Who to call to change flights when multiple carriers involved?
 

Let's say you have a two-segment flight, with a different carrier on each segment (but the same carrier on the inbound and outbound trips in a roundtrip flight).

So for example, YVR to DFW on AA, then DFW to SCL on LAN, and the same route and airlines on the way back.

If I wanted to change my return flight day, would I call AA or LAN? Does it matter if either leg is a code share?

On the same topic of changes, I noticed that some lower-end travel sites are charging say a $100 of their own for any changes, on top of the airline change fee. Can I just avoid this by calling the airlines directly, or is the something that compels me to actually make the change through the site the ticket was purchased at?

Who did you book with? That's who you'd call

The site you purchased the ticket at will have to handle it. You will pay their change fee

Kayak, in this case.

So it would be their change fee, plus the underlying fee charged by the airline, right? Which airline's change fee would apply in this case?

Kayak doesnt book or issue ticket.

Right, let me double check with my SO. I guess she found the deal on Kayak but clicked through to another site.

Get your ducks in line before you call anybody.
1. Is this one PNR (ticket) or are there multiple tickets/PNR's simply issued as one booking by whatever third party site you used?
2. Presuming that there are actually two tickets, you will pay the third party site's change fee + a change fee for each flight you change. If it's $100 for the site, $150 for the AA ticket and $250 for LAN, you will pay $500 (+ any fare differences) to make the change. All of this information should be available to you on each carrier's website and you should know what it is before you call. Please note that I am presuming that you purchased discounted tix which have a change penalty.
3. Neither AA nor LAN can touch the ticket at this point.

Actual booking site is webjets.

Thanks Often1.

I believe it is one PNR. That's usual way that mulch-segment flights are booked, right?

Note that this is all before booking - we are trying to determine how much it will be if we do need to change it, but have not booked anything yet. So we wouldn't be calling anyone at this point.

My experience has been that these tickets can usually be changed by any of the involved parties, but sometimes they like to pass the buck around. Call the ticketing site, the ticketing carrier, and the operating carrier, and hope that one of them decides to help you. Be persistent, and don't take "call XYZ" for an answer right away.

Word of advice, use experienced travel agent if you feel there will be changes in your travel future. the $25-35 per ticket/person fee is well worth it.

+1 - If you believe that there may be changes, working through a third-party vendor can be expensive and a nightmare. If at all possible, book directly with one carrier.

As to 1 vs 2 PNR/tickets, when you book through a third-party vendor, it works the way it works for the vendor, not for you.

My recent example: Booked a ticket on Expedia that involved AA & Emirates. AA delayed their flight and it affected the Emirates flight. I 'figured' Expedia would just rebook on the later Emirates flight. Wrong. They said if I just requested the later Emirates flight, it is a voluntary change and I would have to pay fees :confused:

Instead, Expedia called AA (and I was only on hold, not part of the call). Expedia said AA would decide how THEY would fix it. Expedia really had nothing to do with it and I would've been better off calling AA directly (probably).

In this case, AA changed the flights, routing, and airlines. New itin was AA and BA, via LHR instead of FRA.