Reissues/exchanges not allowed to EOU/ERU fare types

Question

We booked a round-trip flight through Chase Ultimate Rewards (credit card rewards program and travel agency). We are currently on the trip and have to change the flight back to a future date. The main carrier is American Airlines but one of the flights is carried by Alitalia.

An agent / customer service representative told me that we can't change our ticket after departure (from home) due the following part in the fare rules:

**REISSUES/EXCHANGES NOT ALLOWED TO EOU/ERU FARE TYPES. AFTER DEPARTURE CHARGE USD 275.00/CAD 275.00.*

Does is make any sense? I understand there would be an additional fee but the agent said it won't be possible to change the ticket at all.

For the complete fare rules see here: https://pastebin.com/LuzR0VCm

Answer 1

These are two different sentences and unrelated to each other.

First:

REISSUES/EXCHANGES NOT ALLOWED TO EOU/ERU FARE TYPES.

These two fare types are basic economy. This means your ticket cannot be exchanged to a basic economy fare. If your ticket already is a basic economy ticket, then perhaps your travel agent's strange interpretation would make some sense. But otherwise it doesn't.

Second:

AFTER DEPARTURE CHARGE USD 275.00/CAD 275.00.

This means that after you begin your journey, changing the ticket will cost $275 (plus any difference in fare).