I was planning to go to Grand Teton NP, Yellowstone and Glacier NP. As I am doing last minute trip preparation, I noticed that Banff NP is 4-5 hours away. Trouble is, I booked my airfare in December - round trip flying in and out of Salt Lake City with American. The airfare price at the time was really good!!!

I was thinking I could go ahead and fly into Salt Lake and drive to Jackson as I had planned. I could drop the car off in Helena after going to Glacier, but the one way rental car fees are ridiculous (There are shuttle services from Montana to Calgary).

What am I looking at if I change my flight with American. This was booked as a non-refundable. Travel is still 4 months away.

Depends omn the fare class you booked - look at the fare rules on your ticket or call AA.

Well first, do you have enough time to include Banff if you were to just drive there? There shouldn't be a problem taking the rental car over the border as long as you still return it in Salt Lake. You'd need to tell the rental car company of your plans, but most are fine with going into Canada.

If you want to change your flight tickets, most tickets will involve a change fee and any fare adjustment that's needed. The additional cost might or might not end up being cheaper than booking a separate RT ticket from Salt Lake to Calgary. (In June I can see RTs from SLC to YYC for around $310 some days, so use that as your guideline.) Of course you'd need a second rental car once you're in Canada if you fly. (You'll need one to travel around Banff NP anyway.)

I'd simply phone AA and ask the question.

"nonrefundable" usually just means there is a change fee, you can't just change flights without any cost. Now in your case, you have to fly home anyway, so I imagine you aren't interested in just cancelling and having no flight, anyway, you just want to change dates/times.

I think American charges $75 to change a domestic ticket, which isn't that bad. Of course, the new flight you want may cost a lot more than the one you are cancelling (AA does fly out of both Calgary and Edmonton).

Thank you all so much for your excellent replies! I think that I will keep the original flight into Salt Lake City and just change the date of the return flight by adding several days so I can return the car to Salt Lake City. I did call American and it was not that bad! I just will do a lot of driving!!!!! But that is ok.

In my AA experience the change fee for domestic ticket is 200 dollars not 75. International change fee is 300. Then any difference in fare. Glad it worked out for you.

snorkecat, the driving you will be doing is in beautiful country! Enjoy............

>>I think American charges $75 to change a domestic ticket<<

I don't think in this century . . . yes -- they charge $75 and up IF you change the same day you book. But changing an existing domestic ticket, the fee is $200 . . . at least IME