Originally Posted by
N104UA
I would recommend going via SFO on the 77W if the price isn't too different. If the seat maps swaps to the old configuration you may find a sympathetic agent if you call and ask to switch to a SFO connection, but if you are booking now I would just do the SFO connection vs LAX.
It's either BWI-SFO-SYD, or BWI-LAX-SYD. The price is identical and both have long layovers during the day. The catch is that if I route through LAX I can do a meeting nearby during the layover, and then have a few great lounge options for working the rest of the day (never been to LAX PL and I'm excited to check it out...plus the MLL and the *A Lounge...whereas I've been to the SFO PL several times already).
So it's definitely a case of "better/more interesting layover + small [?] chance of old seats" versus "less interesting layover + guaranteed new seats".
In the end I decided to go with LAX, but I will probably ask nicely for a reroute via SFO if we get the old config and there are seats ex-SFO available that day.