may need to change flights - panic & questions please

[chrismartinique]

booked Amex travel on Usairways - may need to change flight due to unforeseen "incident" The change fee is high over $100/ticket with another change cost blah, blah

It is actually cheaper to just book one ways if we need to. It is our return flight that we may need to change. If we don't show for the flight, will there be a fee because we "missed" our flight or do they not really care if we are actually there cause they already have our $$

 

[DebbieB]

You can do a stand-by on the same day for a smaller fee (if there are seats available) but if you change it to another day you will have to pay the change fee. If you just don't show up without notification, I believe you lose the ticket. USAir charges $150 for changes, you may want to just buy another one way ticket for the return if you can find one for less.

From usairways.com:
Non-refundable tickets
To make a change to a paper ticket, please go to the airport or contact your travel agent to make a change. If you have an electronic ticket, call Reservations or your travel agent to make a change.

Domestic flight changes are subject to a $150 fee and transatlantic/transpacific flight changes are subject to a $250 fee, in addition to any difference in fare.

Here are the rules:

If a reservation is canceled on/before the ticketed departure date, the value of the ticket may be applied toward future travel up to one year from the original issue date. Travel on the new ticket must be completed within one year of the original date of issue.
If any part of the ticket is unused after the ticketed departure date and the reservation has not been canceled, the ticket has no value.
Once the value of a non-refundable ticket has been applied towards the purchase of a new ticket, the original ticket is considered valueless.

 

[uva185]

Ok, your post is a little confusing. Are you saying you have already booked roundtrip travel and need to make a change?

If it is cheaper to book one ways by all means do that...usually it is more expensive to book one way travel. Keep in mind when you make a change there is the change fee but they will apply the money you already spent to the "new" ticket.

If you choose to skip your return flight there is no fee. However it is important to note if you skip any flight segment the entire itinerary is canceled. So if you skipped the outbound flight the return flight will be canceled.

 

[chrismartinique]

I have the whole thing booked - there may be a change for my return trip home

They tell me there is a $150 change fee plu any difference in fare amount, or if you just cancel there will be a credit that can later be applied to future travel for the same person

They could not estimate what the credit amount may be, so I really don't know where I would be if I wanted to apply it to another ticket. Is it stil just cheaper to book one ways (outbound flight) if we so decide

 

[DebbieB]

They would still charge the $150 fee for using the ticket for another date. Say your current ticket is $250 and you want to use it for another date. Your new ticket is $300. They would take $300 - $250 + $150 change fee, you would owe $200 for the new ticket. If your new ticket is less, you would have to pay $150, you lose the difference.

 

[chrismartinique]

They would still charge the $150 fee for using the ticket for another date. Say your current ticket is $250 and you want to use it for another date. Your new ticket is $300. They would take $300 - $250 + $150 change fee, you would owe $200 for the new ticket. If your new ticket is less, you would have to pay $150, you lose the difference.

thank you, Debbie... why could I not see that myself - info overload

 

[checkwriter]

This is why I am liking Southwest more and more. No change fees, no extra charge for two checked bags, credits for canceled flights . . . jeez, I wonder why they're making money?

 

[crashbb]

This is why I am liking Southwest more and more. No change fees, no extra charge for two checked bags, credits for canceled flights . . . jeez, I wonder why they're making money?

Is it possible to have a single airline thread where someone doesn't point out how much better Southwest is?

Just wondering.

 

[EpcotGuy]

Your other option is: Wait until US Air makes a change to the schedule (and they will, mine has changed 4 times already), and they will let you make the change you want for free (usually). Just tell them the change they are suggesting is unacceptable to you, and tell them what flight you would like. I've had to do that with them when they changed my 8pm flight to a 630am flight!

 

[crashbb]

Your other option is: Wait until US Air makes a change to the schedule (and they will, mine has changed 4 times already), and they will let you make the change you want for free (usually). Just tell them the change they are suggesting is unacceptable to you, and tell them what flight you would like. I've had to do that with them when they changed my 8pm flight to a 630am flight!

It depends by how much the OP needs to move her return flight. Usually, when you rebook due to a scheduling change, your new flight needs to be within a day (on either side) of the original flight. If that works for the OP, then this might work well - however the OP is gambling that US will make a change (if they don't and she has to buy new tickets, the price might well have gone up).

 

[uva185]

It depends by how much the OP needs to move her return flight. Usually, when you rebook due to a scheduling change, your new flight needs to be within a day (on either side) of the original flight. If that works for the OP, then this might work well - however the OP is gambling that US will make a change (if they don't and she has to buy new tickets, the price might well have gone up).

You could request a full refund though and then rebook the entire reservation if rates have not gone up too much.

Personally I would not count on this and resolve the situation now.

 

[crashbb]

You could request a full refund though and then rebook the entire reservation if rates have not gone up too much.

Personally I would not count on this and resolve the situation now.

I totally forgot the refund option.

OP - what you can do is:

Rebook your itinerary now (assuming that you can find flights that work and are within your budget).

Hold off on canceling your first flight (assuming your budget can afford pay for your new flights without money back from your first flights).

If US changes your flights - say that the new ones don't work and get a refund.

If US doesn't change your flights - get a refund and eat the change fee. The change fee isn't going to change so getting the refund now or the before your flight doesn't make a difference.

I just came in from a brutal boot camp session, so I may be totally sugar deprived and making an insane suggestion, so someone chime in with the flaws in my plan.

 

[DMRick]

But changes are coming. Already, when you cancel and your credit time is up, and you pay your $50 to SW, your credit is now only good for 6 months. And, if you already have old credit, and you apply that to your new credit, to get another ticket, and then cancel, if your old credit is only good for a month, your new credit will be too..even though you paid $50 to extend it to 6 months.

And SW won't let us do standby as easily/cheaply as some other airlines.

I love SW, but all the airlines have problems in different ways. Right now, a lot of SW flights cost more than other airlines...because they have to 'hide' their extra costs.

This is why I am liking Southwest more and more. No change fees, no extra charge for two checked bags, credits for canceled flights . . . jeez, I wonder why they're making money?

 

[chrismartinique]

Your other option is: Wait until US Air makes a change to the schedule (and they will, mine has changed 4 times already), and they will let you make the change you want for free (usually). Just tell them the change they are suggesting is unacceptable to you, and tell them what flight you would like. I've had to do that with them when they changed my 8pm flight to a 630am flight!

o.k. time is really short though - there have been no changes - wouldn't it have changed by now?

 

[DebbieB]

When is your trip?

 

[CarolA]

There's no refund option if USAir does NOT change the flight. The only option is a credit less the $150 change fee.

And if your trip is soon this strategy may be risky.