Q. I purchased 3 roundtrip flights from Phoenix to Boston for St Patrick's Day. My husband was scheduled to have off work, but now he cannot make the departure flight. He can fly out the following day and would like to use his portion of the return ticket to fly back home with us. I have spoken to 4 different airline reps and it seems that you cannot use the return portion of the ticket without paying $180 upcharge. Can you advise on a solution?

A. This policy is pretty typical of most airlines, whereby a simple change to your itinerary can end up costing you more in fees than you paid for the original ticket. We wish we could offer you a better solution but next time, try booking with Southwest. Their change/refund policy is by far the least restrictive of any airline, making it easier when there's the possibility that you'll have to change your plans after you purchase your tickets.