How an inexpensive flight change can cost you more in the long run

If you are one of those travelers who never changes your tickets — or you change so rarely that you always buy nonrefundable tickets and pay the penalty if need be — this won’t affect you.

If, however, you sometimes book unrestricted tickets, either for business or for a leisure event that might change, read on.

When one client has a misunderstanding with an online booking or speaking to an airline directly, I put it down to the client. When something happens repeatedly, I begin to question the system.

This most recent incident happened to a lawyer client of mine who always has her administrative assistant book unrestricted tickets, or at least tickets without change penalties. This week, her assistant called complaining that she had tried to cancel her United ticket from San Francisco to Boston Monday morning, and that the airline told her they could only give her a credit, and that less $150.

Since I was pretty sure I had booked a fare without penalty, I checked immediately. To make a long story short, the lawyer had decided Saturday evening to take a later flight on Monday, and then Monday morning, decided with her client skip the trip.

Apparently when she called United Saturday, the reservationist told her the new fare was about $200 cheaper, issued a partial refund, and exchanged the ticket I had issued for a new, nonrefundable ticket.

My client, of course, denied that she had been advised that she was purchasing a more restrictive ticket. And who knows. Perhaps the reservationist didn’t make it clear, perhaps the client wasn’t listening. She did get the reservationist’s name and plans to write a complaint letter. But if that doesn’t work, the law firm will just bill their client for the costs.

In another recent case, a client claims they were told by the airline simply that the ticket could be changed at no charge, but later discovered that future changes would be $150 plus any fare difference. Another was offered a discounted first-class fare for a small additional charge, but then discovered when they tried to cancel the return, that the entire ticket had become nonrefundable.

In both cases, one with United, one with American, the clients denied being advised of the new restrictions.

I believe the truth is somewhere in the middle. I have had other clients with similar problems, generally with phone or airport transactions, although one managed to turn his ticket nonrefundable on line. Most airline computer systems search for the lowest available fare, even if the difference between refundable and nonrefundable is small.

For example, in the San Francisco to Boston market, United’s lowest non-penalty fare is only $100 more each way than their last minute nonrefundable fare. Which is less than one change fee.

In addition, in many markets a nonrefundable fare and a refundable fare may have the exactly same booking letter. For example here, from San Francisco to Phoenix one way on US Airways, a non-penalty discount coach fare is $236, booked in “L” class. But booking that same class of service more than a week out, the GDS airline computer automatically gives you a seven-day advance fare of $213, which is nonrefundable.

And if an agent doesn’t override the price, the ticket will issue as nonrefundable. Most travel agents have figured this out, either by being careful in the first place, or by bitter experience.

The best advice? When you are changing any ticket, don’t just confirm the flight, date and time, confirm the rules. If you need an unrestricted ticket, make that clear. And if you have booked through an agent, try to contact the agent first. At worst, you have recourse if a mistake is made.

Finally, if you are making changes on a cell phone, while you are distracted — or late at night with a lousy connection — ask for an email copy to be sent immediately. And read it.