ThreeJulietTango

(removed pending clarification)

bostalk

So...had a frustrating experience trying to do a same day confirmed change in business this weekend. Originally booked in I class, one seat in I inventory available on my desired flight on aa.com. First agent I called confirmed one seat available for SDFC but as it wasn't quite 24 hrs prior to departure, asked me to call back 24 hrs before. I did so, next 3-4 agents denied that any seats were available for confirmed flight change despite that same I seat showing as available on aa.com. After calling yet again, the last agent didn't seem to know what I was talking about, put me on hold presumably to ask someone, then came back on the line and was able to make the change successfully.

My question is - I understand E inventory has to be available for economy flight changes - is there an equivalent inventory necessary for premium cabin confirmed flight changes? Or is it just the original booking class? If the latter, was I just unlucky that 3-4 consecutive agents didn't know how to do a SDFC in business class?

oysterhead43

Finally gave up on a SDFC tomorrow on a F seat upgraded with mileage copay. Learned a lot after trying several different agents and LAX AAngels. That means SDFC requires A inventory in F. The only A inventory was on flights with different routing, not allowed without change fee. I could have had a seat on the one other flight with same routing, but would have been back to Y. The agent would refund the miles but not the copay. In the end, I stayed with my existing reservation.

ThreeJulietTango

Premium cabin SDFC requires the original inventory. The guidance given to reservations agents doesn't seem to be very clear on this.

HomelessScientist

I have a reservation on an early-morning AA flight tomorrow, Dec. 24, at about 7:00 a.m. If I look at my same-day flight change options, the only one shown is an overnight flight departing after midnight, at about 1:00 a.m. The same-day flight change screen doesn't explicitly show the date of the flight anywhere.

I know that overnight flights were confusing with pre-merger US, though; their reservation system treated overnight flights, even those leaving after midnight, as the end of the day rather than the beginning.

So, does anyone know for sure whether the overnight flight being offered for SDC is earlier or later than my scheduled early-morning flight tomorrow?

(Advantage of the overnight flight if it's earlier - see family sooner, maybe be able to help cook for Christmas Eve. Disadvantage - no sleep. I'm not sure whether I'll take it, but I certainly wouldn't take it if it would get me there a day late!)

Geauxtigers

If your flight is Dec 24 at 7am, a flight for Dec 25th at 1am would not show up yet as it's not within the 24 hour mark for SDC. The flight you're seeing should be the 1am flight on Dec 24th. If you wait a few more hours you may be able to find more options depending on if you're on a nonstop, one connection, two connection, etc. Happy travels!

E55

I'm interested in some clarification, too, from anyone with experience.

I operate on the (maybe mistaken) presumption that the "day" starts at 4 am local time.

Is that the case?

jordyn

AFAIK, the "day" starts at midnight local time. That's always been the case with AA in the past, and I haven't seen any evidence that this changed as part of the merger.

lightbulbs

Yes, AA is very strict about same calendar day for SDFC. I recently was booked on a flight less than an hour after midnight and tried to switch to the flight an hour before midnight and the EXP desk couldn't do it. They suggested trying at the airport which I did and they wouldn't even do it at the airport. So the flight they are offering you is definitely before your scheduled flight.

Would love to hear reports of anyone who has gotten them to bend the rules on SDFC for red eyes on different calendar days.

steves

I just called - i am on a 12:55 am out of LAS 12/25 - i.e. I am am flying Xmas evening overnight. I just called to ask about standing by for 12/24 at 11 pm - overnight and 2 hours earlier - and was told no. I actually called twice as the first person didn't seem to understand my question. The second agent couldn't understand how I didn't see that if the ticket said 12/25 on it that it had nothing to do with 12/24. I guess there is just the literal interpretation of the ticket date now. However, the rules also state that same day standby can be later in the day. I will be interested to see how that rule is applied when I miss my flight and try to take one of the earlier morning 12/25 empty flights.

oysterhead43

Darn, thought I had read about a policy change that allows redeyes leaving before midnight to be categorized as same day for the following day.

ThreeJulietTango

What does AA.com or the kiosk offer you?

That's correct.

If the original flight leaves between 8 PM and midnight, you can SDFC to flights leaving from midnight to 2 AM on the following calendar day (but still the same night) and vice versa. This was revised around the same time that the routing/coterminal restrictions were added in July.

Keep in mind that reservations and airport agents may be looking at slightly different references.

If the original flight left at 7 AM and the desired flight is at 1 AM on the same calendar day, I would think that SDFC would be allowed.

gary_nj

My experience from last week is that the "same calendar day" is enforced. I had a flight that departed at 12:50am and I wanted to take a flight that departed a few hours earlier. I called several times and the answer was consistent that I could only do a "same day confirmed" change to other flights on the same calendar day. LUS had a process whereby the "calendar day" actually ran until 2am or 3am, but this appears to have been discarded.

The process of changing from 7am to 1am on the same day should be fine, given appropriate availability and the same number of connections.

E55

Maybe I was thinking of an old US policy. It seems to make more sense operationally, but understandably could be more confusing if the "day" has two different dates.

sukn

Wrong, it has to be same calendar day.