Originally Posted by number_6
The fly in the ointment is that CX departs after midnight SFO-HKG, thus there is not a same-day departure at IAD -- it is the next day. Rather annoyingly AA does check and enforce this. I know this well as I was denied admission to the FL years ago on an F ticket ORD-LAX-HKG due to this technicality -- and what prompted me to get QF Plat status, so I can use the FL whenever I want. Presumably the AC at IAD won't be quite so protective of turf and maybe printing out that rule will work, despite the date change.
Interesting... I flew on the 1:55 am departure a couple of weeks ago and was allowed access to the FL when I arrived at 3:30 pm before the flight - they've allowed this for me on more than one occasion so maybe it varies based on which agent you get? I know once I asked and they said that although it departs after midnight, they consider it same day because it isn't the following "morning".