AA eliminates free standby from B,H fares; non-elites can only standby earlier
#1
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 1999
Posts: 12,097
AA eliminates free standby from B,H fares; non-elites can only standby earlier
With the introduction of the new choice bundles, AA has eliminated the option to standby from all economy fares except Y. You now need to buy the $88 roundtrip "Plus" bundle to be able to standby.
Other change is that non-elites can only standby for earlier same-day flights, not later ones.
The revised rules (highlighting mine) read as follows:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MODERATOR'S NOTE
This DOES represent a change from the previous policy, whereby Y, B, and H fares were eligible for free standby and there was apparently no restriction against qualified non-elites standing by for later flights.
See also this related thread posted by hillrider that explains the fare number component:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...ds-number.html
dstan
AA Forum Co-Moderator
Other change is that non-elites can only standby for earlier same-day flights, not later ones.
The revised rules (highlighting mine) read as follows:
Code:
1. SAME DAY STANDBY -
A. ELIGIBILITY
1.AADVANTAGE EXECUTIVE PLATINUM/ PLATINUM/ GOLD
PASSENGERS AND THEIR ONEWORLD EQUIVALENTS AND
AAIRPASS MEMBERS TICKETED WITH ANY FARE MAY
STANDBY ON THE SAME DAY AS TICKETED/
WITHOUT CHARGE AS NOTED BELOW.
2.PASSENGERS NOT QUALIFYING BY TIER STATUS AS
DESCRIBED ABOVE WHO PURCHASED TICKETS FOR
FIRST OR BUSINESS CLASS OR COACH FARES BOOKED
IN Y/D/I/J/A/P/F INVENTORIES MAY STANDBY
WITHOUT CHARGE AS NOTED BELOW.
3.MILITARY PASSENGERS AND THEIR DEPENDENTS MAY
STANDBY WITHOUT CHARGE AS NOTED BELOW.
4.COMPANION FARE PASSENGERS WHO QUALIFY FOR
SAME DAY STANDBY AS IDENTIFIED ABOVE/ MUST
TRAVEL STANDBY ON THE SAME EXACT FLIGHTS.
5.PASSENGERS TRAVELING WITHIN THE US48 WITH
FARE BASIS CODES ENDNG IN 7 OR 8 OR 9 MAY
STANDBY WITHOUT CHARGE AS NOTED BELOW.
6.ALL OTHER PASSENGERS PURCHASING COACH
TICKETS BOOKED IN H/B/K/M/L/W/V/G/S/N/Q/O
INVENTORIES/ MAY NOT USE SAME DAY STANDBY.
THESE PASSENGERS MAY USE SAME DAY FLIGHT
CHANGE IDENTIFIED BELOW FOR A
NONREFUNDABLE FEE. /SEE AA.COM FOR DETAILS.
///---///---///---///---///---///---///---///---//
B. STANDBY CONDITIONS FOR ELIGIBLE PASSENGERS -
1.AADVANTAGE EXECUTIVE PLATINUM / PLATINUM/
GOLD PASSENGERS AND THEIR ONEWORLD EQUIVA-
LENTS AND AAIRPASS MEMBERS MAY STANDBY FOR
EARLIER/LATER SAME DAY FLIGHTS
2.ALL PASSENGERS OTHER THAN THE TIER AND
AAIRPASS PASSENGERS MENTIONED IN 1 ABOVE/
MAY STANDBY FOR EARLIER SAME DAY FLIGHTS.
3.PASSENGERS MUST BE HOLDING CONFIRMED RESERVA-
TIONS AND TICKETS FOR FLIGHTS OPERATED BY
AMERICAN AIRLINES/ AMERICAN EAGLE OR AMERICAN
CONNECTION
4.STANDBY IS PERMITTED FOR SAME DAY AA NONSTOP
AND/OR CONNECTING FLIGHTS BETWEEN THE SAME
ORIGIN AND DESTINATION AIRPORTS PROVIDED THE
ROUTING IS APPLICABLE FOR THE FARE CHARGED.
5.WHEN TICKETED TO/FROM HOU/NYC/WAS -
CHECK FLIGHT APPLICATION FOR ANY AIRPORT
RESTRICTION.
///---///---///---///---///---///---///---///---//
2. SAME DAY FLIGHT CHANGE/SDFC/
A. ELIGIBILITY
1.PASSENGERS WHO PURCHASED TICKETS FOR FIRST
OR BUSINESS OR COACH CLASS BOOKED IN
Y/D/I/J/A/P/F INVENTORIES MAY USE SAME DAY
FLIGHT CHANGE WITHOUT CHARGE AS NOTED BELOW.
2.PASSENGERS TRAVELING WITHIN THE US48 WITH
FARE BASIS CODES ENDING IN 7 OR 8 OR 9 MAY
USE SAME DAY FLIGHT CHANGE FREE OF CHARGE
AS NOTED BELOW.
3.ALL OTHER PASSENGERS PURCHASING COACH FARE
TICKETS BOOKED IN H/B/K/M/L/W/V/G/S/N/Q/O
INVENTORIES MAY CONFIRM TRAVEL USING SAME
DAY FLIGHT CHANGE FOR A NONREFUNDABLE
FEE /SEE AA.COM FOR DETAILS/.
///---///---///---///---///---///---///---///---//
B.SAME DAY FLIGHT CHANGE CONDITIONS FOR ELIG PSGRS
1.THE REQUEST FOR SDFC IS MADE WITHIN 12 HOURS OF
THE ALTERNATE FLIGHT/S DEPARTURE TIME.
2.THERE IS NO CHANGE TO THE ORIGIN/DESTINATION OR
STOPOVER POINTS.
3.NEW FLIGHT/S/ AND ROUTING ARE PERMITTED PER THE
TICKETED FARE RULE.
4.ALL TRAVEL IS ON AMERICAN AIRLINES/ AMERICAN
EAGLE AND AMERICAN CONNECTION.
5.REQUESTS ARE MADE VIA AIRPORT SELF-SERVICE
CHECK-IN/ TICKET COUNTERS /INCLUDING ADMIRALS
CLUBS AND PREMIUM SERVICES/ OR BY CALLING AA
RESERVATIONS.
6.CHANGES PERMITTED TO OUTBOUND OR CONTINUING/
RETURN FLIGHTS.
7.CONFIRMATION IS SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY.
8.ALTERNATE FLIGHT IS ON SAME TICKETED DATE.
///--///--///--///--///--///--///--///--///--///
REQUESTS MADE MORE THAN 12 HOURS IN ADVANCE OF THE
ALTERNATE FLIGHT/S DEPARTURE TIME WILL BE
PROCESSED FOLLOWING THE GUIDELINES FOR RESERVATION
CHANGES/ WHICH MAY INCLUDE COLLECTION OF
APPLICABLE CHANGE FEES PLUS DIFFERENCE IN FARE.
SEE PENALTIES
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MODERATOR'S NOTE
This DOES represent a change from the previous policy, whereby Y, B, and H fares were eligible for free standby and there was apparently no restriction against qualified non-elites standing by for later flights.
See also this related thread posted by hillrider that explains the fare number component:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...ds-number.html
dstan
AA Forum Co-Moderator
Last edited by dstan; Dec 12, 2012 at 2:20 pm
#2
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: LAX
Posts: 6,769
Thanks for pointing this out. While AA announces the "positive" changes, they insert verbiage into the rules and add the "negative" changes without any fanfare.
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 1999
Posts: 12,097
As FTers we should be able to hunt down and expose all the negatives they did not communicate to us quite quickly.
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: MSY; 2-time FT Fantasy Football Champ, now in recovery.
Programs: AA lifetime GLD; UA Silver; Marriott LTTE; IHG Plat,
Posts: 14,518
I thought non-elites on discount fares lost the ability to use free standby a couple of years ago? What has changed?
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SJC
Programs: AA EXP, BA Silver, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 33,533
#11
Join Date: Feb 2011
Programs: SPG PLAT, HYATT DIAMOND, AVIS CC, AA EXP
Posts: 208
Non elites can still do confirmed change for later ones?
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SJC
Programs: AA EXP, BA Silver, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 33,533
Cheers.
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 1999
Posts: 12,097
Thanks, truly appreciated!
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: LAX; AA EXP, MM; HH Gold
Posts: 31,789
I may be wrong, but I think that the real change here is that B fares no longer get free standby if you're not elite. Now, only Y gets standby if you're not elite.