Continental Change Fee...Ridiculous!

I've been traveling for years on vacation and occasionally for business and I just had the misfortune of experiencing the biggest scam in air travel, the change fee. I had booked a flight for my girlfriend and myself (our first vacation together) on Feb. 6th to Costa Rica with Continental for the 18th of April. This week I found out my first family reunion in a decade was on April 18th. So, I tried to change my flight one day, from Saturday to Sunday. The change fee was $300 total for two tickets. That's more than the cost of the actual flight and with taxes and fees almost exactly the same. I just paid $600 for a $300 leg of the trip and I'm furious. How do they justify charging that much money when I'm still two months away from departure? I would understand if it was only a couple days away and I had prevented them from selling that seat but this is just absurd. The change is already made because the family reunion is very important to me, but I am seething! Is there anything that can be done?

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Now a days all airlines are ridiculous and donn't care about the customer. I am a platinum elite member still I find difficulties all the time. Better dont change in advance in continental. What you can do is the change your ticket within 24 hrs of your actual departure time, at that time you have to pay $50 or $25 if u r gold/platinum elite. You don't have to change fee which is $150. Even they try to suck your money if I am calling 26 hrs in advance (it should be within 24 hrs only!!!!). How ridiculous is that....