You could also try standing by on an earlier flight. Not a sure-fire solution, but it's an option.

We can all offer our own 'speculation' as to whether AA will do that but that is all it is - speculation. Calling AA is a much easier, quicker and certain way to get to resolution.

All I can suggest is that you do your homework before you call. As beerup has said, without information on your flights, it's difficult to offer advice. If you're on QF, presumably you're flying into LAX or SFO? Where are you then trying to get to (TPA)? Does it require one flight or two from LAX/SFO? Is there an alternative routing? If so, does it have availability? What are the alternatives for getting to your destination and which of those alternatives would appear to have the most availability? None of the flights may have award space available but AA is much more likely to be willing to put you on a flight that's F7 A7 than they are on a flight that's F2 A0. Knowing what the alternatives are (including re-routing, if appropriate), looking at the loads on those flights and then suggesting alternatives to AA is more likely to have positive results. If none of that works, at least you can use the AC in LAX (if that's where you're flying into). Try flying MAN-ORD-TPA, where the 7 hour layover is built into AA's schedule.... :) As an alternative, I've taken to booking MAN-ORD-DFW-TPA to (a) get to TPA an hour earlier than the direct connection and (b) avoid sitting at ORD for 7 hours. Of course, as soon as you do that, they change flight times, making some of the connections illegal and forcing you on to flights that get you into TPA an hour later than if you'd just sat in ORD for 7 hours .... that's life.... :)

OT: Europe (particularly MAN) to TPA has become hefty layover city since the cutbacks...seems most airlines offer early morning or evening connections to TPA now and cut the afternoons, which isn't too favourable when your flight arrives just after midday...most convenient at the moment is CO

Called and explained the situation and was told too bad, no award inventory available so there is nothing they can do. Seems rather unhelpful given the situation. AA cut a flight too since my post that made this worse as I now have a 2 hour layover in DFW too and won't get back to TPA until after midnight the next day, for a total of 9 layover hours. Any suggestions?

The usual first line of advice from this board is if you don't get what you want when you call, call back and try again as the new agent may be more accomodating.

Do they have coach award seats for earlier flight? If you are willing to fly coach on the DFW - MIA leg, (assume you fly back to MIA), do they have seats?

Do you rather go home much earlier flying in coach or sit at airport for long layover but fly in F?

Nothing in coach was available either. ANd yes, I plan to call back, but after learning any tips offered here.

There's not much you can do other than that, unfortunately. I had a similar situation coming off of SYD-LAX in November and was told tough luck. I did very narrowly miss making the earlier LAX-STL by one standby position. Like I said previously, you might have to fall back on that as your only option.

The fact that you're looking for 4 award seats obviously complicates the situation. Is it possible to split your party up?

4 award FC seats are available DFW-TPA on the flight I want, but LAX-DFW is not available to combine with it in FC or Y, though its 7's all the way across the paid class availability. Nothing helpful connecting in MIA, STL or ORD. Any other possible connecting cities? Can you do point to point? Will they want the change fee for any connecting city other than as ticketed (DFW)? Seems like AA could open up a single flight as an accomodation for cancelling their own flights.

I'm somewhat confused at this point as to what the problem is.

Firstly, the problem is apparently caused by a QF schedule change, not by AA cancelling a flight, so I'm unclear why you believe AA should open up 4 award seats to accommodate that. Where are you flying from? This discussion would be much easier if you said (a) where you are flying from and (b) how QF changed the schedule to cause you a 7 hour layover. "When" you are flying would also be helpful.

In order to get to TPA 'after midnight' from LAX, I assume you're on the 1.35 pm / 6.35 pm flight LAX-DFW and the 9.00 pm / 12.15 am flight DFW-TPA? If so, what QF flight are you arriving on as there is no QF flight that would cause a 7 hour layover if you're on the 1.35 pm LAX-DFW flight. The earliest QF arrival is from SYD at 6.40 am, so that is more like a 5 hour layover by the time you clear customs etc.

You said QF changed your schedule, so now you have a 7 hours layover when connect to AA for flight back to Florida. Why would AA open up award seats (and 4 of them), when it isn't AA making the schedule change?

If you would at least give pertinent information, such as exactly what is your ticketed routing once you land in LAX...

My understanding is, unless you change the final city, there is no charge for changing the way how you connect, between LAX and your final city.

Regardless of who made a schedule adjustment, the airline that issued the ticket should accommodate passenger requests to adjust other flights regardless of fare or award availability. At least, that's my opinion. With the airlines always touting their "alliances" and seamless ticketing you would hope they would be more proactive about these things.

QF 25 now arrives from AKL @ 7:30A (was 6:25A when this was posted, but changed again by QF; was originally 10:45A when ticketed) AA2448 departs 1:35P but connecting flight AA674 dropped from schedule by AA and rebooked on last flight of the day AA538. Want to change to an earlier departure out of LAX and through to TPA earlier for arrival at 9:40P or earlier. Anytime award seats in FC are available for the flights I want but none available at the saver level for LAX to DFW (DFW to TPA does have 4 award FC available at the saver level for the flight I want). I don't see why opening up award seats is such a big deal, as I already am booked on award FC on that day and AA can just wipe out the award seats on the flights I change out of, plus it was AA that cancelled the flight I was booked on and should be willing to reaccomodate me in a reasonable manner. When I booked QF and CO using CO miles in 2007 and there was a schedule change, CO was very willing to reaccomodate me without any resistance and without regard to availability (and that was on a partner carrier, not CO tself - here I am asking AA to help).

Since the QF schedule change is not causing you to misconnect in LAX, just extending time in LAX , I am not surprised that AA would not open up seats on earlier flights. If you were arriving late and would misconnect, I would have more of an expectation of them rebooking you regardless of availability

Dave

With all due respect, what's the big deal? A 5+ hour layover isn't the end of the world. The past two times I've been to Australia, I've had 8+ hour layovers on the outbounds at LAX. LAX's AC is decent and there's plenty to do in the LAX area, there are worse places you could be stuck.