Why don’t you look up the seat map before SDC? It may be possible to cancel once you’re at the seat map page but I’ve never tried. You can cancel right up to departure online but maybe possible even after if you call in or talk to gate agent.

SDC on award itinerary with AA/OW partner no longer allowed???
 

Have an award itinerary: PDX-SEA-ORD-BDL booked under 1 PNR. It’s an overnight flight with AS flight from PDX-SEA connecting same day on an AS red eye SEA-ORD then AA ORD-BDL.
I was just told over the phone that SDC PDX-SEA to a different flight time (keeping same connections and same routing) is not allowed??? The agent insisted that because one segment is on AA that they couldn’t SDC the AS segment because they would have to change all 3 segments?? Has this always been the policy or a recent change? I’ve always been able to SDC PDX-SEA that’s part of a multi-leg/segment one-way award even with other partners. Would appreciate others’ recent experience with this type of SDC. Thanks!

I am uncertain of the history, but the SDC literature seems to agree, here:

I had a similar experience a couple of months back. The agent I ended up speaking with at the end seemed fairly knowledgeable and explained that due to needing to reissue the ticket, they can't do a SDC on a segment if it is before the partner flight and the ticket is already under control of the partner airline due to being the day of travel. They said that they could do a SDC if the partner flight had already been flown and all that was left was AS flights.

I've previously had agents at the airport itself able to complete a SDC where the call center couldn't/wouldn't, but since the switch to them mostly using tablets at the airport I feel like their ability to assist with more complex things at the airport has really gone downhill. Seemingly due to lack of training on handling things outside of the "fancy" interface.

Has anyone had any success lately getting an agent (either phone or chat) to SDC a non-stop to a *reasonable* connection via SEA? I'm looking at flying MFR-PDX but the only non-stop is at 7am which is obviously way cheaper than the afternoon connection via SEA that I would prefer. I'm thinking of booking it as an award and if they don't allow it, just cancel and drive.

you could perhaps call at T-2 hrs and say you're not going to be able to get to the airport in time (car trouble, accident, etc)

~2018, iirc, a 1pm call "I can't make the 3pm train from Union Station in DC to BWI for my 455 flight" got me on the 545 DCA-PDX-SEA

Is there a point at which it becomes too late to get the miles back if you cancel at the last minute?

reading the rules/policy literally, "cancel any time before departure" would seem to say a minute before scheduled departure (or actual ACARS "OUT" -- door closed and parking brake released -- if the flight pushes early)

I have cancelled as late as ~T-30 minutes with no issues

Edge case potentially...

- I have a ticket already upgraded into U.
- The flight I want to move to only is Y0 already but actually U-space available.

In the past when I've had SDCs done to a flight with U space, they downgraded and the upgrade processor automatically upgraded into U again. If there is no Y space available, but there is U, can this still be achieved?

I don’t believe so as the originally ticketed cabin was in economy and Y0. You technically forfeit the upgrade when exercising the SDC - not U -> U. You could always ask and let us know what AS says!

If Y0, they won't let you SDC. I have had this issue so many times! Space in J--they say wait till people get upgraded.

I noticed, for some dates anyway, that booking PHL-SFO only shows the morning PHL-SEA flight, not the evening flight along with SEA-SFO the morning after. Would that impact your SDC options? Or, it's a stretch I admit, may a phone call allow for WAS or NYC?

Does the ability to SDC via the app go away once you've checked your bags?

the likelihood of success with any of these is vanishingly small, and change of originating airport almost certainly won't be an option without IROPS

the problem *might* be that the late SEA-SFO flight doesn't operate at the same time every day; if there's SEA-SJC/OAK, you could probably do co-terminal SDC from the late PHL-SEA, dash up to the gate two minutes after the door closes, and throw yourself on the GA's mercy for a morning flight back into SFO (of course making it very clear that you don't expect AS to cover a hotel)

Yes.

It also goes away when you say you "have bags" during OLCI. Best to say "no" unless you want to call in or not changing.