Originally Posted by
Often1
Picking a random day, close in, for LAX-HKG via DFW, AA sells J inflexible for roughly $2,855 and J flexible for roughly $3,982. I have no idea what OP paid for his ticket nor do I know the difference between flexible and inflexible on his ticket, but as an example, on the close in ticket I priced, there is a 39% discount for accepting inflexibility.
OP now seems to accept that he was never entitled to SDC because it is not offered on his routing and that is clear from the COC, fare rules, and then plain English of the website.
He now believes that the agent ought to have waived the upfare of roughly $1,100 just because OP asked.
This is a silly comparison because the flexibility on the more expensive ticket includes flexibility on the international sector - which is much pricier and could be much more costly if one needed to change it on an inflexible ticket
It is silly to have a premium cabin customer connecting to a domestic flight with same-day inventory that will perish and not offer them any options. At most, DL would have done this for the $75 SDC fee.
AA is not operating in a competition-free environment. They are not the only one offering fares. If they offer such poor service and lack of flexibility or options for a premium cabin customer - whether that customer bought discounted/nonflexible J, or flexible/full fare J, they may take all that money elsewhere next time. Too often, front-line agents are penny wise and pound foolish, especially for a change where a flight is leaving in a few hours, and not one that is weeks or months away.