Last Minute ? ? PHL to MCO 2/10 - Terminals - SDC ?
 

Booked a friend on ORF to MCO in first using miles.

2/10/19 Sunday

#5256 CRJ7 ORF to PHL. Arrives 2:20pm
#1919 A332 PHL to MCO. Departs 6:09pm
Has a 4 hour layover in PHL. He doesn't like.
I tried to say this is an Intern. config bird with lay flats.
He is not impressed.

What are the chances of a Same Day Change to #422 (A321) in first once in PHL?
Currently AA seat map says 7 seat open on the A321 to MCO.

Tickets do say SDC are applicable.
#422 leaves PHL @ 3:43
Layover would then be; 1:23 instead of 4 hours.

It mentions terminal change from CRJ arriving to A332 leaving.
Can one predict which terminal the CRJ will arrive, and which terminal the A332 will depart?

If he does/can switch to #422 to MCO, is there any way to know what terminal that would depart from?

If he keeps original itinerary how long does it take to move from a CRJ terminal to a A332 terminal?

Can anyone tell me specifically which terminals these flights may use?

So what terminal does CRJ7 # 5256 arrive in PHL?

What terminal does A332 # 1919 depart from to MCO?

What are the chances of a SDC to # 422 A321 to MCO in first ?

What terminal would # 422 depart from to MCO?

All 2/10/19 Sunday

ETA; I see AA uses 5 of 7 terminal @ PHL. So asking for a friend, literally.

Thanks

ORF will come into terminal F.
MCO could leave out of a few places but looks like likely A for the A332 flight and C for the A321 flight.

Same day flight change is funny with award tickets unless you're EXP (and even then it gets weird but I've had better luck than my wife). They tell you there needs to be "U" availability (which is regular award availability, but of course if there's U availability then you can just do a free change you don't need to do SDFC).

Bottom line I'd set an expertflyer alert for U inventory. Really I'd set 2 alerts, one for just PHL-MCO AA1919 and one for ORF-PHL-MCO in case there's married segment drama that causes U to be available only when you search for both segments.

Final bottom line sounds like friend should be more appreciative. My initial response was "just fly frontier nonstop from ORF" but then I looked and they don't do Sundays. Only Southwest does nonstop... and it's >$500 one way on your date (vs. $29 to fly Frontier the following Saturday). So looks like not a bad expenditure of miles.

PS warn your friend that PHL-MCO is under 900 miles so instead of a real meal it's just a small snack plate!

Thanks for the quick reply, and detailed response.

No elite status whatsoever fwiw.
So odds of SDC unlikely.
Considering PHL major hub all first seat would/could clear before he has opportunity to attempt to ask at counter for SDC to #422 .

Confirmation email code shows "J" Not sure if that means anything.

Yes, ... We looked at all airlines. Prices were insane. Regardless of airline. We were booking 2/3 days out. Southwest was $500 as you said O/W N/S.
That's one reason I burned the miles . All prices were outrageous, even AA.
And he needs to get back to MCO by 9pm.

Got to love friends.

did you spend 25000 miles or something more than that?

This is most likely the factor that will make his desire to change flights impossible. AA is very likely to fill the front cabin with upgraders well before departure. 422 is J1 right now so the odds are very much against him.

The A332 experience up front is soooo much better than the A321 (even on a 900 mile flight). He should just wait the extra 2.5 hours.

There's a huge 45,000 person conference in Orlando next week that starts Monday, so lots of business travelers flying to MCO Sunday and Monday.

Thanks for the replies.

I spent 25K for MCO to ORF in first thru CLT. 2/8/19
I spent 45K for ORF to MCO thru PHL in first. 2/10/19

I know, .....
I never use the miles, so might as well for a poor friend.

AA CS waived the last minute $75 fee too fwiw, so there is hope for mankind.
But nailed me for $30 booking over phone fee.

Thanks again all.

Wait if it's 45k, then it's an anytime award. I just looked on AA.com and you can book AA5256/AA422 for the same 45k. maybe it was just sold out when you called the first time. call back and change it now.

OP here, follow up.

I drove down to ORF from DCA fwiw to meet friend from MCO whom I booked. Just got back home at 3pm after dropping him at ORF this am.

platbrownguy was right with terminals at PHL. CRJ #5256 to PHL into F, A332 #1919 to MCO leaving from A.

I encouraged him to keep #1919 for the lay flats and he is now eating an early dinner in Terminal A.
He has never experienced international business class hard or soft product, (I know just hard)
so ....
Makes the 45K mile outlay hurt less IMO.

I mentioned he could ask at desk to move to #422 if desired. He didn't.

We could have booked #422 to MCO at the time. Yes it was an option, but I wanted him in lay flats for the first time.
Just asked him if he tried to switch to AA422, he said no.

It's all good.

Trip was to see old high school friend dying of cancer. He will be gone in days. :(
2 weeks ago he was fine. Skiing w/family in WV even.
56 years old. 5 kids. 2 his, 3 step. Oh my.
But family set for life regarding money, so there is that.
He had all his paperwork in order. Wills, living will, DNR, instructions, Trusts, etc. That helped significantly.
Makes you want to assure your paperwork is in order, IYKWIM. Mine is not. :eek:

Was that WTMI?

Thanks again for all the quick replies and helpful info.

FT Rocks :)

Bear