Originally Posted by alect
... OTOH, if that segment on the ticket is dated with the flight number, and AA cancels the the route, i will be protected (won't I?) and they will have to reroute me.
Yes, no problem. AA cancelled LAX-SJO direct and rerouted my itinerary automatically via MIA (although I was later allowed to change it to something more convenient for me; they were very easy to deal with), adding 2 extra segments in the process (total 22) and 2 extra transcons (total 3). They did this without batting an eyelid and no reissue. Obviously my coupon was dated; without that I would have been up the creek.
There is another case worth 'protecting': connections dangerously close to the 24hr limit. I had a LHR transit (no tax) changed by AA, after the ticket was issued, making it into a stopover (>24hrs). Again, the dated coupon saved the day.