287qsRntM

I am flying tomorrow for an important job interview on Friday morning. My US Airways flight has two legs, with a layover at LAX. The second leg of the flight (LAX-EUG) is operated by American Eagle.

After I purchased the ticket I found out that there were no more seats available to be reserved. I took that as a sign that the flight might be overbooked, so I made sure to check in online the minute that option was available. No seats were available at that time either, so I have a boarding bass with a seat assignment of GTE.

I have no status.

What is the likelihood that I will actually get IDB'd, and what is my best course of action to 1) avoid it or 2) Still get to my destination in a reasonable period of time?

I've seen lots of posts about getting to the gate super early, but since this is the second leg of my connecting flight, I can't really get myself there any earlier than when my first flight lands (or should I do something at the gate before boarding the first flight?).

tom911

Is that the 1410 departure? AA is no longer selling seats on it.
AA will ask for volunteers if the flight is oversold. If they don't have volunteers, those without elite status will have a higher level of risk of being involuntarily denied boarding. There is a difference in compensation between those that volunteer and those that are forced off the flight. Until departure, no one can really tell you what your odds are that they will remove passengers as there could be no-shows, misconnects or flight delays. Come departure time they may not need anyone at all.

To be prepared, you need to look at options on other carriers and be prepared to suggest these if you are bumped off the flight. Right now there is a UA flight SFO-EUG at 1758, but it's down to one seat left for sale and it could be gone by tomorrow.

Your ideal rerouting would be on Alaska at 1500 to PDX and onward to EUG, but that would involve a terminal change at LAX and very likely your paperwork would not be processed in enough time to make that one. If they can sort this out before the 1410 LAX-EUG departure, you might make it, but it will be very close. Are you doing carry-on?

The last option is UA SFO-EUG at 2120 (6 seats for sale in coach). AA should be able to get you up there on their own metal or on UA to make that connection.

All these numbers could change by tomorrow. You might want to consider getting a free trial subscription to Expert Flyer to keep an eye on the alternatives.

287qsRntM

Yes

Are they likely to (or able to) attempt to claim the exemption from compensation based on weight capacity as an end around the overbooking? Or do they at least have the dignity to not do that?

Yes, carry on only.

tom911

There are special rules for planes that seat 30-60 and you could be impacted if they need to load extra fuel due to weather and balance that out with removal of passengers, as a sample scenario, and not be compensated. I've seen that happen before Sacramento-Seattle when the regional jet was weight restricted due to weather.

Ordinarily, a passenger who volunteers to be bumped will be compensated an amount of the airline's choosing (might be a $200-300 voucher for a flight like this). If you're forced off the flight, though, they have to compensate based on a multiple of ticket segment value (200-400%) and also refund the cost of that segment.

Read the DOT web site on overbooking as there's lot of details there:
http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/publi.../flyrights.htm

MADPhil

It would be a good idea to do OLCI 24 hours ahead. You may be assigned a seat at that point and you will have a bit more standing for IDB. If not, then check at the first airport and you may get a seat assignment. Otherwise it depends on what the situation is at the connection point.

287qsRntM

I did OLCI at exactly 24 hours ahead and was still not assigned a seat.

swag

Seats do sometimes open up.

In addition to tom911's excellent advice, you should set up a seat alert via Expert Flyer to email you if a seat does open. That seat alert is available even with the free version of EF.

OvertheCascades

Hey guys new Gold here as well.

Quick questions that I have been trying to get some answers on:

1. why US to Asia 1 via Asia 2 is two awards, whereas US to Asia 2 via Asia 1 is ONE award?
2. the record locator of my upcoming AA trip is TXXXXX. Does this mean it's T fare class?
3. The above said ticket was booked on June 2. How come my trip info on aa.com says: Issued: Monday, September 28, 2015
4. Lastly the 500-mile upgrades, are these what you earn AFTER you qualify for elite, or you can use what you earn prior to becoming Gold or Plat?

thanks very much! And super glad to be here

guv1976

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

1. Because those are AA's award-routing rules.

2. No.

3. Because your award was not ticketed by AA until September.

4. Did you earn any 500-mile upgrades before you made Gold?

OvertheCascades

thank you!

3. I didn't use any award. It was not an award ticket. I paid with my credit card on June 4. Though tkt price was extremely cheap.

4. No, I don't think I did. How does one earn the 500-mile upgrades before one make gold?

guv1976

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

3. In either case, AA did not issue the ticket until later.

4. I don't think you can either (although I'm no expect on 500-mile upgrade stickers). But your question was phrased in such a way that suggested you thought you had.

Exec_Plat

Wonder how it went...

For future references...Ive done a TON of trips to EUG. If stuff glitches (weather, equipment, etc, etc) I just fly to PDX and grap a rental car 2 hrs to EUG. Super easy drive (although for this CA driver, it seems OR residents seem to really like the speed limit) 120 miles 120 minutes. Slight risk of traffic in PDX around rush hours.

I will also occasionally get to EUG, check out what is going on with flights before returning the rental car. If flight problems, I change to a PDX departure and drive up.

Hope it went well, interview too. Nice little college town.

OvertheCascades

So I have UA and DL miles, 40K each. Now that I have made gold with AA, I'm thinking my flying w/ UA and DL will be reduced. What do I do with my miles with them?

Thanks for the help so far guv1976!

tom911

Redeem them before they expire, or take efforts to extend their life such as charitable contributions or shopping purchases tied to your account. I know the UA forum has a thread somewhere about expiring miles and how to extend them.

OvertheCascades

I seem to be slightly confused of the definition of membership year:

1. sometimes it is referred to as the membership year (Mar 1 – Feb 28).
2. other times, it's Jan 1-Dec 31, the calendar year.

My question is for elite status purpose, which of the above is the year? Or, if it depends on the situation, then how?

Thanks a lot guys!