Released: November 30, 2008

Flight change roulette: Shop around

Source: Hillary Chura, New York Times

So you booked your flight early to get a good fare. Good for you. But now, a couple of weeks before you are scheduled to fly, some important meetings at work have come up and you have to change that flight.

You have two choices: You can immediately alert the airline, which would improve your chances of getting a seat on a particular flight, or you could wait until the day of your scheduled flight to notify the airline. The first option would certainly give you peace of mind. But that would probably cost you much more than waiting.

Depending on the airline, travelers seeking a flight change may have to pay a fee to exchange the ticket, a fee that covers the difference in cost between the old flight and the new or a combination of both. The cost can range from a nominal amount to several hundred dollars.

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