Cheap airplane tickets and cheap vacation packages become much more expensive if you need to change your flight plans. In the good old days you could decide to fly earlier or later on the same day of your originally scheduled flight for free, particularly if you were willing to stand by for an open seat. Those days are history.
Each airline has different policies concerning changes to flight plans and those policies can change at any time. The only change policy that is not confusing is when you are flying on a fully refundable ticket, or have elite status in the airlines frequent flier program. Such passengers face no fee to make a confirmed, same day schedule change.
Some airlines allow their customers to make changes by phone, where others only at the airport. Some, including AirTran and JetBlue, continue to allow same day standby. However, this is not for a confirmed seat, only for a seat if it is open just prior to boarding.
Some carriers give travelers a full 24 hours to make same day changes, while other allow as few as three hours.
Southwest charges no change fee, but its passengers are liable for any fare difference. For example, if an advance purchase ticket was $49 and the last minute fare is $299, you will have to pay $250 to change your ticket.
A word to the wise airlines are known for breaking their own rules. When interacting with an airline representative over the phone or at the airport by asking nicely, you may not have to pay for a change. Also, if your original flight is overbooked, delayed or cancelled, the airline will usually put you on another flight the same day for free.
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