Guide: New SDFC / Same Day Flight Change Restrictions 8 Jun 2018
Jun 11, 2018, 12:17 pm
#16
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Just got off the phone with an AAgent to inquire about changing a flight today. I asked if there was E inventory on the flight that I was interested in, which was confirmed by her. She said that it wouldn't accept the change and put me on hold (to I assume call the help desk). When she came back, she told me that an update went into effect June 8 in which CFC availability is dictated my some automated system rather than E availability.
Has anyone seen or heard about this? Should I HUCA?
Has anyone seen or heard about this? Should I HUCA?
Jun 11, 2018, 12:20 pm
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,236
Jun 11, 2018, 12:28 pm
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,252
Correct that it has all changed:
https://twitter.com/xJonNYC/status/1006235413323841536
https://twitter.com/xJonNYC/status/1006235413323841536
What is the difference between the old SDFC and AFC functionally, for example. Do you mean just the E vs no E? or are there other changes
Jun 11, 2018, 12:46 pm
#19
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
There appear to be a large # of changes, I'm trying to decipher them, SDC will morph into these 3 processes and none use -E- exclusively. Cut-over date to these new processes not clear to me either.
Last edited by JonNYC; Jun 11, 2018 at 2:01 pm Reason: edit to add word "exclusively"
Jun 11, 2018, 12:58 pm
#20
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 687
Happened to me yesterday. I asked to change flights on a totally open flight AA1234 DFW-MKE. The agent said she could not process the change so I hung up and called back. Second agent said the same thing so I asked her to downgrade me on my current flight. While I was still on the phone with her I was able to change myself on the app. Maybe an issue with their system as they are working through these changes?
Jun 11, 2018, 1:48 pm
#21
Left Expert Flyer 4/23
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,741
Hi folks. We reached out to our reps at AA to get a consolidated public statement as to what did or did not change and what caveats there may be to just having E class availability and will share when they have the information ready.
Jun 11, 2018, 2:02 pm
#22
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: KCGX
Posts: 144
VFTW provides an AA statement:
https://viewfromthewing.boardingarea...-reservations/
Overall, we have not changed the policy or criteria regarding same day flight changes.
What we did do was change the way the system used by Reservations checks for availability on same day flight changes. Previously, the system always checked whether E inventory was available [update: along with “other criteria”]. Now it checks the full list of requirements, such as whether the itinerary (with connections) was available, had bags been checked, etc.
The end result may be that some same day flight changes that might have been allowed by reservations previously, are not being allowed. In cases where it may not be available, reservations can offer and complete transactions for same day standby. Previously for same day standby, the customer had to check at the airport for same day standby.
Kiosks and airports already checked availability using the same policies, nothing has changed there.
What we did do was change the way the system used by Reservations checks for availability on same day flight changes. Previously, the system always checked whether E inventory was available [update: along with “other criteria”]. Now it checks the full list of requirements, such as whether the itinerary (with connections) was available, had bags been checked, etc.
The end result may be that some same day flight changes that might have been allowed by reservations previously, are not being allowed. In cases where it may not be available, reservations can offer and complete transactions for same day standby. Previously for same day standby, the customer had to check at the airport for same day standby.
Kiosks and airports already checked availability using the same policies, nothing has changed there.
Jun 11, 2018, 2:02 pm
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,252
Jun 11, 2018, 2:20 pm
#24
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 687
Still odd that an agent was not able to do a SDFC for me yesterday however when they downgraded me to economy from first I was able to do it myself on the app. Sounds like the logic has some bugs that need to be worked out or the logic is just you need to be downgraded first before a SDFC will be "offered" to the agent.
Jun 11, 2018, 3:17 pm
#25
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,315
If E was available, wasn't the itinerary available? Or is this referring to married segments somehow?
Jun 11, 2018, 5:05 pm
#26
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Why not simply ask if she can change you to the flight you want?
AA no longer trains its front line agents to even understand the specifics because it is all handled by templates making your question irrelevant to the result you sought and requiring the front-line agent to call someone to figure it out.
The benefit of simply asking is that it really doesn't matter whether the agent rebooks using SDC or simply makes a change and waives the change fee.
AA no longer trains its front line agents to even understand the specifics because it is all handled by templates making your question irrelevant to the result you sought and requiring the front-line agent to call someone to figure it out.
The benefit of simply asking is that it really doesn't matter whether the agent rebooks using SDC or simply makes a change and waives the change fee.
“Charge more, give less.” That’s the AA business mAAntra.
Jun 11, 2018, 5:53 pm
#27
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,602
You mean that the company it trying to ensure that that agents act in accordance to what the company has defined rather than what the agent feels like doing?
Jun 11, 2018, 6:08 pm
#28
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Jun 11, 2018, 7:29 pm
#29
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: SLC/HEL/Anywhere with a Beach
Programs: Marriott Ambassador; AA EXP 3MM; AS MVP, Hilton Gold, CH-47/UH-60/C-23/C-130 VET
Posts: 5,234
Seems to me like it takes care of the AAngels asking me ... you don't have any checked bags, right? Wink, wink. I don't check them anyway but sounds like this new method will block it.
Otherwise, I'm not seeing a situation that it blocks that it would have cleared before. Seems like it might even be clearing easier, if it doesn't require E availability.
Jun 11, 2018, 7:34 pm
#30
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,315
That's what's confusing me.
Seems to me like it takes care of the AAngels asking me ... you don't have any checked bags, right? Wink, wink. I don't check them anyway but sounds like this new method will block it.
Otherwise, I'm not seeing a situation that it blocks that it would have cleared before. Seems like it might even be clearing easier, if it doesn't require E availability.
Seems to me like it takes care of the AAngels asking me ... you don't have any checked bags, right? Wink, wink. I don't check them anyway but sounds like this new method will block it.
Otherwise, I'm not seeing a situation that it blocks that it would have cleared before. Seems like it might even be clearing easier, if it doesn't require E availability.