[ChrisH]

WorkingMom,

ALL AIRLINES do this, not just Continental. SouthWest may be one of the few that doesn't, but their CEO recently said they may begin charging fees for those things they used to not. This isn't just a Continental thing. You would have experienced the same issue if you had flown Delta, American, United, etc. The reality is you purchased a discounted, couch class ticket. There are fare rules that apply to all tickets. When you purchased the ticket, you were binded to those rules, whether you agree with them, or not. There is a $150 change fee, PLUS difference in fare, because the class of service you purchased, was no longer available on the flights you wanted to change to. If you knew that the dates may change, you should have bought a "Y" class, refundable ticket, which can be changed at no charge. This is the problem. People never read the "fare rules" of the tickets they are buying, and then act surprised when they get a fee for changing a ticket. That isn't Continental's fault, that is your fault. YOU ASSUMED Continental would change it at no charge, because you didn't pay attention to the type of ticket your were buying. Next time, fly SouthWest, and not Continental. I personally prefer that people who act angry, rude, and irate over their own doings, i.e, not paying attention to fare rules, fly other airlines, because I don't want to deal with them.

By the way .... SouthWest is losing money, like all airlines .... they may not be on the verge of going out of business, as one apparent Continental agent told you, but they will probably be charging fees the same as all other airlines, including Continental, real soon!

[jimworcs]

Chris H,
Southwest has one of the most robust business models of any airline in the world. They have by far the best record of consistent profitability in the industry, and even where they have experiences some losses in recent quarters, they are no where near on the scale of the Delta's and US Airways of this world.

Next... you say ALL airlines do this.. in relation to charging a fee to change a ticket. ALL airlines do not do this, as evidenced by your next sentence when you acknowledge that Southwest don't. However, even if they did, it is perfectly legitimate to criticise monopolies, acting in concert, who impose "fees" which are wholly disproportionate to the costs incurred.

None of this should be construed to suggest that I think the OP is reasonable in this particular case. However, I think the charge of $150 for a change (plus the additional costs of the ticket) is a rip off..and it is perfectly legitimate to criticise it.