I had a connection SFO-ORD-DCA which I booked because the SFO-IAD was ineligible for a discount fare on my complex itinerary (Sep 5 DCA-ORD-GRR / Sep 12 GRR-ORD-LAX / Oct 1 SFO-ORD-DCA). Sep 11 ocurred while I was in GRR and during one of the six(?) calls to rebook the GRR-ORD-LAX (eventually dropping the GRR and just getting ORD-LAX Sep 16), I asked the agent if she could change the final portion to SFO-IAD and she was happy to do so.

Obviously I may have had an advantage since she was already mucking around with the same record. And it is always easier to rebook continuing or return segments rather than outbound, especially on travel agency records. (My home base is LAX. I book my business travel in "reverse" so I can get Saturday night stay fares without actually being away over the weekend. Well, at least most of the time.)

I absolutely advise early rebooking to IAD or BWI. Look at it this way, if DCA comes back into service before you have to fly it will be easy to get the DCA back if you want it. If you sit with DCA and DCA does not open, it may not be too easy to confirm the alternate you prefer. Although I'm starting to fear it may be all too easy to confirm anything one wants over the next few weeks.

Charles