maryann

I am a planner and I like to book my stuff ahead, but now I just found out that I could have saved $100 ($50 each), if I would have waited a few weeks for our November trip. I booked it about a month ago.
I just called airfrance to see if they would honor their new rate and they said they would but they would charge me $150 to reissue them, which the $150 is the savings between the two rates!!!
arrggg, i am so irritated now!

gail

Years ago I was often able to get an airline to honor their new, cheaper fare. I fear those days are long gone. As infuriating as it is, airfares seem to change hourly, and it is a crapshoot when to grab the fare and when to hope it will go lower - only to see it go higher.

Airlines are doing whatever they can to stay alive, and they also can charge whatever they want, whenever they want, if they can get someone to buy it. I am sure they all have some magic formula that determines what they charge during any given nanosecond, but it is, of course, a mystery to us.

Enjoy your trip anyway - and if you keep checking fares, I bet you will see a fare much higher than the one you paid soon and then you can congratulate yourself on grabbing a good deal.

calli

Don't be so upset. If you waited maybe the space would not have been there....woulda coulda shouda won't get you anywhere. Quit worrying and enjoy your trip.

carmen

Sometimes you eat the bear and some it eats you. Airfare is a crap shoot. Don't sweat it, it's always going to be like this until there are only one or two left and then nobody will get a good deal.

betcha

Maryann,

So, based on your question and your response to the situation, I'm guessing that, had you found that Air France had raised the rate $50 each, you would have called and asked if they would be willing to take more of your money?

pete

Same thing happened to me on United two years ago. I booked two tickets to London at $500 each, and one week later a sale went on for $350 each. That was a $300 savings. Well, United was accomodating (I persevered, the first agent I called said she couldn't do anything, the second had me on hold for 15 minutes while she talked to her supervisor), but the second agent gave me vouchers for the difference, good for 1 year towards a future United Flight. I was very happy. Maybe you should call back again. If the exact same flights are available at the lower fare, they might accomodate you. I asked her if there was anything she could do, give me an upgrade, passes to their airport lounge, something to take the sting out of knowing that others on the plane paid $150 less per seat than me, and I was pleasantly suprised with the voucher offer.

okay

Not much of a chance of a downgrade if the first tkt purchased was a 'web fare'