Originally Posted by
burnthebarn
Great thank you. Unfortunately I still am completely torn what to do. 26 hours through PPT which isn't too bad and they have new planes on TN. On straight AA more direct its 20 hours. If you HUCA a few times are the odds you could find a CSR willing to waive the fee high? If that's the case I would probably book it today through PPT since it's business award saver which is rare and hope biz saver opens up later on the more direct path. If $300 fee is likely I'd probably wait for econ / biz saver on the more direct route.
If your flights are for 2 people, and all the miles are coming from your account, then the change fee would only be $150 for the first award +$25 for each subsequent award redeposited months same account (so $175 total).
Finding just one business award seat to Australia or New Zealand can be very tough, and 2 starts getting into unicorn territory depending on when you're trying to go. I would grab the TN routing now if it's suitable, and if a better routing on AA happens to open up consider yourself very luck for the opportunity to pay AA $175 to switch
.
And as to getting an agent to waive the fee, it's not about asking them to waive it, as any agent that correctly understands it will charge it and they won't waive it just for asking. It's more about finding an agent that either forgets to charge it, or one that doesn't understand it and doesn't think it would apply to this change, etc. Just luck of the draw.