maser70

BA initiated a schedule change on my SPU to LHR July 11 now requiring a July 10 departure a day earlier with an overnight stay in London and onward travel with AA from LHR to SFO July 11. Rather than an overnight stay, I have found a routing possibility with the flight change proposed to LHR July 10 with a change/connection to LHR to LAX on AA #135 with a connecting flight on Alaska AS #1243. I can get American to open the biz class seats from LHR to LAX, but does anyone know if AA or BA will have success in ticketing the Alaska connection due to BA's schedule change on my original booking without any overnight connections? Thanks in advance !

USFlyerUS

June 10/11 -- i.e. 5-6 days ago? Or is this for a future month?

maser70

Sorry - it's July 10/11 !

JJeffrey

So, maybe I'm being a bit pedantic, but what exactly do you mean by "success in ticketing" the AS flight?

If AA will open up space on LHR-LAX, and AS has availability on the LAX-SFO, then it should be no problem to switch to that (assuming of course the LAX connection meets the MCT).

But if AS doesn't have award space, then it's not likely at all that AS will open up space due to BA's schedule change. You can call AA and see if you luck into a good agent that 1) knows how and 2) will try to ask, but again chances for success are not high.

Also, since this is booked through AA, don't even bother calling BA, they won't touch it and will just direct you back to AA.

And have you 100% verified that AA will open space on the LHR-LAX flight, or just assuming? AA can and will do this for an AA schedule change, but for a partner schedule change it can be a trickier ask.

VFR

If you booked the award through AAdvantage, American is willing to open award space on its own flights but cannot necessarily on other flights.

Is there a reason you need AS 1243 instead of AA 3030 which leaves 6 minutes prior?

maser70

Thanks for the feedback. AA confirmed they will open up biz class award space for AA 135 to LAX, but in doing so AA want me to overnight in LAX continuing on AA the following morning to SFO. Currently ,there is no award space on AS from LAX to SFO on their last flight of the day July 10 - so I'm going to request help via the liaison desk to see if anyone from the BA side can do anything to get me onto the AS flight. MCT is fine. Agree, this may be a long shot, but thought I would ask the group if there is any strategy in putting the request forward to the correct party and agree calling BA is a non-starter and waste of time. Maybe EU 261 rules will allow them to rebook the connecting flight either with forced award space (not likely AS will free up seats) or for a charge.

maser70

AA 3030 doesn't operate July 10. The last flight departing LAX to SFO is AA 3259 7:30 pm - which is before the LHR/LAX flight arrives.

VFR

Gotcha, I was looking at July 11.

The chances AS opens up award space seem slim to me. You could buy a ticket on AS 1243 for $66 in Basic Economy or $86 in Main Cabin. Given the low prices maybe AS will open up award space sometime before you depart.