Change return flight with Air India

humphrer

My family and I are travelling from Heathrow to New York from 31st March to Saturday 20th April with Air India. I got a brilliant price for the flights through an online travel agent. We go over every couple of years to see friends.

Since booking the flights I gained a charity place in the London Marathon which runs on Sunday 21st April. I am now really concerned about running the marathon while tired and jet lagged, so I am looking to bring at least my flight forward and hopefully the whole family so they will be able to watch and enjoy the day. (The kids won't cope with jet lag and crowds)

I wrote to Air India asking if they would consider moving my return flight, but have received no response. We called Air India and were told to contact the travel agent.

The travel agent advised us that Air India would charge £250 per person to change the flight now. He recommended waiting until we had left the UK and then calling him back where a return flight change could be made for a "nominal fee". He would not disclose what the nominal fee is.

I can buy a one way flight from JFK-LHR for 150 pounds with Norwegian.

Here are my questions/issues:
1. Should I risk waiting until we have left the UK to change the flight? What happens if the nominal fee turns out to be ridiculous and there is limited space on the plane? (It is school holidays)

2. If I buy an extra one way ticket home for me, will that present problems for my family travelling a few days later?

3. Any other bright ideas?

Thanks in advance.

Rob

1trainer1

Cheaper to buy the one way with Norwegian, Change fees are ridiculous for air India at least £200 plus your travel agent fees plus any difference in the fare and cost

Caz3121

the comment re waiting to change may be because of how airlines reprice tickets
If you want to make a change before the outbound flight many airlines will recalculate the fare of the whole journey based on todays prices (to apply the correct fare difference with the change fee)
If you make the change for the return after the outbound they use historic fares (your brilliant price) so the fare difference may be lower - but the change fee will still apply

I doubt the change would be less than £150 so probably best to grab those while you can