I have a trip coming up from NYC to South Pacific with a connection at DFW. One ticket through AA with AA and FJ as operators (unrefundable, cash, non-basic). I’ve been looking at recent stats for my first (AA) flight and see that it is very unreliable: cancelations or huge delays (3+ hours) that would make me miss my connecting flight. If I miss my connection, it’ll have serious consequences in the next stages of the trip (going to outer islands in Fiji, many variables). What can I do at this point? Try to show up at the airport earlier at LGA and stand up for an earlier flight? I am AA Plat, which does not entitle me to much, but may be a somewhat better chance at standby?

Somewhat related: what is the cause of the recent LGA-DFW bad performance? LGA? Floods in TX? Or the summer storms at DFW? If it is the latter, at least I can look at forecast. If it is something else, it is more unpredictable.

The past several weeks have been pretty bad for thunderstorms on the east coast as well as DFW, we've seen lots of delays and cancellations especially on the afternoon and evening flights. Most of the issues are related to this.

At this point you really have 2 options:

1) Call AA and ask about changing to an earlier LGA-DFW flight, paying any fare difference
2) Go standby on an earlier LGA-DFW flight; Your PLT status gets you priority on the standby waitlist above Golds and any pax w/o status or employees. Check the loads on the earlier flights first to see which ones would have better chances of clearing.

Weather has been a mess across the entire system over the past week or two.

I would show up early and see if you can standby on the earlier flight. I don't believe you can do so in the app because it's an international itinerary, but a gate agent should be able to do it manually.

I would say for the past month or two, perhaps longer, not the past week or two. I have experienced more delayed and cancelled flights over the past couple of months than I have in 40+ years of traveling.

This is a situation where, if possible, I fly to DFW the day prior to give myself buffer, since the onward travel would fall like dominoes if I missed the connection.

NY (and much of the eastern half of the US) are having a really tough thunderstorm season with regards to flights.

For a morning departure sure, but the DFW-NAN flight that the OP is connecting to departs around ~11pm, so any of the late-morning to early-afternoon same day LGA-DFW flights will still leave plenty of buffer.

Fair point, if you can find a day rate hotel or someplace to hang out. I just don't want to spend 12+ hours in the airport ideally/personally.

There really is no guarantee. No matter how much buffer you build in for a connection there is a risk that the delay will be worse. If you change to an earlier flight then that flight could have a mechanical or other problem specific to it that will put you in later than your original flight.

I agree that going the day before will minimize risk but at a cost.

You might think about switching your trip to JFK-LAX on AA, and connecting to FJ there. LAX is less delay-prone overall, and AA might (just my guess) prioritize those transcons when managing delays.

Thanks everyone. Going the day before was not an option when I was booking. I also prefer LGA, which has no transcon flights, and now I realize that it was a risky move on my part.

I'll try to stand by early in the day. Hopefully LGA Sapphire Lounge is available. My question now (if anyone is still reading) is whether AA will proactively rebook me for a different flight if they suspect that I will miss the connection. There is no other FJ flight for 48 hours. Will they send me to LAX? Or do I have to beg them to do it if I miss the connection. I am taking the 5 p.m. flight. That plane goes LGA-DFW-LGA-DFW in one day, so I am assuming it is clear it there is a delay early in the day.

I never had experience with rebooking. I used to fly DL, which was proactive in changing rerouting flights. I never significant delays with AA, so can't even say what they usually do.

I wouldn�t sit around and wait for them to re-book you. If it looks like things are starting to go sideways and once a delay has been posted, I�d call up and try to get proactively moved. Until there�s an actual delay in the system, the agents have a lot less flexibility with re-booking.

Also, since you�re platinum and flying on an international OW flight, you can use the LGA Admirals Club. I�ve found the agents there very helpful.

I have access with AA Exec Citi. Do the lounge agents have the same system access / privilege to modify flights? Never had massive delays so never had to talk to club agents. Glad to hear that they can be of use, if I understood you correctly.

Just glanced at flights today at LGA. The weather in NY was fine till 6 p.m. but many AA flights were cancelled out of LGA after about 1 p.m., including all flights to DFW.

The agents in the lounges are very good. 250 people waiting in line at AA customer service but 5 people waiting in line at AA lounge. I would be inclined to say the lounge agents have options well beyond the customer service agents in the terminals.

There is nothing risky about you having chosen LGA. There are lots of AA LGA-DFW flights -- 13 on a typical day, compared to 4 from JFK. If things are going sideways, you're much better off being at LGA. And if at any time it makes sense to go JFK-LAX instead, the LGA agents can book you and you can hop in a taxi for what usually (even in traffic) is a 30-minute ride.

It seems that you're panicking unnecessarily. Things have gone sideways a lot recently, but still most times everything is fine. Keep an eye on the weather, plan to get to LGA early, and make friends with the agents in the Admirals Club..

The agents in the Admirals Clubs are your best bet to get anything done. Do your research ahead of time and have available a menu of specific alternative flights to suggest if things are looking dicey. That is true whether you're at an Admirals Club or dealing with a phone agent. Note that if you check bags that will complicate any changes made at the airport.

Also, don't be shy about posting here for real time help on the day of travel.