SJC AA

In order to get a reasonable fare SJC-BOS without a saturday night stay for a business trip ($520 instead of $2200), I routed myself through LAS (and ORD) one way, and through (ORD and) PHX the other. The LAS/ORD is fine -- I get a nice 11 hours at the blackjack table. On the return, BOS-ORD-PHX-SJC, I'd love to take the nonstop BOS-SJC that leaves about an hour before my flight and gets in about seven hours earlier. Do I have any chance at standing by for it without having to pay the fare difference? (Recall that the fare is broken at PHX to save big $.) Will the gate/Admirals Club agents notice the two connections and multiple fare bases on my (paper) ticket if I try? Would it help if I called the night before to ask?

The nonstop is looking almost completely empty, though it is six weeks out.

Thanks!

Warrenlm

When checking in, I've asked for a different routing and had mixed results. It is totally discretionary on the part of the counter or gate agent. Calling before does not help because they are bound by the change rules, unless there has been a schedule change. Some counter agents wanted to and did move me onto other flights, even when the fare basis was not available, and some used that as a reason to say no.

I try to go to the counter armed with knowledge about the preferred flight's loading, and the booked flight's loading, as you are.

jAAck

Often if I have an indirect routing I'll be asked at check-in if I wouldn't prefer the non-stop flight. I've also had luck standing by for flights to alternate cities. For example, flights to OAK or SJC are sometimes far less expensive than to SFO, so there are times I've ticketed to these cities instead of my destination SFO. Then at the airport I ask if I can take the flight to SFO instead. Because AA considers these airports "co-terminals", more often than not they put me on the flight I've requested. You just have to be prepared to go on your ticketed flight to your ticketed destination if you don't find a cooperative agent.

neilk

Miami and Ft. Lauderdale are also "co-terminals". If I can't get a decent fare to Miami, I will book a flight to FLL and try to go standby on a MIA flight. It's worked most of the time. I have also gone to MIA and gone standby on a return flight. The key is to arrive several hours before your scheduled flight and have someone willing to wait at the airport with you in case you have to go to FLL.

Of course a gate agent in a foul mood will always kill your chances.

Neil

HK-UMICH

Just one question...
Will the mileage accural counting the original itn or flown itn?

If I have a many stop trip for mileage and agent ask me to go direct, can I claim my original miles?

Thanks!

SJC AA

HK-UMICH, last time this happened to me was because of weather problems; I was ticketed SJC-ORD-EWR-LHR and flew SJC-ORD-LHR instead. I called to ask for the mileage difference, and they gave me the miles but they didn't count for elite qualification.

TexasPT

neilk,

Do you know when MIA and FLL become "co-terminals"?? The last time I tried to leave from MIA when holding tickets from FLL, I was kindly told by the phone agent that I'd have to purchase a one way, unrestricted, full-fare, ticket, and that standbys at Miami were not permitted. Granted, it was over a year ago when I experienced this torture, so things may have changed by now...

Thanks!

DrHowser

UK-MICH....AA is a little less strict on awarding itn mileage when the change is due to weather or scheduling change.

However, if you ask to change your itn where there is nothing preventing your orginal itn, then you will get actual flown miles. If you are on a mileage run, then stick to what you booked.

jAAck

TexasPT, my partner had the same problem with the FLL/MIA co-terminal situation. On the other hand, I've never had this issue on my trips. I'm usually flying on higher-priced tickets, while he's usually on discounted tickets. I've wondered if they're only considered co-terminals on certain fares. That seems odd, but hey, we're talking yield management here and that never makes much sense... ;-)

kappa

Often EWR fares are substantially lower than LGA. I ticket an EWR return and ask, first at the counter, for a seat to LGA. If not confirmed, I get on the standby list and wait at the gate. I have never been challanged at either the counter or gate (or Admirals Club).

The same is true of trying for direct flights to either airport when ticketed on connections through DFW or ORD. If there is space, they just pull the two tickets and give me a boarding pass. I don't think they even look at the fare, and I can't think of any good reason why they should. The seat otherwise flys empty.

hillrider

TexasPT

They indeed (now) are co-terminals, at least for some fares. Checking the lowest fare available from SFO to FLL on
https://dps1.travelocity.com/lognlogin.ctl?textonly=Y&tr_module=FARE&service=TR AVELOCITY
, a $198 (plus ton o' taxes and surcharges) LEO14SPN, the CO-TERMINALS box in the fare rules details reads: THE FOLLOWING GROUPS OF CITIES ARE CONSIDERED TO BE THE SAME POINT BUR - SNA - LAX - ONT - LGB, EWR - HPN - ISP - NYC, OAK - SFO - SJC, BWI - WAS, EYW - MTH, FLL - MIA, HRL - MFE.

I assume that this list is a "boilerplate" for all AA fares.

neilk

TexasPT, technically the answer the phone agent gave you is probably correct, however the airport agents have lots of leeway with the rules, esp. if there are empty seats on a plane.

When I took the flight out of MIA instead of FLL, I got the same answer on the phone, but I had first found out that the flight I wanted to take (roughly 2hrs before the FLL flight) had plenty of empty seats. I then went to the airport and asked the Gold or Platinum check agent if I could take that flight. If they had said NO, I would have gone to the gate. If there are empty seats, you should have no problem. Just make sure that you have somebody with you at MIA that is willing to take you to FLL in case it doesn't work.

jAAck, did your partner go to the airport or talk to a phone agent?

BTW, I have done the FLL/MIA switch several times on the outbound leg, but only once on the return.

Neil

SherynB

My experience has been that the phone people will almost always recite the rules and tell you "no" and the gate people will almost always tell you "yes." I think the difference is legitimate and based on common sense...if the phone people start fudging the rules, then there is an issue at the airport and those seats are needed for others, the counter people have no leeway. If the plane is going to depart in ten minutes and the seats are STILL empty...then it's in nobody's best interest to tell you no.

I would echo the previous post that said go to the airport well before the flight you want (they always seem more willing when they aren't trying to check in a hundred other people who have reservations on that flight while you are asking for special favors), smile graciously, indicate that you know the one is nearly empty and couldn't they please do you a favor...but be prepared to graciously accept "no" for an answer, and smile and thank them for their time anyway. Anything less runs the risk of spoiling that agent forever to being nice to any of us....and I've actually had various people over the years in different settings change their minds and find a way do whatever I had asked, or something like it, BECAUSE I was gracious when they said they couldn't.