US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-2005 America West merger) - Changing a paper award ticket

I used miles to book an award: PHL-VCE (US) on the outbound and GRZ(OS)-VIE(OS)-AMS(US)-PHL on the return. Since I have some Austrian flights on my return, I was sent paper tickets.

I was hoping to leave a day earlier on the return from Graz. What's the best way of going about this without going to the Graz airport the day before and going stand-by?

If there is availability, can the ticket agents at the US counter in PHL change my tickets?
My flight is in a week, so there's no time to mail tickets to the service center.

Thanks.
Rich

I'm not sure if the PHL counter can make the change, but two weeks ago I went to the Philadelphia CITY ticket office to try and make a change to a (paper) award ticket, and the agent said they could do nothing with DM awards and that I had to deal with DM through the phone. I don't know how this would play with your trip being so soon. Maybe pay to overnight the tickets to US Airways?

As an aside, the Philly city office had ONE agent on duty that day, and when I got there around 3:00 the office had a sign saying "closed: will be back in 15 minutes." When the agent finally did return, she was less than helpful in all regards. Sigh.

I used miles to book an award: PHL-VCE (US) on the outbound and GRZ(OS)-VIE(OS)-AMS(US)-PHL on the return. Since I have some Austrian flights on my return, I was sent paper tickets.

I was hoping to leave a day earlier on the return from Graz. What's the best way of going about this without going to the Graz airport the day before and going stand-by?

If there is availability, can the ticket agents at the US counter in PHL change my tickets?
My flight is in a week, so there's no time to mail tickets to the service center.

Thanks.
Rich

I'm not sure if the PHL counter can make the change, but two weeks ago I went to the Philadelphia CITY ticket office to try and make a change to a (paper) award ticket, and the agent said they could do nothing with DM awards and that I had to deal with DM through the phone. I don't know how this would play with your trip being so soon. Maybe pay to overnight the tickets to US Airways?

As an aside, the Philly city office had ONE agent on duty that day, and when I got there around 3:00 the office had a sign saying "closed: will be back in 15 minutes." When the agent finally did return, she was less than helpful in all regards. Sigh.

I really hate to break it to you, but that agent LIED to you. Award paper tickets can be re-issued at ANY ticket counter, at the airport, CTO, doesn't matter. It's a matter of a few minutes. I know b/c my wife changed our *A paper tickets twice in two days as she was flying through PIT.

Cr@p attitude is apparently not confined to PHL airport... :mad: :td: :td:

Edited to add: I really don't think going through DMSC via phone will work. Sorry.

I tried to change the dates on my award paper tickets earlier this year on a trip to Dubai, and the woman at the PHL city office said

they could do nothing with DM awards and that I had to deal with DM through the phone.

Just like your experience, BrianW.

She said it was because the flights were on LH not on US, otherwise they could have changed them.

On this trip I don't have to be back a day earlier, I just prefer to be back a day earlier. I want to save a vacation day.

I guess there are a lot worse things than spending a day in Graz.

Well, it's good to know it wasn't just me. The agent had a truly dismal attitude, even though I was trying to be really understanding since it was just her.

Viel Spass in Graz! Gute reise...

I tried to change the dates on my award paper tickets earlier this year on a trip to Dubai, and the woman at the PHL city office said



Just like your experience, BrianW.

She said it was because the flights were on LH not on US, otherwise they could have changed them.

On this trip I don't have to be back a day earlier, I just prefer to be back a day earlier. I want to save a vacation day.

I guess there are a lot worse things than spending a day in Graz.

Well, it's good to know it wasn't just me. The agent had a truly dismal attitude, even though I was trying to be really understanding since it was just her.

Viel Spass in Graz! Gute reise...

I still maintain you were both LIED TO. Any ticket agent can reissue paper award tickets, I think the ones you guys talked to were either too lazy or too stupid. Or maybe both. :td: :td: :td: