Originally Posted by
FlY2XS
Further pulling at the string, maybe load factor is one of the triggers for the cancellation bots to activate? In this case flight A was dropped, so flight B is likely to get full very quickly. Clearing space might be the first step in the contingency program. Clearly she didn't make the first cut of passengers reassigned to flight B.
If flight A and B are both half full, likely AC don't care if you cancel one last minute.
But if you're doing this well in advance, you're pushing up the lowest available fare, which might cause a prospective passenger to choose another option.
SFO-YYZ goes up around $40 per fare class (within a brand), 2 months out. It wouldn't take too many duplicate bookings to push the price up $100, such that someone might opt for a competitor.