ThreeJulietTango

I believe that restriction only applies to the paid Same-Day Standby product offered to non-elites, though the website is not very clear.

To change the connection city on a confirmed basis, Z must be available on the new flights.

For an airport agent using native Sabre (basically an LAA agent), they just confirm the new segment and skip the additional step where they go back in the record and collect the charge. No override required.

For an LUS agent using the new Qik overlay, I would imagine there are all sorts of F-keys involved and an override and an overall much longer transaction time.

Changing the number of segments is not allowed for Same-Day Flight Change (confirmed), but the standby policy is curiously quiet regarding changing the number of segments, only stipulating that the new routing must be permitted by the fare rules. Also, standby does allow changing arrival airport to a coterminal (for elites only), which is explicitly disallowed by SDFC.

Interestingly, AA tells you to cancel the original flight and their reservations agents will certainly do so, but if you place yourself on standby for a later flight on the kiosk, your original flight will not be canceled. I used this to my advantage last month when standing by for a later flight because it had much better odds of an upgrade; if the first class cabin filled up, I still had the option just going on my original flight. The flip side is that any remaining flights may have been wiped out when I no-showed for the earlier flight, but it was the last leg of my journey.

JonNYC

Wow, just amazing info! ^

pfbloom

Just noticed that the AA website info on Same Day Standby and Confirmed Flight change no longer includes any mention of requiring the same number of connections for either CDC or SDSB. My recollection is that as recently as last month this verbiage was there: "no change to number of connections..."

Whether this represents a softening of policy, a web update oversight, or something else I do not know. Anecdotal evidence is that this is a YMMV situation depending on GA familiarity, local station convention, and whether the staffer is LUS or LAA...

It would be good to hear any recent experiences, as I consider the standby and CDC rules to be great benefits when interpreted most liberally...

SJC AA

It's still there: "Changes to the number of segments are not allowed."

Are you looking at https://www.aa.com/i18n/utility/sameDayTravel.jsp or some other page?

AsiaTraveler

Are there any exceptions- published or unofficial- for red eyes? If you are departing at 1 am, can you stand by for a flight at 11 pm (i.e. 2 hours earlier)? I can't find anything like that in the published rules, but maybe I just can't find it.

jetsetter

Recently I had someone call the tariffs department at AA, and they said that for WAS the allowed co terminals were BWI/DCA/IAD. Also, incidentally, that is the policy at JetBlue.

I booked a ticket BOS/PHL/BWI, and I wanted to stadnby BOS to DCA. I made sure there was no "flight application" restriction in the fare rules for BWI only, and all it said was it must be an AA operated flight.

However, they did not let me standby BOS to DCA. Also EP called tariffs and they told them that the WAS co terminal only included DCA and IAD.

I'm curious how one tariffs agent saw it included BWI and another one did not see BWI.

Similarly if I book a BOS to JFK ticket, what would I need to check to ensure I could standby to LGA? Also is there any place I can look up what are considered the WAS co terminals for purposes of standby?

JonNYC

I -think- there was something of that type recently instituted and/or recently reported-- can't quite recall it and with travelingbetter still down can't find out, but I think it was actually posted here originally.

AsiaTraveler

Thanks! I did later find references in the Same Day Confirmed thread that, at least for SDC, you can change to a flight 8 pm or later on the previous day if your flight departs 12 midnight- 2 am. However, with the changing policies due to the merger, I'm uncertain if that's even still the case.

JonNYC

That's the policy I'm referring to-- and I think it's quite new, so I'd bet it's still in effect.

Lakeviewsteve

Checking you're luggage may be a consideration as well. That could be why they don't allow same day standby for international. If you could get by with carry on only it makes that aspect much easier to deal with.

ibrandsguest

Would anyone know (1) the best way to address the issue below with AA and (2) what type of compensation is appropriate?

I have a relative who is Gold and was traveling with a non-elite companion. Both arrived at the gate in CLT when the flight was boarding and asked to go standby on the flight (they were both ticketed for a later one). 8 seats were available. The agent said that there was a $75 fee per person, and that the fee applied even to Golds. The agent then closed the flight, leaving the relative and the companion behind.

The relative and the companion took their originally-scheduled flight but incurred some overnight costs that could have been avoided if the agent had let them go standby on the earlier flight.

I'd like to email the Charlotte station manager to ensure that the gate agent is trained and maybe get 5,000 miles for the inconvenience.

Thanks.

oysterhead43

That's a sensibly awesome policy adjustment.

AsiaTraveler

Yes, but -if- it's true, I'd love to be able to find it in writing from AA rather than quoting an internet forum. So far, I haven't been able to find it.

JonNYC

That's equally true for a lot of "the good stuff."

JDiver

Policies did not change on October 17; LAA policies were mostly adopted as they were at the time.

Unfortunately, aa.com doesn't list every nuance, nor full instructions issued agents, so some of what members here share is experience-based, from being informed further of policy nuances by agents, or in some cases access to inside information.