A bit of a moan more than anything else.
I recently bought a Flex Economy Return trip to Zagreb in Croatia, from Alice Springs, via LHR both ways, for the not inconsiderable sum of just over $3400 (H fare bucket, IIRC, at least for the QF segments). The LHR-ZAG both ways with BA.
Towards the end of the trip I ended up in Western Europe and decided it would be more convenient to cancel the ZAG-LHR flight and just hop on at LHR. Imagine my surprise when on phoning up the agent I was advised there would be a $234.30 additional fee to remove this flight from my itinerary (apparently due to the booking changing from a return booking to a multicity), plus the $80 service fee (which they offered to waive).
I also discovered any fare difference would only be paid in favour of Qantas (i.e. changing to a cheaper flight will result in no refund), and ended up paying $196 for the privilege of changing to the much shorter and less expensive flight from AMS-LHR (bearing in mind I could have booked direct with BA on that flight for $114, if I weren't locked into a 'flexible' ticket).
I am aware of the APD leaving LHR but this would have been considerably less than the proposed charge and it's honestly a smack in the face to try to remove a flight from an itinerary and be charged through the nose for saving the airline money, on a so-called flexible ticket.
In short, I won't be doing that again. Beware the 'flexible' economy option..
I recently bought a Flex Economy Return trip to Zagreb in Croatia, from Alice Springs, via LHR both ways, for the not inconsiderable sum of just over $3400 (H fare bucket, IIRC, at least for the QF segments). The LHR-ZAG both ways with BA.
Towards the end of the trip I ended up in Western Europe and decided it would be more convenient to cancel the ZAG-LHR flight and just hop on at LHR. Imagine my surprise when on phoning up the agent I was advised there would be a $234.30 additional fee to remove this flight from my itinerary (apparently due to the booking changing from a return booking to a multicity), plus the $80 service fee (which they offered to waive).
I also discovered any fare difference would only be paid in favour of Qantas (i.e. changing to a cheaper flight will result in no refund), and ended up paying $196 for the privilege of changing to the much shorter and less expensive flight from AMS-LHR (bearing in mind I could have booked direct with BA on that flight for $114, if I weren't locked into a 'flexible' ticket).
I am aware of the APD leaving LHR but this would have been considerably less than the proposed charge and it's honestly a smack in the face to try to remove a flight from an itinerary and be charged through the nose for saving the airline money, on a so-called flexible ticket.
In short, I won't be doing that again. Beware the 'flexible' economy option..