Stung by Flight Date Change Fee

srnoz on 12/06/2017 - 02:21

TLDR: Hefty date change fee for family of 4 ($470x4 = $1980) on international flight in Sep 2017. Seems no option but to use the ticket or cop it. Seeking advise on how to convince Airline and agent to reduce fees.

Full story:
- Booked through Skyscanner and fulfilled by BYOjet on Singapore Airlines.
- Original date selection was done based on ticket price to get the cheapest price. Another local agent confirmed the same price, but booked on-line for convenience.
- Circumstances changed and need to return back 10 days sooner. Checked with BYOjet for change and fee quoted as BYOjet fee - $140 plus Airline fee - $330 per ticket. Total $470x4=$1980. Plus airfare change which I'm okay to pay.
- Was shocked and requested for cancellation fee. Apparently I have booked a promotional fare and have to forfeit full ticket price $3000. Shell shocked!
- Spoke to Airline who says they cannot do anything as it is a ticket booked by agent.
- Agent cannot do anything as it is their policy to charge both agent fee and airline fee.

I spoke to agent before booking to check any international transaction fees as I don't know where the agent is located. They are located in QLD so no international transaction fee. During the call I inquired about other fees such as date change and they could not provide details of any fees until ticket was booked. But they cannot do anything now.

This is my family's first overseas trip since moved to Aus 4 yrs ago. Looks like it is going to be ruined and I feel like I'm unfairly penalized and robbed in daylight.

Three years ago, I had to do a similar date change for my parent and had to pay $50 as airline fee and it was done at the last minute with Malaysian Airlines. I happy to pay any reasonable fee but this is outrageous.

Is this normal? Do I have any chance of getting it reduced? Have I done such big offense to pay this big fine? or am I stupid enough to not properly plan the trip?

It is gut wrenching every time I think about it. I was depressed for last few days, trying to get over it and looking at possible opportunities to reduce the fee.

If I had to cop it (including traveling on original dates), this would be last on-line booking with BYOjet and last trip with the Airline. Would take every step to avoid both in future trips even at a cost. As a helpless individual I don't think I cannot do anything other than that against such big businesses!

Travel

Comments

  • resubaehtgnolhcs on 12/06/2017 - 03:12
    +14

    The terms and conditions for airline tickets are available for you before you book, and it is clear on BYOJet's site that fees are applicable to changes in dates. This information is available and clearly stated before a ticket purchase is made.

    Your TLDR should be: I didn't read the T&Cs on airline tickets for change of date and now I am facing hefty charges!

    • srnoz on 12/06/2017 - 03:49

      I agree. I didn't read it. My bad. Costly experience to stress me the importance of the fine-prints.

      But it is not fair to be charged this big when I'm giving plenty of notice for date change. People save for long time to spend on overseas trips.

      • Kangal on 12/06/2017 - 08:48
        +2

        This is not new, this is standard practice that's been going on for decades.

        It is why you have to be 100% certain about everything when you're booking your flights.
        That's Poor People 101, you should sit it.

  • amkssg on 12/06/2017 - 03:18
    +1

    What they said sounds right. Your ticket conditions are as follows (would have been the same if your bought directly from Singapore Air).

    Fare type
    Economy Saver

    Fare basis code
    NPROW

    Itinerary change
    Allowed. With payment of AUD200 and any fare difference, subject to currency conversion and your bank's exchange rate.

    Cancellation / Refund
    Not allowed

    The $330 per ticket is charged by the airline (as mentioned above, AUD200 + AUD130 fare difference).
    The only thing you can dispute is the $140 per ticket.

    Also, just for your information, I have checked the Singapore Airline's website for you.
    For flights in September, the current prices are,
    (1) Non-refundable, must-pay-to-change-flight tickets: $580.59
    (2) Refundable, free-to-change-flights tickets: $975.59

    • srnoz on 12/06/2017 - 03:55

      Thanks for taking time to check it on airline website. $330 is the change fee and I have to pay fare difference is on top of it. I could have avoided the agent fee (140 x 4 = $520) if I had bought directly from Airline.

      But fees this big seems unfair for me. May be someone on the industry could give some justification for the fees.

      • amkssg on 12/06/2017 - 04:03

        Firstly, I should mention that I have been stung with fees, denied refunds, etc. many time. It's just the way the industry works.

        Think of it this way, if the ticket cannot be refunded, and you cannot fly on those tickets, then you essentially lose $3000 worth of tickets. This $3000 is used to "pay the difference" between the $580 ticket price and $975 ticket price for someone else.

        • srnoz on 12/06/2017 - 04:26

          Thanks again bgmksg. Seems Travel tickets are also becoming similar to gambling. Finding hard to stomach it. Hopefully I'll get over it before the trip.

        • amkssg on 12/06/2017 - 12:27

          @srnoz: Another VERY important thing to note. If you decide to buy a new ticket instead, PLEASE CANCEL your current ticket.
          As you bought discounted tickets, there is a "No-show fee". This means, if you fail to check in for this flight, Singapore Airlines will charge you a further $240 per ticket (unless you cancel the ticket).

        • srnoz on 12/06/2017 - 22:27

          @bsmksg:
          Thanks for the warning. I would cancel if the plan changes.

          But, how could an airline charge for a now show? Isn't it like forcing to use an item purchased. Also Airline wouldn't have the the card details to charge the customer.

        • bobbified on 13/06/2017 - 14:06

          @bsmksg:

          if you fail to check in for this flight, Singapore Airlines will charge you a further $240 per ticket

          I thought they just deduct it off any "credit" you may have after a cancellation/no-show/change rather than actually charging you in addition to what's already been paid.

          How would they even collect that as an additional charge?

        • amkssg on 13/06/2017 - 14:47

          @bobbified: I have no idea. The tickets are non-refundable in the first place, therefore I have no idea how they charge the $240.

  • garetz on 12/06/2017 - 03:19
    +7

    If you have to return 10 days earlier, maybe look at buying single ticket return, on the date you need, and see how much they cost before making any decisions. Might be cheaper than $1980.

    • srnoz on 12/06/2017 - 03:57

      Thanks garetz. I'll look at it and see. If worst comes, I may choose that option.

  • Limitless on 12/06/2017 - 07:33
    +1

    I have no useful advice but you are not alone! I have had the same thing happen to me :( my fares were cheaper but the change of date fees were half the cost of the ticket purchased! I forgot all about it until now as it was years ago. It sucks but don't let it ruin your trip :)

    • srnoz on 12/06/2017 - 21:31
      +1

      Thanks Limitless for supportive words. I feel better compared to last week. I'm going to continue to try and see whether I can get any waivers. If not, I'll suck it up, learn from it and move on.

  • GangGang on 12/06/2017 - 08:01
    +2

    What about travel insurance? What's the reason you are returning 10 days earlier? You could get the flu the day before the flight & not being able to board the flight. I've never had to use travel insurance but a quick search brought this up.

    "Illness. If you or someone you're travelling with falls ill then you will be covered for losses. You will also be covered in the event of hospitalisation or death of a family member, even if they're not travelling with you."

    "Unforeseen circumstances back home. A loved one back home could fall ill, requiring you to put an abrupt halt your travels."

    https://www.finder.com.au/travel-insurance-for-cancellation

    • capslock on 12/06/2017 - 08:28
      +3

      Fraudulent claims just make insurance more expensive for the rest of us.

      • MrHyde on 12/06/2017 - 08:55
        +1

        Agree with you. I believe do will need doctor's certificates and may even require the insurance's specified doctors to evaluate your condition before they will agree to paying out illness claims.

    • srnoz on 12/06/2017 - 21:52

      I bought it through my credit card which offers travel insurance. But I really don't want any sicknesses or issues during the trip. Specially with kids. It is not worth it. One of my workmate suggested the same. Big no. Not fan of any false claims. It is not worth the risk.

      Edit: Thanks for the comments mate :)

  • MrHyde on 12/06/2017 - 08:07
    +3

    Could you claim on your travel insurance? It depends on the reason for the change and whether that is covered by your policy. For eg: some policies cover changes in flight due to employer cancelling leave. You did get travel insurance, right?

    • srnoz on 12/06/2017 - 21:54

      I have travel insurance from the credit card. I've to review it an see.

  • All Blacks NZ on 12/06/2017 - 11:16
    +1

    It sucks man. But good to know that the online booking site will charge fees on top of fees charged by airlines. I try to book directly with the airlines especially for long distance flights.

    Once Jetstar tried to charge me new ticket fees to NZ as the ticket was booked under the initial of my first name rather than full name. Bloody autofill on Chrome and I didn't check. Luckily, I had provided my passport details while booking and argued that it's not a change of passenger. They agreed and changed the name for no cost.

    Better luck next time.

    • srnoz on 12/06/2017 - 22:01

      Thanks Bud. I'm happy to pay a reasonable fee. But close to ~2k is outrageous. One thing that I can console my self is that I would save one week annual leave as my work wanted me to return to work which is about 60% of total change cost (Fee + Fare difference).

  • tsunamisurfer on 12/06/2017 - 12:18
    +1

    OP you gambled on a cheaper flight class with less attractive terms regarding cancellation or rescheduling.

    The fact that now you have to reschedule and the fees commensurate with that event is not a reflection on 'big business'.

    They were open about the fees, you accepted those terms, now accept the consequences of that CHOICE.

    I don't care in the least how much it costs you, I care primarily that you agreed to those terms and now want to bitch about it on a forum.

    Enjoy your holiday.

    • srnoz on 12/06/2017 - 22:12
      +1

      Thanks for you opinion Mate. I'm not a perfect person. As most of us may do, I accepted the terms and conditions without reading it.

      Whilst I accept that I have not read about BYOjet fees (although I was directed by skyscanner BYOjet booking page), there were no note indicating that I was purchasing promotional fare which I would forfeit if I cancel. Also BYOjet didn't not give airline change fee up front. Even over the phone when inquired just before booking. As many of suggests, I getting ready to suck it up. But no more booking through agents in future.

  • tranter on 12/06/2017 - 12:18
    +2

    These sort of fees are not fair.

    People will always make comments like "it's stated clearly in the terms and conditions, you should have read them beforehand, suck it up".

    They said the same when banks charged certain fees that were unfair such as exorbitant account overdrawn fees. Also when domestic low-cost airlines added on unavoidable fees to the cost of airfares.

    There are many more examples in recent years where things have changed for the better, such as how excess mobile data usage and billing is handled by many of the telcos. People and the government have over time established what is fair and not fair. The government has regulated and legislated, and the people and advocacy groups have pressured industries to change.

    Maybe the travel industry is next.

    • srnoz on 12/06/2017 - 22:16

      Thanks Tranter. Yep. I seriously hope that the travel industry is scrutinised for such exorbitant fees one day!

  • Love a bargain on 12/06/2017 - 13:09
    +1

    It's often cheaper to book via a travel agent than directly with the airline (except for those airlines that price match), but the downside is that you have to pay more in fees if you do end up needing to change your flights.

    So part of the decision on who you're gonna book a particular trip with depends on how certain you are that you won't have to change dates, & whether the savings is sufficient to justify the risk.

    In any event, even with the best planning, life might still get in the way. When that happens, there is nothing you can do except to weight up your options & decide what you're gonna do to minimise your losses.

    • srnoz on 12/06/2017 - 22:19

      In any event, even with the best planning, life might still get in the way. When that happens, there is nothing you can do except to weight up your options & decide what you're gonna do to minimise your losses.

      Wise words! Thanks Mate!!

  • lainey13 on 12/06/2017 - 19:13
    +1

    This is how BYOjet makes money. That's why I pretty much always book direct even for a few more dollars. Also travel insurance!!

  • bigeater on 13/06/2017 - 09:23

    If you paid by Amex, they have complimentary travel insurance.

  • bobbified on 13/06/2017 - 14:16

    This has happened to me during my one of my first few trips when I was still a newbie to travel. I booked through Flight Centre and when I tried to change some of the flights, they told me there was a change fee of $300, plus the difference in the fares! I tried calling the airline too and they told me they couldn't do anything because I'd booked through a third-party.

    But once I actually arrived in my destination and was ready to board my second flight, I went to the airline desk to ask about a potential change to my return leg. They checked for seat availability on the fare class I had and was able to change it on the spot - without a fee.

    Now, I was travelling alone so I was quite flexible. You're travelling with your family with small kids so you may or may not want to take that risk of waiting until you're at your destination.

  • StrayfireX on 19/02/2019 - 01:14

    Hey, I ran into your post! Airlines be shitty now.

    My professor randomly signed me up to something in the middle of my planned trip to NZ, so I needed to change dates.

    My fare was $335 return, and they wanted $470 on top of that just to shift the trip by a few days! It's literally cheaper to book a new fare on those days…

    When I asked how much I'd get back if I cancelled the ticket, they told me a whopping $0. Now I only booked 11 days ago for the trip in June, plenty of time to the airline to sell the seat, but no, no refund, not a cent.

  • sauce2k on 20/02/2019 - 14:54

    lol I just tried to change my domestic flight from Syd to Melb 2:30pm to 6:00 pm…they told me it's $260 but to buy a new tix it cost me $130….no idea the maths behind it but yeh ..

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