Originally Posted by Copilot23

A few months ago booked an AA award ticket for my wife and I in late November to PVR from ORD. The flight was booked in F and began on AA metal but connected with US Air in PHX. The entire return was US Air. We are taking friends with us to Mexico and they paid for a total US AIR itinerary where we connected at the same time in PHX and traveled together for the rest of the trip. Both the AA flight and their US Air flight was departing ORD near the same time, which allowed us to easily connect to each other in PHX before flying together to Mexico, which was important since we are hosting the other couple in Mexico where we are staying. They booked their flight to closely match our itinerary so that we would arrive together, even though there were cheaper options when they booked. Fast forward to last night when I checked seat assignments as I do on a regular basis once booked. I found that the first leg of my AA flight had been moved from 7:05am to close to 8:30am. This resulted in a 25 minute connection time at PHX. Thinking that was not feasible, and wondering why I had not been notified, I contacted reservations, which told me my flight was being reassigned to US Air metal as the reason for the change, and she said, yes I was correct, the system would not allow me to check in with such a short connection time and I would need to rebook. I checked and saw there was plenty of room on the same US Air flight our friends were departing on and requested a rebooking on that flight since it was only a five minute difference in departure from the original AA flight I booked. The AAgent understood my situation and because AA had changed the flight time, really tried to assist, talking at length with her supervisor. But I was told because I was on an award ticket, her supervisor indicated that would be impossible. There was a 5:00am flight to PHX I was willing to suffer through, even if it may have meant arriving in PHX before our traveling companions. She again talked to the supervisor, But was told it was impossible. I even said I'd be willing to ride in coach, even though my award ticket was in F. No dice. My only options, book a totally different itinerary through DFW or cancel my ticket. I asked to speak to her supervisor, and found that she had accurately conveyed our circumstances, but the supervisor indicated that because I was on an award ticket, and the seats available were revenue seats on the flights I needed I was basically out of luck. She ended up booking me through DFW. I reiterated that I felt this was AA's problem that had become mine, that our plans were being disrupted at AA's convenience, and that by rebooking my award to a less desirable flight, it's not lost on me that AA is gaining two revenue seats in F to PHX on a premium Monday morning flight time.

I also lodged a complaint through the AA Customer Relations website but have not heard anything back yet. Outside of all that, is there anything else I can do?