[jimworcs]

How ridiculous would it sound if ALL car dealerships had a contract which stated that after you had paid for your car, but before they delivered it, they could switch the vehicle spec at their discretion and you could do nothing about it and furthermore, if the spec of the vehicle was lower than you paid for, there is no refund.

Why do we accept this from airlines? Why are those contracts even considered fair and legal?

There are endless complaints on here of people who paid more for a specific itinerary, or for a direct flight, or who were avoiding layovers... only to find that the airline then switched them at short notice and they had no choice but to accept the change. It is not acceptable for an airline to make a switch and then offer you take it, or leave it, with a refund. By the time the switch is made, this passenger has been materially disadvantaged and can no longer get the savings required for advance purchase.

If the airline makes a material change, they should be required by law to place you on the next closest itinerary (even if this is with another carrier). If the next closest itinerary would have been cheaper at the time you made the booking, they should also be required to refund the difference.

PS... it is a mystery why people find it so hard to put the right post under the right airline. I used to moderate this board as a volunteer, and I spent a good portion of the time moving posts to the right place. Sadly the owners of the site wanted me to self censor my comments for the priviledge of helping to moderate their board and I found that unacceptable and gave it up, but it would help everyone if people just paid a bit of attention before posting!!