ARC
 

Just learn something new today from my travel agent. Refundable tickets can be refunded by the travel agent if they are voided out by the end of the week (Friday). Example: A non-refundable ticket purchased on Monday can be voided out if the process is done by on/before the coming Friday.

Ah ha, you just learned one of the TA tricks.
The agency I use does their manifest to the airlines on Monday, so if I book on Tues. or later, I've got until the end of business the next Monday to change.

My TA has saved me many a change fee doing that very same thing... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif It's tempting to book online for the extra miles, but the change fees I saved in the past few years make up for it.

This also works especially well in many places around the world where they do their reporting once a month. For example in some places fare increases are always effective from the 2nd of the month so agents (and airlines) can continue to ticket at old fares for the whole month! I personally have befitted a few times from this - the last time I saved a 5% *A RTW fare increase http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

shadow: My travel agent, whom I don't use that much any more, has offered that trick too (in the past). Do you know if it depends on issuing a paper ticket, or can this be done in conjunction with an E-ticket?

This "trick" does not depend on paper or e-ticket types. It's to accomodate TA mistakes, ticket printer jams, etc., and is not supposed to be used to change or cancel tickets. Our company TA does it from time to time for us, but has warned us that if it happens to much, the agency can be audited by the airline. This is not a "good thing."

'Course, I don't use the TA, so it makes no nevermind to me.

I too have used this loophole. It is good safety feature when one can't entirely confirm that 21-day advance until 19 days before departure. Though I'm sure it would lead to abuse and horrible inventory, allowing similar service 'perks' might be a way to drive business back to travel agencies and away from on-line services. OF course the airlines have no interest in this, so it is admittedly unlikely.

I can see the potential for abuse. However, my company has made it a standard policy for staff to use.