Here's the problem: four friends on holiday in southern France flying to London Gatewick. Couple #1 mistakenly booked on flight Marseille to London on a tuesday afternoon flight, while Couple #2 booked on wednesday morning flight Marseille to London. Tickets are "restricted". We have asked ever so nicely of the travel agent who booked the tickets for Couple #1 to help make a change. She referred us to BA. BA refers us back to the TA and round and round it goes. We are not asking for a refund, but merely for BA to sticker the tickets of Couple #1 (same price and fare base tickets still available on both flights, travel in October) so that we may all travel together rather than cutting our time in Provence a day short. BA is being quite uncooperative. Travel agent refuses to help, BA refuses to help. Any suggestions???

When you buy a nonrefundable, restricted ticket and make any changes prior to taking your outbound flight, the ticket is repriced. If the same price and fare basis is available, and you meet all the restrictions of the fare (i.e., advance purchase), you should be able to have your ticket used as an exchange toward a new ticket and just pay the change fee (since there would be no fare difference). Why would the TA or BA change your ticket for free? That would defeat the purpose of selling restricted tickets.

Were all of the tickets purchased at the same time through the same travel agent and the travel agent made the mistake? Or did one couple make a mistake? If the travel agent did not make the mistake, then it's going to cost the couple either a $125 or $200 penalty per person if the fare remains the same. The airlines are no longer paying commissions to travel agencies, and the travel agent would have to eat the cost of the tickets. However, if the travel agent did make the mistake, then the agency should incur the costs.

The only option, other than trying to go standby at no additional fare, is to find out who the British Airways sales manager is tht represents the travel agency. You might be able to plead your case to him/her for some help. If you're going to go standby, you should call British Airways and see if this option is available for restricted tickets.

And I don't think you can fly standby without a fee now also.

I don't understand. Are BA refusing to do it at all, or refusing to do it except at a cost?

You say that Couple #1 was "mistakenly booked..." Who made that "mistake"...the travel agent? If so, your energy should be directed there. When was the "mistake" discovered...when the tickets were delivered, or later?
Face it, the airline has no way of knowing for certain this was a "mistake.'
Next time, check the tickets before accepting them and I'd also get another travel agent.

Our travel agent made a mistake in a return flight from AMS a few years back, by not checking all the ticket routing - too long to go into, but it was her mistake and even though she was able to correct it in the computer, she knew we would be hit with a change fee when we got to the airport.

She sent us a check for $300 to cover whatever we would be charged. No fussing, no arguments, she knew it was her fault and she handled it properly.

If your travel agent made the mistake and, especially, if this is someone you have used previously and have some kind of relationship - she should get the tickets corrected and do as our TA did, send you the cost of the exchange fee.

If the travel agent did it even when told the correct date, they should correct it. However, it seems pretty clear to me from the post that couple no. 1 just booked the wrong date because these couples weren't communicating. Of course BA is not going to change your tickets for free because one couple doesn't know what dates they wanted, that's what a restricted fare is. It doesn't matter what your reason is, everybody who wants to change dates and get new tickets have a reason, and a lot better usually than being careless. I think you are being unrealistic and unreasonable to expect someone with pull at BA to intervene to issue you new tickets.

I think BA may be one airline that won't even issue changes any more with a fee, at least not on some restricted fares. Even if they did, it probably would cost too much as that fare is usually only 100 pounds or less as is.

It's only a half day difference, but if it's really that important, see what the fare on easyjet would be --I think they fly that route.

I thought my post was quite clear - Couple #1 mistakenly booked the wrong flight, less than 24 hours later, realizing the mistake (and prior to recieving any tickets from the travel agent)tried to right the wrong. The problem we've had is this - the TA says "call BA they can help you, I can't", BA says "call the TA, she can help you I can't". Neither is saying it can't be done, but neither will take the responsibility and do it. We haven't even been offered the option of paying some sort of penalty for changing. You have all concentrated on getting this done for free, we aren't asking for anything "for free" - we're just asking for help - any kind of help. So far that has gotten us the run around.

Now, does anyone have a suggestion that might help?

Ticketing must have been completed, even though you had not received the tickets. You could have cancelled you payment if ticketing had not been completed. I think that you will have to be more careful next time, this time you will have to take the separate flights - only half a day apart.

Going online to the BA site, I typed in your question and got the following answer (the last paragraph seems most appropriate to this situation--read it to a BA rep or your TA before they shut you off):

How do I get my ticket changed if I need to change my travel dates?

Answer
The rules that govern itinerary changes on airline tickets vary widely depending on the type of fare that you paid.

As a general rule you will find that reduced or "special" fares will have specific restrictions regarding date or routing changes. Some fares allow changes with penalties, while other fares do not allow any amendments.

Because there are many different types of air fares available, you will need to speak to someone in person or by phone, in order to determine the options that are available to you.

Please have your ticket in hand, so that your fare type can be identified.

If your ticket was purchased directly from British Airways or from a travel agency outside of the USA, please call 1-800-AIRWAYS for assistance. If your ticket was purchased from a travel agency in the USA, this same agency should be contacted for assistance.