Perhaps you could update your thread here? I thought you just wanted a refund as they had dropped the price of the flights, not because you wanted to change dates?
Re extra charges- I've just finished booking internal flights for India and the total of £171 for 2 returns included £58 of taxes and surcharges.
For a recent flight to Mumbai from Scotland, of the £850 total, £361 were for various taxes and charges.

It's quite common for there to be various taxes and surcharges on both packages and flight only bookings.

You really just need to look at the bottom line as to what you are paying, think to yourself. "Does that seem a fair price for what I am booking?' "Am I happy with that price?"

Then either book or don't book, depending on your answers to those two questions.

If something is clearly stated in a companys terms and conditions, I don't see what leverage anybody would have to dispute what the company are doing. That's why they publish terms and conditions.

Sorry I didn't realise any further reply was needed to the original thread plus I have been away in New York and not keeping up to date with emails etc. I have now updated it, saying the price is still falling and as it is a long time before I need to pay but it is clear it is not going to go up again in the near future so I am waiting to see.

This post was about two things, I was wondering what some of the taxes & charges were actually for, as I have not seem them intemised in this way before and secondly, it looks for work reasons, as if I may have to change my return date - not looking for a cheaper flight or anything, in fact it might be dearer. While I was worrying about this I read in the paper that Easy Jet charges 30 pounds to change a flight so I thought I would give CA the benefit of the doubt. I rang again and just enquired about procedures for bringing our return flight, in September, forward by a day or two. (There are still plenty of spare seats)

Sadly I got the same hostile, you have to pay 100 pounds per person for any sort of change, response. I just don't think if is very good business sense. If EasyJet can do it for 30 pounds why is Canadian Affair charging 100?

But Easy jet doesn't do long haul. You are not comparing like with like. The taxes I gave you for the flight to India were for BA by the way. They did not break them down. The internal ones stated they were for Fuel Surcharge
Air Traffic Congestion fee
Passenger Service Fee

I think you have learned the hard way to read the T&Cs before booking. I had the misfortune to change dates on a long haul flight and was charged just over £100 per person. I paid it as I had not paid for a flexible ticket in the first place.

I am inclined to agree with Fiona. You are not comparing like with like at all. Easyjet is a cheap budget operator mainly doing short hop turn arounds to maximise the use of it's planes on a daily basis, its customer profile will be completely different and it will price accordingly. There is no comparison with that and a long haul flight to Calgary. The businesses will operate in a different way.

I also dont understand the comparison to Virgin, whilt I know they are long haul as have used them myself on quite a few occassions to America. What difference does it make if they show an 'all in' price or a price that lists things seperately? At the end of the day you know what the bottom line is when you book.

I wasn't complaining about the additional costs I just wondered what some of them were actually for - I'm curious like that.

And yes I do have to accept that Canadian Affair charge 100 pounds per person to change a flight but it doesn't make it reasonable (and is why I shall think carefully about booking them in future). But I don't get the comparison with Easy Jet - or all the other places which charge a lot less than 100 pounds to change a flight, with sufficient notice. The actual procedure and paperwork is no different whether you are flying to Greece or Canada - they all use the same travel software I imagine. What is actually different about booking a passenger on a flight to Canada and then changing the date, from doing the same thing to somewhere in Europe?

Does anyone know what Thomas Cook themselves charge if you want to alter a flight (we are talking 5 months ahead here)?

Honeyrose

I can't speak for Canadian Affair but I would imagine it has to do with the price you paid. I mainly book long haul with BA and go for the cheapest ticket. This means it is not flexible at all. I could pay more for the same seat on the same flight if I wanted flexibility to change dates or departure times or even cancel. As a leisure traveller its not worth me paying extra.
If you have only paid your deposit so far, why not have a look at Zoom Airlines. I think they are equivalent of Easyjet but longhaul. You might get a price that's worth cancelling Canadian Affair for.
Most airlines now seem to be adding fuel surcharges by the way. I'm waiting for a letter about my next trip

Just to add, re cancellation charges, that comparisons of Canadian Affair with EasyJet are perhaps not so relevant as comparisons with other travel agents (CanadianAffair is a travel agent, NOT an airline - and books you onto flights to Canada with Thomas Cook or Air Transat). There are other travel agents around who also book you onto long haul flights to North America, who quote a £25 fee to change the booking, provided it is far enough out. CA on the other hand, don't do changes, only cancellations and rebooking and to do that you have to forfeit your entire compulsory £100 per person deposit. That is really the point I was making. There are other agents, as I have now found, with better terms. I shall know better next time.

Honeyrose

only cancellations and rebooking and to do that you have to forfeit your entire compulsory £100 per person deposit

But in my experience, those agents that will change flights where possible for only £25, often also expect to be paid the full price up-front at the time of booking. Being offered the flexibility of only having to pay a deposit at the time of booking can have it's costs in other ways as you've discovered.

SM

I don't understand all the labouring about CA. You booked with them and in doing so are bound by their T&C end of story.
By the way if you want to change a flight with Flybe and possibly Easy Jet but have no direct experience. yes you can do it for a smaller fee but you must pay the price difference from the seat you bought and what the price is at the time of change.
I know this as my wanted to change a day when he was on holiday from the US. Wanted to stay in NI for an extra day as my Son was having a wedding reception there following wedding in Cyprus.
In the end it was cheaper to buy a new one way ticket to Glasgow with Easy Jet.

As Fiona says you pay your money and you take your chance. My Sister wanted to come home early having been out in the US as her son had a brain haemorrhage. Her partner was diagnosed with cancer in Scotland and she needed to come home to support him over surgery. BA would not budge on the seat change. They did in the end when we got a letter from his Consultant proving that he was in fact very ill.

I think if you sit from now until September mulling over what might have been. My advice would be not to ever look at prices once you have made a booking you can't change. Does no good. I am booking flights and holidays all the time. Going to Ireland in 2 weeks 3rd holiday this year 2 cruises booked holiday to Australia etc etc. Flights hotels etc booked by me. I check Trip Advisor for hotels then look on the web for the best price using Moneysupermarket or some such search engine. Flights I look for an Airline that meets my needs in terms of route and timings. Price is not everything it is what you are buying.
The only thing I check is Cruises I take with Celebrity or RCI who will pass on the price drop to people already booked. It is in their T&C . Yesterday got a £126 reduction in my August Cruise. Got a reduction on my NZ/OZ cruise 2 weeks ago.
I use a faithful TA who will work hard to get me the best deal she can. I trust her and she respects me and will always point me in another direction if that is in my best interests. People like her do not grow on trees. She told me to book my NZ OZ myself using as she would have to charge a fee and she could not compete with Trailfinders price.
Like Fiona says you seem to be going round in circles just be happy that they will let you change your flight for a fee!
Maybe as you say you will have learned something from this experience and probably the best advice is do your homework before you book and if not then just put it down to experience.

Good luck

Sue