AA keeps changing first flight in a connection on award flight
 

I booked an award flight. CMH-JFK-CDG. Picked a specific itinerary for the sake of lounge time. I have received a few notification that my itinerary changed. They keep moving my CMH-JFK flight to the option with the least connection time, but the original flight still exists. I call them, they fix it, then a month or so later it happens again. The best I can tell every time there is even the smallest change in departure time something in the system automatically rebooks to what it thinks is the best.

Anyone have any idea why this is happening and anything i can do to prevent it?

Unfortunately, from what I've seen, when there's a schedule change (no matter how small), AA's algorithm is to re-book you to give you the shortest trip possible. From what I've seen, the only thing you can do is exactly what you've been doing and continually calling in to fix it when it happens.

Just wait (leave the reservation alone, don't "accept" any changes) until 60-90 days until departure, when the schedule firms up, before bothering to fix it.

If this was a partner itinerary I would babysit it carefully but when it's all AA I prefer to wait until the dust settles.

From my experience, I need to disagree with this opinion. As soon as a schedule change happens, if you're not happy with it, you should switch it to the flight you want ASAP. The reasons are:

• The flight you want may sell out, even months in advance. This is more likely if the flight is around a large event.
• The seats you want may be taken by another passenger. If you want to confirm seats on the new flight, you need to get yourself onto it.

This has been happening to me as well on flights booked for very, very similar reasons. I am booked on F tickets in cabins with only 8 seats and am traveling with another passenger; the middle two seats in row 2 are all I have been booked on and all I want. All it would take is for a single passenger to book one of those seats on an F flight and I am hosed. I fear what will happen in the week or two prior to departure. In my case there are BA flights involved on the itinerary so I have to check it constantly.

I am not even notified by e-mail when the changes happen. I have literally been checking the app every 3-4 days to look for changes at this point and have had to call the reservations line to make changes every time this happens. I don't think there is another solution.

Yeah I don't agree with this. Fix it sooner rather than later. The flight might fill up with a group. There may be a computer glitch and the system thinks you accepted the change when you never did. Etc.

Besides all that, if you wait until T-90 days, any seat preference that you may have had (8A, exit row, PE seats, etc.), may disappear or be taken by others.

This is CMH-JFK we are talking about. Not worth all that overhead.

Not a problem unless it sells out...

Schedule changes can be frustrating, but most experienced travelers keep up with them to ensure they have the best itinerary.

Frankly, airlines don't put a lot of effort into re-scheduling algorithms because they don't see them as a revenue-generating opportunity.

While I respect the approach and think it is valid I also think it is contextual. Partner reservation or flying a leisure route like HI on an A319 with 8 F seats (which fills up a lot of seats far in advance) - then yes, watch carefully.

The odds of CMH-JFK selling out is very low, it's a traditional Eagle slot-squatting route with ample MCE / F seats. I'd be surprised if the loads are >25% 90 days out.
The schedule can be adjusted several times - OP can find themselves making 1+ call per month to AA.

I think this is also a case of how you balance risk to time