flying_geek

Hi there,

Was wondering how AA treats NYC airports for same day changes - like B6 allows you to same day confirm between EWR, LGA and JFK.

My wife is flying on an award tomorrow (KUL-NRT-JFK (JAL J) and then AA LGA-MIA Y) - there is no milesaver award space for JFK-MIA - is there a chance that she could change to a JFK flight when she gets there? (or is inflight to JFK)? Have no experience with that - she is only Platinum.

The JFK-MIA space as a single flight is priced at 14K right now but AA would have priced it as an incremental 50K if we had taken that instead of the LGA flight.

WeekendTraveler

Unless there are delays, it’s not possible to change between airports. It would be necessary to cancel the ticket and book a new one.

lrdpenn

Looks like there is lot of MileSaver availability JFK-MIA tomorrow on B6?

At this point though (one day before departure on a multi-carrier booking) I would also balance the risk of AA having trouble rebooking while on a layover (I doubt this can be at the airport - must be over the phone) or rebooking now and causing issues with the JL segments.

guv1976

AA's rules are pretty clear about this:

"Change of plans? We allow same-day confirmed changes on select flights for a fee, with some exceptions.


"Customers can stand by for a flight at no charge.


"Rules

"Your new flight must:


"Depart on the same day, from and to the same airports, as your original flight" (Emphasis added.)

Edited to add: See Post #6.

flying_geek

She leaves KUL tomorrow - the NYC - MIA (or FLL) would be Wednesday. they have often let me switch the destination airport from MIA to FLL or vice versa - just had no experience with originating airports - other than B6 allowing it.
Thanks

guv1976

I actually quoted the wrong section of the rule. This is the applicable section:

"Have the same number of stops, in the same airports, as your original flight." (Emphasis added )

platbrownguy

You can't switch MIA to FLL (or JFK to LGA) as part of a same-day confirmed flight change (at least not under the current rules). You can make such a change to an award ticket, sure, if there's still award availability. And you can make such a change, as others have said, in the event of IRROPS.

Best bet is, upon arrival at JFK (or at least, after the NRT-JFK flight departs), cancel the LGA-MIA leg from the award booking and then make the 14k separate booking JFK-MIA. Probably wouldn't make it yet (if it will even let you) to avoid the risk of having one or both of the reservations canceled due to the existence of duplicate reservations. (I suppose you could have her first try asking someone nicely at JFK to switch her LGA flight to the JFK one, but assuming the agents go by the rules -- and assuming no IRROPS -- the answer to that will be a no.)

flying_geek

I understand the written rules. Nonetheless - in my personal experience once at the airport - and there was space available agents would allow me to change FLL to MIA or vice versa - without fail. This would not be IRROPS but me getting early to the airport and hoping to get home. So I have experienced a rather frequent loose interpretation of "same airport" - once an older agent said to a younger one at the desk "FLL and Mia is the same fare zone" - not sure that meant anything.

I think I will suggest she asks nicely at JFK and otherwise just takes the shuttle to LGA

Thanks for all answers

WeekendTraveler

At JFK, I’ve sometimes gotten much better service with ticketing issues from the main check-in counter than at the Admirals Club. Good luck.

OhDoctor

Have you done JFK-LGA before? How long will the connection time be, and what time of day? It can take more than an hour, depending on traffic, and that's not factoring in security.

flying_geek

She lands JFK 9am and the ticketed LGA flight is at 1pm. So time wise very doable

dvs7310

I think your experience is more similar to my own regarding same city airports. Many airlines consider these co-terminals. I'm not sure all that exist but certainly NYC is one covering JFK/LGA/EWR. Usually LA is another covering LAX/BUR/LGB/ONT, San Fran with SFO/SJC/OAK, Washington IAD/DCA and similar to what you mentioned I thought MIA/FLL/PBI fell into that as well. I've done it many times with Tokyo as well, switching between NRT and HND, always fun teaching Expedia "agents" (Chase Travel) what co-terminal means but when you instruct them to search using the city code instead of the airport code suddenly flights for all of the airports show up (TYO to get NRT and HND; NYC to get LGA/JFK/EWR; etc.) and they are amazed

A lot of agents will look at those as being the same airport for many purposes, not only irrops, depends on your ticket and routing rules (**Hint: many fare routing rules use city codes allowing all airports covered in the code). I've certainly had that experience on all 3 majors, AA, UA, and DL, as well as NH and JL, though when not explicit in the rules, YYMV.

LINDEGR

International Air Transport Association changed the rules and EWR is no longer an NYC airport.

davidlin15

From YYZ here, only EWR as most flight options.. I need to meet with friends in US but they mostly head to JFK..

guv1976

AA, DL, and Flair currently fly YYZ-JFK; and AC is due to start service at the end of March.

Edited to add: And a belated welcome to FlyerTalk!