Originally Posted by
tmclr3
I am travelling on a full flexible Prem Economy fare, and want to change my return date. The problem is that the flight I want is pretty full, with availability only in Economy.
My travel agent tells me that BA won't allow a 'downgrade' of my Prem Economy flexible ticket to purchase an Economy seat on my flight of choice. Apparently my only choice is to seek a partial refund of my ticket (unlikely to get much back) and buy a single Economy at inflated cost because the flight is almost full. Paticularly galling since the reason I forked out for a flex fare was because I couldn't guarantee my date of return.
tmclr3 :
Few scheduled flights are "full" more than a few days ahead, apart from maybe Christmas Eve etc. What you do find, however, is that Yield Management divide each cabin up into how many seats they will offer at each fare, and that the few (sometimes none) seats allotted to your particular type of fare have gone. Speaking directly to BA will show all the combnations you can do though.
You may also find that your "travel agent" is only concerned to maximise their own income, a percentage of what you pay, and I have heard all sorts of cock-and-bull stories from them, including so-called "corporate" travel agencies (all in the past; never use agents now). This includes travellers being sent on all sorts of nonsense combinations so agents can qualify for some current special promotion. They are a business in terminal decline. If a travel agent suggests buying a "economy single at inflated cost" that is a real giveaway - such single journeys are generally cheaper if you buy a return, coming back some date far in the future (poke around for the cheapest combination) and don't use the return part.