Thank you for your advice. I have no choice but to take the FCO-JFK segment since I need to get back to the states after a 2 hour business meeting on Wed for my mother in law/family. I will beg for mercy at the Chelsea lounge/EXP line since I have a 2.5 hour layover and see what they can do for me, the JFK--LAX flight looks sold out in first and business so maybe they would want the seat back?? If I had originally booked to not go to LAX and stay in JFK the price would have been less expensive but that was then and not day of...worse comes to worse I will have to fly to LAX and do a red home as soon as I land to get back to the east coast which is waste of time but I guess rules are rules logic be damned

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