But I do feel for people who bought non changeable tickets and then something totally unexpected happens. Not so much breaking a leg (that's what travel insurance is for) but like a job transfer or sudden unavoidable unpredictable move or death or whatever.

People... or companies? I presume that's your employer, not you, springing for paid F for 2+ hours. For most normal people the idea of spending 3X your own money to secure a refundable ticket is not tenable at all. Do you do it when it's your dime?

Imo.. the no frills method airlines are adopting is going to end up hurting consumers.. Sure that the ticket is sold non refundable/non changeable.. Charge a fair fee to get it done, so that customer's don't feel angry, will come back and fly with the airline..

Seems there is a line drawn by the authorities, when airlines tried to charge for carry-on baggage. That idea was eliminated pretty quickly.. Seems like ticketing is an area that needs to be addressed as well..

Don't you understand what's happened in the industry? Customer anger doesn't matter anymore. There are only three or four major airlines left. Each is worse than the next. It's an oligopoly that no longer has to respond to customer objections to anything. If you don't like it, take the bus.

Ah, no. The one LCC carrier that instituted that fee, Spirit, has made it stick.

in my experience it is almost always much cheaper to buy a non-refundable ticket and just pay the change fees if necessary.

I think most people only buy refundable tickets if it is at the last minute and nothing else is available. They are just too expensive.

I understand that the industry has evolved to no frills, service cost add on models.. I'm not sure that the airlines are necessarily ignoring concerns.. Competition, even if it seems like an Oligopoly, will have its way of evening things out.

Here in Canada, its' even worse, we have a perceived monopoly.. But AC has come around to understand that things can't possibly remain the same, if the airline wants to remain viable.. Although enhancements (negative) have been introduced last year because the entire industry was heading that way.. the general sense is AC hasn't completely ignored the customer service aspect and the factor of public perception.. In its dealings with customers, and employees..

http://spirit.custhelp.com/app/answe...ge-for-bags%3F

"Remember, we always provide one personal item free of charge per customer. Personal items (e.g. purse, small backpack, briefcase, etc.) must fit underneath the seat, so the dimensions must not exceed 16 x 14 x 12 inches (40 x 35 x 30 cm).

Additionally, the following carry-on items are not counted towards a customer's carry-on bag allowance and can be brought with you on all flights free of charge - umbrella, camera, infant diaper bag, assistive devices, outer garments (e.g. coats, hats, and wraps), stroller, reading material, and food for the flight."

I guess in a sense you are correct, and I am correct.. There is one personal carry-on allowed for free on Spirit.. IIRC Spirit originally wanted to charge for all carry ons and the regulators stepped in..

Usually. I need flexibility and I'm willing to pay for it for non-business travel. I know it's expensive, but it's what I need. If you don't need flexibility, don't pay for it and accept the fact that there are occasions when things are beyond your control and you made the wrong choice.

There are also 'in between' fares - not fully flexible, cancel with no charge etc. but not 'no changes no refunds' either - you get to make changes or cancellations with a penalty - and they often are not 3x more (a little more, yes). I know quite a few people who choose those.

This won't help the OP, but I can think of one reason that's good enough to grant a special waiver. Some countries/airlines allow name changes of an attendant accompanying a qualified disabled traveler up to 24/48 hours before departure. This usually applies when severely disabled travelers are required to travel with a companion who provides personal care during flight; see, for instance, AC's page on travelers with special needs.