AboutMatthew Smith Expertise CAN: Airport Security (NOT immigration). Airport planning and design. Airport development. Airline pricing/yield/revenue management (NOT prices for individual tickets) grant process
PLEASE STOP ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW LONG IT TAKES TO FLY FROM A TO B!!!
PLEASE STOP ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW MUCH PARTICULAR AIRLINES WILL CHARGE FOR YOUR BAGS!
That's why your airline has a website!
Experience Formerly Director of Operations at a small commercial airport. Formerly worked for a state government issuing and managing airport development grants. Formerly worked for TSA. (Not as bad as it appears to the average passenger.) Formerly worked at an airport in planning and operations. Also formerly worked as a Price Analyst for a wildly unpopular airline. Currently teaching overseas until the job market improves.
Organizations AAAE, AOPA, AzAA
Publications Collegiate Aviation Review (2008)
Education/Credentials B.A. English and Religious Studies, Hobart College
M.S. Aviation Management Technology, Arizona State University
--specialty is airport planning and design
If i was to purchase a return ticket to Tokyo say for example from 1st November - 25 November, but i decided to return earlier than the scheduled date, what general procedures must I follow to be able to do so? If it helps, I intend to fly with JAL or QANTAS.
Thanks for your time in reading this.
(I have tried looking for those procedures on the Internet but so far haven't been successful in doing so.)
Answer Hi Andrew,
There would be a double effect. First you would have to pay a fee to change your return flight. I'm not sure about JAL or Quantas fees, but most US carriers with whom I am more familiar charge between $100-200 USD. Then you may have to pay additional fare. For example, let's say you bought the 01NOV-25NOV itinerary for $800 USD. On 14NOV, you call the airline office and say that you need to adjust your flight from 25NOV to 17NOV. The flight on 17NOV may be more expensive than the one on 25NOV, so the price will go up and you'll have to pay the difference. Also, you are getting the ticket on a date much nearer 17NOV than when you bought the ticket for 25NOV; that also causes the price to go up.
This is simply an example, not actual pricing:
$800 Original itinerary
$200 Change Fee
$300 Additional fare (17NOV vs. 25NOV)
------
$1300 Total cost
It is MUCH better to make sure your plans are steady and that you do not change them.
By the way, this scenario is predicated on buying a non-refundable coach/economy fare, not a refundable, business or first class fare.
