Reduced airfare after purchase

important travel rule: once you buy your airline tickets never look back...

Toni is right - never look back once you buy your tickets. You could buy new tickets, but your original ones aren't going to be refunded. At best, you could end up with voucher for a future flight, minus the change fee, if you cancel them.

HMG, that is something everyone is subject too. It is like buying that new outfit you saved for 3 months, then see it selling at knock-down prices 2 weeks after your purchase... My suggestion: check whether the difference between the new fares and (your fare - refund/reimbursement fees) is. If the different is significant, you can cancel and ask for a refund for the old tickets, and buy new ones. But it is tricky: you need to assure there are cheap fares available, cancel the existing tickets and then buying the new ones (doing otherwise might put both reservations in jeopardy due to duplicity). United Airlines used to have an automatic trigger option that would reimburse you if the ticket price for your flight on your date felt more than the reimbursement fees for your fare, without the need for the passenger to keep a tab on fares. In any case, except for the most savvy passengers, the best option is "buy, pay and forget".

Next time use Orbitz. If someone subsequent to you books the same flight (on Orbitz) at a lower price, they'll refund you the difference. I don't know if there are other sites with the same guarantee. Most seem to have a "within24 hours" clause; Orbitz does not.

It may not apply to your situation or airline, but check out Yapta - it could help you in future situations. http://www.yapta.com/airline-refunds/