[walverio]

Are these people crazy???? I booked a trip and needed to reschedule. I called them and was told it was non refundable. What? OK, we all know about the credits that airlines give you to fly another time. Well, I was told that I would be charged and additional $100 to use the credit!!! So a ticket that cost me $179 will cost me an additional $100 to cancel then another $100 to rebook at another time. These people ARE crazy. They make it sound like they are doing you a favor but clearly it is a fleecing. Who the heck can we complain to????? I am mad as heck!!!!

[countrynewsman]

Pretty much standard practice. You buy a non-refundable fare for $179 and decide you can't go as scheduled. You now have a $79 credit to another flight. You take a flight that costs $179 and pay an additional $100. If you booked on Jet Blue's website, you have a choice of the lowest fare, or a refundable fare. The fact that it is non-refundable is why your fare is only $179. I pay a low fare and take a chance. I have twice had to either cancel or rebook; however, as much as I travel, I have saved a lot of money with non-refundable fares.

[PHXFlyer]

Originally Posted by walverio

Are these people crazy???? I booked a trip and needed to reschedule. I called them and was told it was non refundable. What? OK, we all know about the credits that airlines give you to fly another time. Well, I was told that I would be charged and additional $100 to use the credit!!! So a ticket that cost me $179 will cost me an additional $100 to cancel then another $100 to rebook at another time.

You are mistaken. Airlines will do one of two things: Deduct the cancellation/change fee from the price of the ticket and deposit the difference into an "account" which you can use for one year towards the purchase of another ticket OR apply the full value towards the new ticket and charge the fee when the change is actually made. Never both.

In JetBlue's case, the former is true: (found on JetBlue.com)

[quote]For JetBlue Nonrefundable Fares, changes or cancellations can be made prior to scheduled departure for a fee of $100 per person on jetblue.com or by calling 1-800-JETBLUE (538-2583), plus any applicable difference in airfare. Any remaining balance will be placed in a JetBlue air-only credit and may be applied toward future travel for one year from date of issuance. If a nonrefundable reservation is not changed or canceled prior to scheduled departure, all money associated with the reservation is forfeited.[/quoye]

You are not being charged $200, just $100. You'll have $79 to apply to a future ticket purchase with JetBlue without any fee for using that credit.

These people ARE crazy. They make it sound like they are doing you a favor but clearly it is a fleecing. Who the heck can we complain to????? I am mad as heck!!!!

They are no different from any other airline. Why are you mad as heck? Because you realized you purchased a non-refundable fare? JetBlue is fairly straightforward on their website. When booking flights there is a drop-down box to select either "non-refundable" or "refundable" before you even submit your choice of destination and dates. Furthermore, after selecting your flights and when presented with the total fare, right next to the "Payment Details" are the "Fare Rules" again:

Going Out - This fare is nonrefundable and name changes are not permitted. - Reservations made with this fare may be changed or canceled at jetblue.com or by calling 1-800-JETBLUE (538-2583) prior to scheduled departure for a fee of $100 per person plus any applicable difference in airfare. Any remaining balance will be placed in a JetBlue credit and may be applied toward a future reservation for one year. - If a reservation made with this fare is not changed or canceled prior to scheduled departure, all money associated with this fare is forfeited. - This fare is capacity controlled. Seats offered at this fare are limited and may not be available on all flights. - All fares are subject to change until purchased.

Furthermore, prior to proceeding with the purchase, you must check off the box next to the following statement:

I have read and understand all of the fare restrictions associated with this fare. (Please check box to continue.)

I'm not buying that you were buying this ticket without full knowledge of the restrictions and that is was indeed a non-refundable fare.

[countrynewsman]

Here's an example from Jet Blue's site. I can purchase a non-refundable ticket from Boston to Ft. Lauderdale (they have a sale) for a total of $199.20 round trip....or, I can purchase a fully refundable ticket for $819.20. I managed to save $620.00. Chances are pretty good that I will make the trip, so that's a pretty good gamble. If I don't make the trip, I'll have the original fare as credit minus the $100 fee. I can use that credit toward a future flight within a year. I will gladly chance the $100 to save $620. If you book online, you cannot complete the booking unless you check the box stating you have read the restrictions.

[countrynewsman]

Allow me to double post and use an actual anecdote. Nearly seven years ago, my wife flew United to Kansas City to be present at the birth of our granddaughter. I bought a non-refundable round trip ticket. We allowed what we thought would be enough time from the due date of the baby to the date of return. Our granddaughter did not cooperate. I cancelled the return flight and rebooked two days after the birth. The charge was $100 plus the cost of the return flight minus the credit for the original return flight. Despite the change fee, we still saved money by using a nonrefundable ticket. As an aside, we have four granddaughters and they're all emptying my wallet one way or another! LOL.