Originally Posted by
SFO_FT
In the past, when AA has had IRROPS on a transatlantic C class flight (ie, using eVIP), AA has reprotected onto BA metal (booked as either the AA codeshare or even onto the BA flight number). That happened to me twice, on day of departure. Has anyone had an actual experience (rather than speculation), when AA has cancelled its flight several months in advance and the AA metal alternative (in this case, 8 hours earlier), won't work? The first agent I spoke with said they won't reprotect in BA business, but will if I downgrade. It's my understanding that the AA/BA joint venture does provide for reprotection in the originally ticketed cabin (ie, business).
No, for schedule changes in advance, AA will not rebook you in the upgraded cabin on another carrier.
In this case your originally ticketed cabin is economy, so the agent was correct in that if you wanted to downgrade back to economy then they could rebook you on BA (most likely as the AA codeshare flight number).
There's a big difference between schedule changes in advance and day of departure irrops.