Bummed with Continental's change policy....

[ZIPBAGS]

I have booked a trip with the family to WDW at the end of August. We are flying Continental. Well, my wife and I had talked about maybe extending our trip by a day. So I called Continental to ask what the policy was to change just our return flight to the day after we were supposed to come home. The flights are open and at the same price we paid. Granted its a discounted fare. Anyway, I assumed it would be like it was a few years ago...$25 per ticket. Well, I was wrong. It's $100 per ticket! I don't mind spending $25, even $50 per ticket...but $100!! The rep did say to check back when we go. Maybe, something will change and they will allow the change for cheaper. Has anyone had any luck with last minute changes?

 

[bicker]

$100 is pretty standard these days for the major airlines. That's one of the down-sides of heavily-discounted tickets, but look at the bright side: You didn't pay full-fare!

I don't think this will ever change back... if anything there will be higher fees in the future. The major airlines aren't charging enough money to stay in business as it is.

 

[Brian Noble]

Your best hope is probably an oversold return flight. Doesn't happen often---the airlines are getting much better at predicting no-shows---but it can happen.

Normally, airlines are unwilling to allow you to book a *later* flight, unless the flight you are on is packed. They are more understanding about *earlier* flights, particularly at the last minute. The reasoning is that they have more time to sell the later seat.

 

[ZIPBAGS]

Thanks for the replies. It just stinks that they are so unforgiving. I know they are hurting. But, the flights I wanted to change to are wide-open according to my aunt who is a travel agent. Just saddened. I thought the hardest part of extending the trip was getting the wife to agree...but, she was the easy part. :rofl:

 

[mareed]

I realize that this doesn't help you, but this is a reason why we love Southwest. You can change your flight with no fee at all! Only have to pay the difference in fare if any.

 

[bicker]

Major airlines charge extra for flexibility, so to respect their passengers who pay extra for that flexibility by ensuring that they cannot provide "free flexibility" to passengers who don't.

 

[Gooofy-Blade]

I've been stuck by the Continental deal before too. It won't change. I still have a canceled ticket to be used by next year - of course, with the remaining value minus the $100.00 change. Sorry, don't expect any luck!

 

[bicker]

I had a similar circumstance with US Airways last year. It was a very heavily-discounted ticket. My wife got sick just as we were leaving for the airport. I could have applied the residual value to another ticket, but the residual value was $0.00, after the stated 100% penalty was applied.

 

[Laurajean1014]

How many days are you going for? Are planning to stay longer?

 

[ZIPBAGS]

How many days are you going for? Are planning to stay longer?

We are still going for a decent time...6 nights. But, we figured we would take an extra day/night to give us a little more time. Which at Disney their is never enough of.

 

[ZIPBAGS]

Tried speaking with a Continental supervisor. Hoping...just hoping they would help out. No luck.

Funny...I could buy a one way ticket for the same $100. Just nuts. Nothing like trying to build some customer loyalty.

 

[bicker]

Customer loyalty is defined, in business, as the willingness of the customer to purchase your products or services at a premium -- the customer's willingness to purchase your products or services at a discount is not customer loyalty.

Let's be fair: There is no way to make money in the airline industry today if you have union employees with 20-30 years of seniority, and you have a massive fleet of aircraft with a significant debt load. Since their legacy airlines are prohibited by law from ditching either of those two liabilities without a court order, there is absolutely nothing they can do to profitably satisfy customers.

 

[markey]

Just love SW. Just changed my $49, one way, ticket last night from a morning flight to a night flight the day before and got charged nothing. Flights went up so I had to use credit I had but this morning a sale is on and when back to the $49 rate, changed again with no fees. I have changed these reservationsat at least 6 times due to price changes/flight times and have not paid any fees. Only takes about 5 minutes on line. I will not fly anyother airline, maybe this is why SW is making money and other airlines are bankrupt.

 

[bicker]

Southwest is making money, to a great extent, because they don't have as much of the two liabilities I mentioned earlier. They're also making money due to the fact that they're very good at setting customer expectations low.

For example, Southwest doesn't allow you to book your flights 11 months prior, as many people prefer to do. People readily accept this "poor service" from Southwest because they have always been that way, whereas if United Airlines started doing that they've be drawn-and-quartered by critics. Sure, some people don't care about this aspect of Southwest, but some do. Similarly, if American Airlines stopped transporting passengers requiring oxygen in flight, they'd be destroyed in the media for their insensitivity to disabled folks, which Southwest regularly gets away with this because of their status as a budget airline.

 

[CarolMN]

IIRC, SWA also got lucky with fuel prices - they bought some long term fuel contracts for what has turned out to be a very good price. If fuel prices do not come down significantly before those contracts run out, I think SWA will be raising prices.

Best wishes -

 

[Lewisc]

Bicker-- I can't believe you're falling for the SW myths. The major reason SW is making money is the hedging that was done that is insulating SW from much of the current high cost of jet fuel. Other airlines either didn't hedge as much or sold their hedges, thinking the jet fuel wouldn't remain that high.

I'm not sure how much money is saved by only opening up the schedule a few months in advance. It does save most of the hastle of having to accommodate pax due to schedule changes.

The legacy airline seem to be doing their part in lowering customer expectations. Meals are all but history. SW actually has higher luggage allowances than most airlines.

Cumulatively, policies like not allowing oxygen and not allowing pets in the baggage compartment have some savings. I'm not sure how much savings any one produces. Many of us are convinced SW is not currently participating with the resort checkin part of ME due to cost issues.

Southwest is making money, to a great extent, because they don't have as much of the two liabilities I mentioned earlier. They're also making money due to the fact that they're very good at setting customer expectations low.

For example, Southwest doesn't allow you to book your flights 11 months prior, as many people prefer to do. People readily accept this "poor service" from Southwest because they have always been that way, whereas if United Airlines started doing that they've be drawn-and-quartered by critics. Sure, some people don't care about this aspect of Southwest, but some do. Similarly, if American Airlines stopped transporting passengers requiring oxygen in flight, they'd be destroyed in the media for their insensitivity to disabled folks, which Southwest regularly gets away with this because of their status as a budget airline.

 

[bicker]

Bicker-- I can't believe you're falling for the SW myths. The major reason SW is making money is the hedging that was done that is insulating SW from much of the current high cost of jet fuel.

You're talking relatively short-term. Southwest has been more profitable than the majors for a long while. While the fuel hedging is a very significant factor, as others pointed out a while ago, that doesn't mean that Southwest's other advantages haven't supported their efforts significantly.

I'm not sure how much money is saved by only opening up the schedule a few months in advance.

None. The impact of that is decreased customer dissatisfaction. This forum has many threads, the context of which is "I hate XXX because they changed the time of or cancelled the flight I booked 9 months ago."

The legacy airline seem to be doing their part in lowering customer expectations. Meals are all but history.

That hasn't lowered customer expectations: It's just lowered satisfaction because folks still think, "They used to feed us -- now they treat us like dirt."

 

[Lewisc]

But the legacy airlines have done a good job, from their perspective, of creatively getting out of high cost labor contracts. I've read, but don't have the link, that the labor advantage is no longer that great.

On one flight I spoke to a SW executive. The point, which I've read, is SW no assigned seat policy gets pax to the gate early. That, combined with no food, gives them fast turn around. I'm amazed to see everyone line up before the incoming aircraft has even departed from the originating airport. That allows SW to get one extra flight per plane per day. A major reason for their profitability.

Flying only one aircraft type makes maintenance easier and allows them to move equipment as needed.

You're right, SW pax complain about waiting for the schedule to open up but pax of other airlines complain about schedule changes.

You're talking relatively short-term. Southwest has been more profitable than the majors for a long while. While the fuel hedging is a very significant factor, as others pointed out a while ago, that doesn't mean that Southwest's other advantages haven't supported their efforts significantly.

None. The impact of that is decreased customer dissatisfaction. This forum has many threads, the context of which is "I hate XXX because they changed the time of or cancelled the flight I booked 9 months ago."

That hasn't lowered customer expectations: It's just lowered satisfaction because folks still think, "They used to feed us -- now they treat us like dirt."

 

[bicker]

But the legacy airlines have done a good job, from their perspective, of creatively getting out of high cost labor contracts.

Not all of them -- not yet.

SW no assigned seat policy gets pax to the gate early. That, combined with no food, gives them fast turn around.

Yes, another example of a policy which deliberately gives customers poorer service than the major airlines, but so well-executed that many customers don't perceive significan dissatisfaction from it.

 

[pumpkinboy]

Kinda makes you want to try out JetBlue out of Newark instead of Continental, eh? JetBlue's change fee is all of $25, plus the difference in the price of the flights.


If the price of the later return flight comes down, you might have some luck with Continental, as the price differential might offset some of the $100 change fee.

Other posters are right tho, $100 was pretty much standard on the legacy airlines. Delta has recently reduced its fee to $50, but many others reamin high.

Good luck!