Question about US Air Change Fees (switching from Las Vegas to Miami for cruise)

Hello, i had purchased a ticket for Vegas mid December for $324.

I noticed that Miami in December from PHL is now right today $262.

- I would of course pay a $150 change fee for switching the cities;

but in that case would it pay for me to just purchase a Miami ticket outright fr $262 and treat the Vegas ticket seperately and use it for another destination within a year worth $324+

Thanks

Hello, i had purchased a ticket for Vegas mid December for $324.

I noticed that Miami in December from PHL is now right today $262.

- I would of course pay a $150 change fee for switching the cities;

but in that case would it pay for me to just purchase a Miami ticket outright fr $262 and treat the Vegas ticket seperately and use it for another destination within a year worth $324+

Thanks

Hello, i had purchased a ticket for Vegas mid December for $324.

I noticed that Miami in December from PHL is now right today $262.

- I would of course pay a $150 change fee for switching the cities;

but in that case would it pay for me to just purchase a Miami ticket outright fr $262 and treat the Vegas ticket seperately and use it for another destination within a year worth $324+

Thanks

Your ticket has a value of $324. Deduct the change fee of $150 and your ticket is now worth $174. Whether you use it to a destination of greater or lesser than $324, it will still be worth only $174. And that is if the rules of your original ticket allow for a change with the fee. Some tickets do NOT allow that.

To further elaborate, think of it like this:

If you change the ticket, you will lose the $150 change fee, leaving you with a voucher worth $174.

A) You can use that voucher toward the $262 Miami ticket. It will cost you the $174 voucher, plus $88 (262 - 174) in additional cash. That's $412 all in, including the change fee, or

B) You can use that voucher toward another ticket worth $324 (or whatever price) at some time in the next year. It will cost you the $174 voucher, plus $150 (324- 174) in additional cash. That's $474 all in, including the change fee, and if you do this on top of buying the $262 ticket to Miami outright, your total our of pocket cost for both trips would be 474 + 262, or $736.

Or, if this ticket is on UA, you're going to have to pay a $150 out-of-pocket change fee to use it, and you will retain the $324 credit.

All these explanations all add up to the same amount.

Hi, thanks for all of your replies- The $88 difference to me doesn't seem so bad (granted the $324 is already a sunken cost; $412 though wouldn't be earth shattering since I paid $356 last year + a $50 change fee on the way back as they added a earlier flight after I did my booking).

The $88 additional would be a small price to pay in the realm of things if i decide quickly to do the Epic again.

Hi, thanks for all of your replies- The $88 difference to me doesn't seem so bad (granted the $324 is already a sunken cost; $412 though wouldn't be earth shattering since I paid $356 last year + a $50 change fee on the way back as they added a earlier flight after I did my booking).

 

The $88 additional would be a small price to pay in the realm of things if i decide quickly to do the Epic again.

You aren't understanding the previous explanations.

There is a $150 change fee you must add into your math as others explained. It's part of your costs to decide whether and how to change your tickets.

Also, the $324 - $150 voucher will be valid for 1 year from the date you purchased your original ticket (not the travel date), regardless of any subsequent change(s). The clock isn't reset when the ticket is changed, so be sure the remaining time will be usable to you.

1. You purchased your original ticket for $324.00

2. To cancel that ticket and get a voucher, you'll have to pay $150.00 in change fees.

That means the value of this ticket is now only $174.00

You have lost $150 in this transaction

I understand where the $88 is coming from; you use the $174 balance of the first ticket, pay $88 extra and you can buy the new ticket to MIA for $262 (unless it's going up today). BUT, you've still lost $150.

I would pay the change fee and use the voucher now to purchase the MIA ticket. The value of the first ticket will only be good for one year from the original date of purchase, and you don't want to lose that money on top of everything else by forgetting about it or not using it in time. Always use vouchers first, IMO.

You aren't understanding the previous explanations.

 

There is a $150 change fee you must add into your math as others explained. It's part of your costs to decide whether and how to change your tickets.

 

Also, the $324 - $150 voucher will be valid for 1 year from the date you purchased your original ticket (not the travel date), regardless of any subsequent change(s). The clock isn't reset when the ticket is changed, so be sure the remaining time will be usable to you.

Actually I am understanding the previous explanations, I would only be paying $88 more for the change- the remaining $62 would have already been paid as the difference between the $324 and the $262. I was simply wondering how much of an additional expense I would be incurring.

Let's start with a premise. Changing a ticket from one city to the other, incurring the change fee, is never a good way to purchase a ticket to the second destination UNLESS you have no reason to go to the first city anymore.

If you just go to LAS, your total cost is $324.

If you change that ticket to go to MIA, your total cost to just MIA is $412.

If you keep the LAS ticket and also buy a ticket to MIA, your total cost for BOTH cities is $586.

At this point, you have all the information you are going to get or need. Your attempts to call it an $88 cost to go to MIA ignores that the total cost is much higher.

Now, if you have no desire to go to LAS, then consider it a loss of $150 no matter where you change it to (which is the change fee that you are "out" - no way around that argument).

The rest seems to be efforts to justify changing your plans.

Actually I am understanding the previous explanations, I would only be paying $88 more for the change- the remaining $62 would have already been paid as the difference between the $324 and the $262. I was simply wondering how much of an additional expense I would be incurring.

Um, the additional expense would be the $88 difference. That's assuming you go with plan A, which is change from a trip to LAS and go to MIA instead. Right now your out of pocket cost is the $324 you've already spent. If you decide to go to MIA instead, your total out of pocket will be $412, or $88 more. You seemed excited in your initial post about the relatively low cost ($262) ticket to MIA, but if you change your existing ticket to go there, it will cost you $412. Do you still consider it a bargain?

Who's on first?

Um, the additional expense would be the $88 difference. That's assuming you go with plan A, which is change from a trip to LAS and go to MIA instead. Right now your out of pocket cost is the $324 you've already spent. If you decide to go to MIA instead, your total out of pocket will be $412, or $88 more. You seemed excited in your initial post about the relatively low cost ($262) ticket to MIA, but if you change your existing ticket to go there, it will cost you $412. Do you still consider it a bargain?

Somewhat :) I might enjoy the Epic more than Vegas.

Who's on first?

WHAT? lol

WHAT? lol

He's on second.

Flying US for business regularly, I've had to change flights and this is my experience every time...

They do not deduct the $150 change fee from the value of the ticket. If I change a ticket I have to pay the $150 change fee.

If the value of the new ticket is more I also have to pay the fare difference.

If the value of the new ticket is less than the original ticket I am out that difference.

You pay that change fee at the time of booking the "new" ticket. Ex. I cancel a flight and don't book a new flight using those funds for a few months I am not charged the $150 until I rebook.

Thanks FLhokie for the US perspective. That's different than DL/UA/AA to my knowledge.

So, the OP would be out the $150, PLUS loses the difference in the value of the ticket ($62). Definitely a bad deal, IMO.

Flying US for business regularly, I've had to change flights and this is my experience every time...

 

They do not deduct the $150 change fee from the value of the ticket. If I change a ticket I have to pay the $150 change fee.

 

If the value of the new ticket is more I also have to pay the fare difference.

 

If the value of the new ticket is less than the original ticket I am out that difference.

 

You pay that change fee at the time of booking the "new" ticket. Ex. I cancel a flight and don't book a new flight using those funds for a few months I am not charged the $150 until I rebook.

That is what I thought and also fly US. We had to make a change when a cruise was canceled. The additional cost is $150.00 in the case when the new ticket is less money than the first.

I got so confused reading this thread until I got to your post.

And to the OP, if you prefer to go on a cruise verses going to Las Vegas, yes I think the additional $150.00 for the airfare is worth it.

Um, the additional expense would be the $88 difference. That's assuming you go with plan A, which is change from a trip to LAS and go to MIA instead. Right now your out of pocket cost is the $324 you've already spent. If you decide to go to MIA instead, your total out of pocket will be $412, or $88 more. You seemed excited in your initial post about the relatively low cost ($262) ticket to MIA, but if you change your existing ticket to go there, it will cost you $412. Do you still consider it a bargain?

The additional cost is $150.00, not $88.00. You have to pay the change fee on a non-refundable ticket, and pay the differance if the new ticket costs more.

Thanks FLhokie for the US perspective. That's different than DL/UA/AA to my knowledge.

 

So, the OP would be out the $150, PLUS loses the difference in the value of the ticket ($62). Definitely a bad deal, IMO.

It is not a bad deal assuming the new vacation overall costs less than the first one...or if they value the cruise more than a trip to Vegas.

Sometimes the dead should just stay buried.

The additional cost is $150.00, not $88.00. You have to pay the change fee on a non-refundable ticket, and pay the differance if the new ticket costs more.

Yes, that has all been made clear at this point. I, and several others, were operating on the assumption that US treats changes the same way as the other legacy carriers. But as has already been pointed out, they do it completely differently.

Yes, that has all been made clear at this point. I, and several others, were operating on the assumption that US treats changes the same way as the other legacy carriers. But as has already been pointed out, they do it completely differently.

And I, and likely with others, appreciate the update to our collective knowledge base. Thanks to the US flyers for giving us the skinny on their procedures.