Hi there, need some quick advice. For an upcoming return trip to Australia, I received notice of a schedule change for one of my connecting domestic UA flights on return in the US (LAX to SMF) booked as part of my Qantas ticket, making my connection through LAX tighter than previously scheduled. It still meets min connection time but, based on past experience, could be very tight. My ticket is a sale ticket booked through Qantas so typically no changes unless I pay $200 and fare difference.

There are several flight options with AA and UA from LAX to SMF later in the day. Given that the schedule change is caused by the airline, do I have any leverage to request a flight change without paying a change fee? Any strategy tips or ideas?

Thanks so much.