Gig103

Same-day change fees are so low on my radar, I wouldn't have thought about it if this was an open-ended "Why is AA bad?" thread!

For me, I'll be giving Delta a chance because of the 737-MAX configuration and "Project Oasis", which like "Right to work" and "PATRIOT Act", is an ironically misleading nomenclature. I pick legacy airlines because they aren't LCCs! I wish AA would realize that they can be BETTER than the LCCs instead of matching them with tiny pitched seats and micro bathrooms. The grass might not be greener in reality but on paper, DL has IFE, more pitch, and at least has the decency to install power ports at every F seat. And not that I will buy BE but they at least includ the carry-on, knowing it will be gate checked 99% of the time.

So for me, AA can't get worse than their new domestic fleet cabins, even though their international J cabins and Flagship Lounges are a top notch hard product.

mpkossen

$75 feels cheap. Especially if you don't have status with an airline. Heck, given what I've paid in the past to get bumped to an earlier flight I'd happily pay 75 bucks to get onto one.

rjw242

Which is why the standby option is offered at a massive discount relative to the ticket change fee.

rufflesinc

Just like when a mall store has a 50% off their regular price sale
I, like OP, try to get on earlier flights not because I have to, but because we budgeted extra time to be at the airport (traffic, TSA, yadda yadda) and there happen to be an earlier flight not yet departed.

The worst might have been HA, who require you to exit security and pay the fee at check-in desk, even though they have hourly or better interisland flights.

rjw242

Since AA can and does regularly charge a $200+fare difference change fee, this analogy isn't remotely relevant.

rufflesinc

You compared the stand by fee to the change fee and said there was a discount. I pointed to mall sales where the discount is from the regular price. So yes, it is relevant.

Dave Noble

Well, if the OP is offering to do the airline a favour then there is still no reason to be upset if the airline chooses not to take up that generous offer

It is not in airline's interest to fill the empty seats for free - it is in the airline,s interest to maximise margin. AA offers the option to change a restricted ticket for a low fee ( compared to the normal change fee ) on the day; don't like it , then don't change flights

There are plenty of airlines who do not even offer this - turn up early with an inflexible ticket, then sit and wait ; turn up late and pay the no show fee /change fee/fare difference or even have to just buy a new ticket

BThumme

No, they don't. Not even close. Look at what you can do with United (change routings, change number of stops,change days (move it up early or later a day), and have it tied to actual fare buckets that you can check, not a fare that only exists for changing at AA.


It's one of the main reasons (along with EQDs) I left AA to go back to UA.


Then why don't they get rid of non-rev travel? They'd much rather let non-revs waitlist for F and J then move up paying customers and free up space in the back for those NRSA.

JDiver

Welcome down from lurkerspace.

FlyerTalk works much better when you look up your topic before flying than posting after learning the hard way.

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...er-thread.html states same day standby incurs a cost of $75 for non-elite passengers.

The alternative they’d offer would be paying the change fee ($200 or more) and the difference between your purchased fare and a full walk-up fare; some airlines would just offer that.

The WN and UA fora have lots of useful information, as well.

Dave Noble

Very different; the staff have benefits which permit this travel

If someone holds appropriate statis than that person can standby for free, otherwise there is a charge to change to a different flight - there is no compelling reason why , in normal operations, the airline should allow the change for free rather than charge for it. That is foregoing $75 x number of passengers ( that make the change ) a day;

eponymous_coward

Also no CRJ-200s, no change fees, no checked luggage fees, a simple to understand boarding system, and a very straightforward redemption system that doesn't require reading FT to understand the byzantine complexity of, plus decades of being well below the legacies in generating DOT complaints (which are a good first-order approximation of being able to resolve service failures).

WN gets slagged here for not providing people with access to Krug, caviar and lie-flat showers, but frankly, a lot of people don't need or desire them. I wouldn't send my mom to fly AA on a dare- she's not an inexperienced flier but wouldn't fly enough for elite status anywhere, and WN treats people coming in off the street better than anyone else. And honestly on a twoish hour flight or less I don't really care if the airline is serving me food I'd often send back at a Denny's, or even something on the edible side, and I AM an experienced flier. A coach seat at a price I can afford and with some flexibility if plans change is pretty useful to me, and for a lot of other people. If it wasn't WN would be bankrupt (something UA, DL and AA couldn't avoid), out of business, or maybe still flying 3 planes between 3 cities in Texas.

AA has it's place, but the reflexive WN hate here just shows me people don't get the model. Which is fine, WN flies 700 or so planes a day for people who DO get that model.

C17PSGR

I flew Delta last week where I have no status. I wanted to standby for an earlier flight and went to the SkyClub using my AmexPlat. They took my AmexPlat, charged me $75, and put me on standby for the earlier flight. I didn't think it made DL a sucky airline because of this policy and it certainly beat the alternative of changing my ticket and paying a fee which is probably 150 or 200. I agree I prefer the days when airlines would let everyone standby for an earlier flight without charge.

Antarius

UA has EQD too (albeit named differently)

Gig103

The more I fly domestically, the more I respect Southwest policies. But that said, I don't believe that AA's boarding system is hard to understand. Maybe understanding the rationale for each group is beyond most folk's effort, but if it says "6", board with "6". And having a seat assignment is simpler to understand than trying to scout out a seat.

Relevant to this thread, "no change fees" means a day-of change can cost way more than $75. I was coming back from a long trip and flying WN, and to take the 1:30 instead of 3:30 flight was going to cost me $160/each ($205 day of vs $45 wanna-get-away). But for advance purchases and when plans change, I do like how flexible WN allows folks to be.

rufflesinc

Except thats not whats going on . OP has clearly paid a fare. Moreover AA is not even comparing the two fares, heck the earlier one could be cheaper.

Except those two scenarios are not remotely the same.
Yes there is, and that is getting willing pax out on an earlier flight with empty seats