only be used for determining mileage earning rather than necessarily over whether likely to need to be changed

What is important is the actual fare basis and the routing and, ideally, date of purchase

With these 2 bits of information , more assistance can be provided on whether changes are actually permitted and whether there is availabilty

This is all I could find, from email and Manage My Booking on the website.

FQEK25XXXXXXX NON-END/SKYWARDS SAVER//VALID ON EK/ WPID 5692

Purchased cash at Emirates LGW
23DEC2011EKLGWAP GATWICK APT / EMIRATES ATO

Fare Calcs
LON EK DXB Q56.12 EK SHA461.04ULE1YGB1 EK DXB EK LO N380.86QEJLPGB1 NUC898.02 END ROE.62358

Current booking is EK303 PVG-DXB 22Apr and EK007 23May I'm trying to change to 303 on 17th/18th Apr PVG-DXB connecting through to LHR straightaway.

I think that the fare basis is QEJLPGB1 and changes are permitted for GBP75

The big problem seems to be the lack of availability in economy class to change the bookings to

Flex tickets don't necessarily have free changes. Often, the conditions are exactly the same as those for Saver tickets.

Thanks to all,
I'm trying to change to tomorrow for a last minute chance, as I said what I don't understand is that the online booking is howing seats available and the agent told they were if available for new ticket purchases. My ticket does allow changes at a price, not sure if its UKL 75 or 150, so I don't understand why they will not do the change. I have never had this problem before.

EK availability gets very frustrating when it is down to the last few seats. For the next few days, flights PVG-DXB and DXB-LON are very full.

Further confusing the issue will be the way EK deals with 'married segment availability' - a complicated tool that is a way of assigning more or less inventory on flight B based on where you came from on connecting flight A, or vice versa. It has the effect of making searches for availability much harder, because availability for travel PVG-DXB and DXB-LON does not imply that the seat is available PVG-DXB-LON.

The odd few full fare Y seats you are catching glimpses of are the most expensive economy bucket available. Fare difference between QEJLPGB1 and YEE1YGB1 is ~GBP500 one way (depending when you bought it) plus a change fee of GBP75.

My advice is to spend GBP497 on the direct Virgin 251 to LHR tomorrow morning. It's cheaper...

Thanks to all..

As with most things, having spoken to a very nice helpful lady in DXB Emirates, the flights are full and overbooking is still normal practise, so its time to cancel the return trip, get a part refund if anything left and go direct the cheapest route.
The only problem I had, was that Dubai is my jump off point for Kabul where I live and work, and I would have kept Silver,,, free drinking and eating in DXB for 5/6hours is a very worthwhile perk for me.. C'est la vie..