Originally Posted by
scoubit
I am flying YHZ to YYZ to FRA to HEL later this month on a Z fare. I had wanted to fly YYZ to FRA on AC872 but it could not be booked because I arrive at YYZ on AC617 from YHZ and there was less than 45 minutes between flights.
Instead, I am flying on the LH flight which leaves at 18.30 instead of AC872 which leaves at 17.30.
Since I will have no checked bags, if I can get to the gate promptly, can I be placed on the standby list for AC872? I sense this is usually a very high demand flight. As a SE on a Z fare, will I only be bumped by an SE on a full J fare or are there additional considerations?
(All this because I prefer the privacy of the AC pod!)
I assume you are on a ZXRC28 fare.
You are asking two questions.
Your thread title asks about same day changes and booking class requirements. The answer is no - there only needs to be a seat available. I don't know who is able to make this change. It has to be done "at the airport" but whether that includes via the OLCI function or includes gate agents I do not know. There is no waitlist - you change if there is confirmed space and you don't change if there isn't.
That being said, you want to change from an LH operated flight to an AC operated flight. This is not allowed by the fare rules. Only AC to AC.
You also ask about "standby", which is the thing you do when you walk up to the gate and ask to be sat on the flight if there is room and there is a waitlist and so on. The ZXRC28 fare explicitly says "no standby" so you should expect to be rebuffed.
All that being said, of course, the AC website contradicts its own actual fare rules on a dummy booking I tried.
For example, the booking page says $500 for cancellation, $400 per change, but free same day airport changes. And the fare rules themselves say $350 for a cancellation, $250 for a change, $100 for a same day airport change. I think. And the booking page doesn't specifically mention non AC operated flight w/r/t same day changes.
I suggest asking nicely not to a gate agent, looking pretty, feigning ignorance and shock at being turned down, and preparing to have your privacy violated in your LH business class.