You book online.  You go on holiday and have a grand time.  After a while you are having so much fun that you decide to extend your holiday by a few days.

So you go online and try to change the booking.  The system seems to have a problem with accommodating you.  In desperation you phone the travel agent and say “I know that I did not book with you, but can you change the return leg for me?” you ask.

The words over the phone shock you “I always like to help but unfortunately the airline won’t let me change the booking.  You got a special promotional fare.  That is a non-refundable ticket, and no changes can be made.  All you can do is buy a new ticket to get home if you are really determined to change your return date.”

Sometimes the airline concerned will allow an (expensive) change if you have not yet flown at all on the ticket (in other words, if you have not commenced the journey), but the charge for this can make your eyes water.  On such tickets you usually cannot change the passenger name either, so you are stuck with it even if you are unable to use it.

Very occasionally, if you are very polite and very nice and you beg and plead at the airport, changes have been made, but they are the exceptions that prove the rule and airlines are extremely reluctant to make such changes.

In very exceptional circumstances, on production of official documentation, you may be able to make a change on humanitarian grounds, such as the death of a close relative, or a sudden severe illness in the family.  Then again, other airlines state in their rules, ‘no waiver for death or illness’.

Best ensure that you have a more flexible ticket class next time.  Here is a guide to IATA ticket classes:

A – First Class Discounted

B – Coach Economy Discounted

C – Business Class

D – Business Class Discounted

E – Discounted, No airmiles

F – First Class

G – Travel Industry Economy Class

H – Coach Economy Discounted

I – used by some airlines for free loyalty card tickets  (and by others for discounted business class, such as British Airways)

J – Business Class Premium

K – Thrift

L – Thrift Discounted (lots of restrictions)

M – Coach Economy Discounted (few restrictions, round the world fare)

N – used by some airlines for free loyalty card tickets

O – used by some airlines for free loyalty card tickets

P – First Class Premium

Q – Coach Economy

R – Business class discounted

S – Standard Class (may not even earn airmiles)

T – Coach Economy Discounted (usually with restrictions)

U – Deep discount Economy Class

V – Thrift Discounted (with restrictions)

W – Coach Economy Premium (with restrictions, airmile limits)

Y – Coach Economy

Z – Heavily discounted Business Class (not upgradable)

Airlines sometimes make their own rules and you will find that on the above list what IATA deems to be economy, is in some cases business.

The deeper the discount on the fare, the more likely you are to experience difficulty in making any sort of change, or the more expensive it will be to make a change if it is permitted.  The airlines may also offer reduced airmiles for the flight, with some classes getting only 50%, 25% or sometimes no airmiles.  So if air miles are important to you, ensuring the correct class should be a priority for you.

Generally only classes B, M and  Y are upgradeable at the airport.

Where do I find the code?

If you are booking via an agent then the agent can check and advise you before the booking is made.  If you are buying it online then, depending on where you buy it, you may only be able to find out by examining the eticket.  It is usually a solo letter, but can be the first letter in a cryptic code, known as the fare basis.  Unfortunately, by the time you have the eticket, if it is a non-changeable, non-refundable ticket, then you are stuck with it.  But at least you will know why!

Our DIY Travel Expert advice is to buy tickets online only when you can see the class before you checkout, unless it is a commuter flight or a flight that you really do not care about changing.

If you fly regularly within your own country, choose a specific airline and join their frequent flyer program.  Then, when you are ready to book your less frequent international trips, book way in advance and use your miles to upgrade.

Why way in advance?  Because the airlines only allocate about 3 to 5 seats in business class for upgrades.  Should you have to wait-list for business class on one of your sectors, the higher the tier or status of your membership, the better your chance of jumping the queue ahead of  those on a lower tier membership, who may have wait-listed before you.  This has been proven over and over again in the industry!

Obviously, by doing the above, it will restrict you to that specific airline’s prices.  You may need to have a generous boss or an understanding financial controller for this to be of benefit as it will cost more than if you take the cheapest airline for each flight.  Of course if it is your company then you will have little problem in implementing this!

It is noteworthy to mention here, that certain airlines allow companies to accrue mileage in their company name and thus the person that controls the travel budget will get to decide who uses the miles and for what, be it upgrades or ‘free’ (*) economy tickets.  Even low cost carriers offer small to medium businesses corporate rates and more flexible fares on those rates.  Flexibility in terms of changing and cancellation fees.

(*)  As usual with the use of the word free, it is not entirely free because the taxes must still be paid even on tickets bought with air miles.  You cannot pay taxes with airmiles.  There may even be a small additional fee to pay when doing an upgrade to business class: certain ticket taxes are higher for business class than for economy tickets.  In addition, some airlines charge what they term “expediting fees” for issuing loyalty programme tickets.