Originally Posted by
ndesq
I have a one-way award ticket booked from SGN-HKG and then HKG-PVG-LAX (the SGN-HKG and HKG-PVG legs are on Cathay Pacific; the PVG-LAX leg is on AA), maximizing the stopover so that I have 24 hours in Hong Kong. Roughly from 3pm on a Saturday to 3pm on a Sunday.
Ideally I'm looking for better award space to open up so that I can fly HKG-LAX either nonstop on Cathay or almost-nonstop via SFO, *or*, on JAL through NRT, which has better timing and, frankly, substantially better F product than AA.
Can I change the itinerary once I have flown my first leg (SGN-HKG), or am I locked into the entire itinerary as soon as I set foot on the SGN-HKG plane? I'm hoping award space on CX or JAL opens up beforehand, but it seems to be opening up at the 24-48 hour mark, which is risky. But if I find out, once I land in HKG, that award space is available on a nonstop the following day (assuming within the 24-hr stopover window, that is), I'd love to be able to switch the next leg to that rather than the laborious HKG-PVG-LAX route on AA.
Thoughts?
Unfortunately I don't think that's possible, given the way the airlines do ticketing and issuing. Once you started on your SGN-HKG leg, you have begun travel on the ticket. I don't think AA will have the time or means to change your ticket at that point (short of flight cancellation or other operational reasons).
I hope someone else have a different experience and can prove me wrong, but my understanding is that voluntary change mid-journey would not be possible, particularly in your case.