An alteration in travel plans brings that familiar crisis moment when the ticket purchased from Qatar Airways no longer serves: either the business meeting was rescheduled, or the vacation plans just went haywire. No matter what, one thing strikes you instantly: how much is it going to cost to change?

Let's take a walk around.

There is no standard fee applicable to all customers. Instead, there are a few aspects that chiefly describe the ticket change charges of Qatar Airways.

• What type of fare did you book (Economy Promo, Flexi, Business, etc.)?

• When is your travel date approaching?

• Your route (domestic or international)

• Whether you are changing through an agent or online.

In most cases, Economy Promo tickets-the cheapest ones-are least flexible. A per-charge fee could be anywhere from up to $50 to over $200 or more. Invariably, Business and First Class fares tend to have lax rules for changing, allowing free upgrades sometimes, especially in the case of moving from a Qatar Airways domestic route to an international route.

Insider knowledge: On the more expensive side, changing a ticket closer to its date of departure usually has higher charges. Early bird catches the worm-this is practically true for avoiding terrible fees.

Not really. Airline transfer fees for long domestic flights or international transfers will customarily be higher than those applying for short-haul or regional ones.

In addition, if there is a fare difference between your old ticket and your new ticket, you will have to pay that fare difference. So, even though your change fee is pretty low, that price jump between fares can sting a little.

Read: You're really not just paying to change it buys into the new price.

There is one major loophole-the 24-hour grace period: Qatar's return policy for tickets canceled or changed within 24 hours after booking (provided that the flight departs at least seven days later) is a complete refund or free change.

And what if one booked a fully flexible fare? You're most likely going to be just fine. Changes are most likely to be free, although, of course, fare differences may apply.

How do I do it?

You can opt to change flights by going straight to the official Qatar Airways website, under the section Manage Booking. But of course, where one feels uncomfortable about doing it or is not quite sure about the itinerary, it is really best to go through an agent.

Better yet? Let Fly Fair Travels take care of it.

These guys are specialized in all the nitty-gritties of what you might have missed, whether your ticket qualifies for free changes or if there's a promotion going on that could help you save money. Plus, Fly Fair Travels often finds workarounds to help reduce or avoid the charges altogether.

For those times when your plans change over 24 hours after booking, you will want to get in touch as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the sooner you'll narrow your options and make it more expensive.

Does the requirement need to be altered, but don't want the counseling? Fly Fair Travels will take care of everything right from the start until the end-just mention to them when and where you want to fly to.

Changing a flight isn't the end; however, at the same time, it can prove to be costly, and one can't know for sure how all of this works. Understanding well in advance the charges for changing a ticket with Qatar Airways might spare you a good chunk of money and a heap of stress.

So here's the deal: if you think there is even a slight chance that your plans might shift, look at the fare rule before you book. If in doubt, ask for help.

Because of the right information or the right travel partner-you may end up saving more than you thought.