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Any way for AA to waive my award flights LAX MCT? I can make it!

Any way for AA to waive my award flights LAX MCT? I can make it!

Old Aug 5, 2019, 5:07 am
  #1  
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Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 3,897
Any way for AA to waive my award flights LAX MCT? I can make it!

AA has done a schedule change on my QF award.
The ticket was set up for queue review reissue meaning it had to be approved and then sent for exchange. This is normal for partner awards.
That was rejected due to the agent booking it slightly under the LAX minimum connect time.

This is for mid September so I don't think there will be another schedule change.

QF arrives LAX 6:25am.
I'm booked on an AA flight to DCA at 8:16am.

I guess you need 2 hours.

I won't have checked bags and I have Global Entry and Pre Check plus Clear. If QF is on time, I know I'll make it.

Any advice?

The current e-ticket segments are MEL-LAX (QF), LAX-JFK (QF), JFK-DCA (AA). The issue requiring the schedule change is AA dropped their PM service JFK-DCA and the new itinerary required an overnight in JFK - that's why the agenct booked LAX-DCA as an immediate connection and I was delighted with that until the people who review partner awards rejected the reissue.

I'm fully prepared for AA to remark record as customer accepts responsibility, no checked baggage accepted, etc.
chuck1 is offline  
Old Aug 5, 2019, 5:12 am
  #2  
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
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Originally Posted by chuck1
AA has done a schedule change on my QF award.
The ticket was set up for queue review reissue meaning it had to be approved and then sent for exchange. This is normal for partner awards.
That was rejected due to the agent booking it slightly under the LAX minimum connect time.

This is for mid September so I don't think there will be another schedule change.

QF arrives LAX 6:25am.
I'm booked on an AA flight to DCA at 8:16am.

I guess you need 2 hours.

I won't have checked bags and I have Global Entry and Pre Check plus Clear. If QF is on time, I know I'll make it.

Any advice?

The current e-ticket segments are MEL-LAX (QF), LAX-JFK (QF), JFK-DCA (AA). The issue requiring the schedule change is AA dropped their PM service JFK-DCA and the new itinerary required an overnight in JFK - that's why the agenct booked LAX-DCA as an immediate connection and I was delighted with that until the people who review partner awards rejected the reissue.

I'm fully prepared for AA to remark record as customer accepts responsibility, no checked baggage accepted, etc.
What would you do if the first flight is late or upon landing at LAX, the flight needs to wait for a gate since the prior flight is still occupying the gate? What you expect from the airline?
cre95 is online now  
Old Aug 5, 2019, 5:48 am
  #3  
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
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Originally Posted by cre95
What would you do if the first flight is late or upon landing at LAX, the flight needs to wait for a gate since the prior flight is still occupying the gate? What you expect from the airline?
Probably the same with that the airline would do if the above happened with a flight pair that was legal per MCT and caused him to miss his flight, which happens all the time....the thing about MCT is that it is somewhat arbitrary, overly standardized, and when things really get delayed, MCT is not anywhere near close to cover for it anyhow. But it is probably a general 1-standard-deviation aggregate measure that works most of the time.
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Old Aug 5, 2019, 6:09 am
  #4  
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There's not much you can do here, no way to get around a connection below MCT if it's already been flagged.

If there's a later LAX-DCA you can always ask for that and then try for standby on the earlier one. Or just ask for one of the many routings that work through DFW or ORD, etc.
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Old Aug 5, 2019, 6:19 am
  #5  
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The MCT is just that, the minimum allowed time - no way to circumvent it - best you can do is see if there is a routing that works , ideally with no overnight stop and try and book that
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Old Aug 5, 2019, 6:37 am
  #6  
 
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As others have noted, nothing can be done about getting around the stated MCT with your preferred itinerary. However, have you looked at options of perhaps connecting through DFW to DC?
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Old Aug 5, 2019, 7:20 am
  #7  
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That's what I was afraid of. If on-time, I know with no checked bags, Global Entry and Pre Check Clear, 1h 51m no problem QF TBIT to AA Terminal 4 is no problem.
I just hate the idea of sitting from 6:25am until the next non-stop at 1:21pm and I know (as I said) if on-time I'll be out of customs at TBIT by 7am at the latest and at AA T4 by 7:10am and perhaps earlier.
I also realize AA would let me go stand by but the chances of getting a seat in first LAX-DCA on day of departure is slim to none.


If I didn't adjust the e-ticket, could QF check me in MEL-LAX and not LAX-JFK-DCA and then I could get to LAX in plenty of time and have to do it at the LAX counter? That way it could not be address prior to departure and I could continue to hold the space? Would that be risky to keep the PNR active with the e-ticket VCR no matching all the booked flights?
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Old Aug 5, 2019, 8:16 am
  #8  
 
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Why not see if they'll put you on CX MEL-HKG-IAD? You're not going to be able to be clever and keep original routing.
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Old Aug 5, 2019, 8:41 am
  #9  
 
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Originally Posted by chuck1
AA has done a schedule change on my QF award.
The ticket was set up for queue review reissue meaning it had to be approved and then sent for exchange. This is normal for partner awards.
That was rejected due to the agent booking it slightly under the LAX minimum connect time.

This is for mid September so I don't think there will be another schedule change.

QF arrives LAX 6:25am.
I'm booked on an AA flight to DCA at 8:16am.

I guess you need 2 hours.

I won't have checked bags and I have Global Entry and Pre Check plus Clear. If QF is on time, I know I'll make it.

Any advice?

The current e-ticket segments are MEL-LAX (QF), LAX-JFK (QF), JFK-DCA (AA). The issue requiring the schedule change is AA dropped their PM service JFK-DCA and the new itinerary required an overnight in JFK - that's why the agenct booked LAX-DCA as an immediate connection and I was delighted with that until the people who review partner awards rejected the reissue.

I'm fully prepared for AA to remark record as customer accepts responsibility, no checked baggage accepted, etc.
When is your flight? If its during the summer season, you could take the LAX-IAD nonstop at 10:00 am.
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Old Aug 5, 2019, 9:02 am
  #10  
 
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Frankly, you'd probably be better off on the QF service to JFK. From there, you can fly to WAS on AA/DL or take an onward flight from LGA if you want more options. Depending on your final destination, it might be faster to take Amtrak from NYC to WAS.

Have you checked other routes? Specifically, routes that don't use LAX as the gateway. LAX lacks frequencies for many routes, making it an annoying gateway for the East Coast (as you've seen). The DCA perimeter rule isn't doing you any favors either.

Finally, have you looked at MEL-NRT-DFW-DCA or MEL-DOH-IAD?
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swingaling is offline  
Old Aug 5, 2019, 9:53 am
  #11  
 
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My TA has booked non-conforming MCTs for me...wonder how that's done? (Although if I have to buy a ticket, I can do so. Never had to.)
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Old Aug 5, 2019, 10:18 am
  #12  
 
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As others have said, no way around MCT. I agree with you though, 1 hr 51 min is plenty of time with GE and no bags to get there (probably even have some time to check in to the lounge. Is ending your QF portion in LAX an option? You could then book a separate award on LAX to DCA? I know once I was able to do this with two separate PNRs. Not sure who it'd impact the amount of miles you would use though.
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Old Aug 5, 2019, 3:02 pm
  #13  
 
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What's the points difference of just booking the LAX-WAS sector separately? If it's on a separate PNR there is no MCT check.

You would lose your protection in the event of misconnect, but AA is usually pretty good at separate PNR protection for oneworld partners.
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Old Aug 5, 2019, 3:10 pm
  #14  
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Originally Posted by CitySlacker
What's the points difference of just booking the LAX-WAS sector separately? If it's on a separate PNR there is no MCT check.

You would lose your protection in the event of misconnect, but AA is usually pretty good at separate PNR protection for oneworld partners.
You would not lose the misconnect protection but it would cost an add'l 25k miles IF you could find sAAver space on the LAX-DCA nonstop in F, which is unlikely.

Honestly a lot of these suggestions about spending more for a separate ticket or trying to get AA to reroute you half way around the world in the opposite direction are just silly IMO. This is a simple issue, just pick one of the many easy/normal/almost-as-quick LA to DC routings through ORD or DFW etc., call AA and be done with it.
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Old Aug 5, 2019, 3:49 pm
  #15  
 
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Originally Posted by JJeffrey
You would not lose the misconnect protection but it would cost an add'l 25k miles IF you could find sAAver space on the LAX-DCA nonstop in F, which is unlikely.

Honestly a lot of these suggestions about spending more for a separate ticket or trying to get AA to reroute you half way around the world in the opposite direction are just silly IMO. This is a simple issue, just pick one of the many easy/normal/almost-as-quick LA to DC routings through ORD or DFW etc., call AA and be done with it.
I don't think suggesting OP books a direct flight with miles from LAX to DCA is silly. OP came here looking for options and we are giving him some. Up to him to determine if the options are realistic. We have no way of knowing whether 25k miles is a lot to OP or next to nothing. If OP is sitting on say 1M miles then 25k for a direct flight to not have to mess with connecting and save himself a few hours may be more realistic than you think. That being said, I have plenty of miles and wouldn't personally do it but doesn't mean others wouldn't.

Edit: That being said, I did a quick look and there are only a few days where an F ticket direct to DCA is available in mid September for 25K. All of those flights are on Alaska leaving at 12:45 so that option probably won't work. OP would be looking at 55K to get in F on the specific flight he wants.

Last edited by WiscAZ; Aug 5, 2019 at 3:54 pm
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