I work ticketing flight ticket�s all day so the general rules nowadays are "no change no refund"!!!.
if he booked the tickets on line he can not do a thing
if , however, he booked over the phone ask him if he was advised of this rule???if he say he cant remember then get him to call the company, say that he cant remember being advised of this!!!! The general come back will be �well it�s a team and condition of your flight ticket� but if they have not advised him of this tearm and condition then its really a battle of wills. The law states that they have to either advise you of the rules on the call or provide you with the information to read�.how can he do this if he is booking on a call?????
if the company recorded their calls then they can listen back to the call and if he has not been advised then the company SHOULD have to pay for a new flight ticket...the company that i work for basically records all our calls but on the very rare occasion that one slips through the net we have to pay for a new ticket�.try it you never know!!!!!!!!!!!
Good look