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A lot of what people presume is fixed about airline tickets is a social fiction that the airline empowers tens of thousands of people to waive if you ask nicely. (And there are other social fictional elements, like “a ticket means you definitely have a seat on the named plane.”) https://t.co/6rGuz6f34H
@patio11 The obviously correct price is presumably zero, because you are helping the airline free up space it might need in exchange for space it knows is free, and it buys lots of goodwill. And yet. My assumption is they got greedy.
@TheZvi The maximally charitable version is “We charge price-insensitive time-sensitive sophisticated-usage business travelers to subsidize price-sensitive time-insensitive rube-usage leisure travelers, across many decisions. This is one of them.”
I remember one conversation, incidentally, where the negotiation hinged on whether I was traveling on business For Real or not. “Usually your company would pay for that.” Me, quietly: “Oh I understand this logic now and what a line that is.” Me, out loud: “They will not let me.”
“What they’d stick you with a change fee?!” “Per company policy I would have to pay for the change fee.” “Oh that ain’t right.” “I would really appreciate not paying a fee ma’am.” “I’ll waive it for you then.”
“Patrick did you lie to an unsophisticated wage earner?” No Kalzumeus Software, LLC accurately represented its negotiating position to Delta Air Lines, Inc’s designated agent after which a mutually amenable resolution was swiftly reached.
Speaking of which “Per company policy” functions as a magical spell. This is one reason why companies train employees to invoke it. If you are not capable of this magic spell, all fifty states will happily upgrade you to a fully paperworked wizard for a nominal fee.