Why flight itineraries can't be changed online?

Why flight itineraries can't be changed online? - Orange and Green Label Airplane Ticket

On my last trip I had to change my flight itinerary, and I had to spend over an hour on the phone while the agent was finding a flight for us, informing its cost, and confirming with us.

The agent had to search several flights prices and spending near 15 minutes every search so the process was very slow.

Why I can't do this by myself? It would be easier so I could check by myself without waiting several minutes at phone?



Best Answer

First of all, some companies do allow changes online. E.g. American Airlines allow changes for domestic bookings. As for why not every airline supports online changes for every booking:

  1. Developing a web interface for ticket changes costs money, not to mention upkeep and support
  2. Airlines make most of their money on flights, not change fees
  3. People don't choose flights based on how easy it is to change the itinerary, so there's no incentive to compete in that area

So for now we're often stuck with calling the airline or simply cancelling the ticket and booking a new itinerary.




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Why flight itineraries can't be changed online? - Flight Schedule Screen Turned on
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Why flight itineraries can't be changed online? - White Airplane Under Blue Sky



Can I change my flight itinerary?

If you need to change your flight dates, destinations, or times, your ticket must be reissued. In some cases, airlines will charge a fee for exchanging a ticket.

How do I change my Kiwi ticket?

To request a change, sign in, open your trip, and scroll down to the Trip summary section. Click \u201cChange\u201d in the top right corner and search for a new route or new dates. If you have more segments and it's possible to change some of them separately, you can choose to change the whole itinerary or just a part of it.

Can you change a confirmed flight?

Yes. If you want to change your ticket at no cost, it must fall within the rules of the same-day confirmation policy and the new flight must depart within 24 hours of your original scheduled departure (earlier or later).

How long after booking a flight can you change it?

Do it within 24 hours. If you immediately regret anything about the itinerary you just booked, cancel your ticket within 24 hours of purchasing and you should get off fee-free. That's according to a U.S. Department of Transportation regulation and holds for any tickets booked more than a week ahead of the flight.



How Airlines Decide Where to Fly




Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Torsten Dettlaff, LT Chan, SpaceX, Jeffry Surianto