Rebelyell

I booked a couple of r/t business class tickets from the U.S. to Europe during the BA business class sale last October. I booked them entirely on AA metal so my wife could get and AA bonus miles that might be offered, and also because I wanted the DFW-LHR leg. I actually wanted an extra hour in the air to get more sleep. Also, the AA business class product just seems better than the BA one, and you don't have to pay a fee to reserve a seat.

I was notified a month ago (but didn't see it) that my return flights had been changed. No question that this was necessary because of schedule changes. The new routing is actually superior in every way to my original one, in that I arrive at home two hours earlier. However, the LHR-ORD segment is on BA (my return on AA was also through ORD).

If I call would they allow me to switch back to AA metal on a different routing, say LHR to CLT, solely for the purpose of being on AA metal? The routing really won't be any better than what they've given me; it might even be a little worse, time wise. I just like the AA product better.

I hope this makes sense.

corporate-wage-slave

Yes, that should be possible. I'd hunt out a set of routes that work best for you and run them past the BA agent. If it was originally booked using AA then I can't see you having a problem with something reasonably sensible leaving the same day (or two, even) and CLT would seem reasonable to me. The only complications would normally relate to if you were on an BA codeshare on to AA, in which case they would want to keep you in that, but if you were trying to maximise the AA frequent flyer scheme benefits I guess you were booked into AA prime instead (?).

Rebelyell

Thanks corporate, I'm actually earning Avios. I booked this through the BA site. My wife will be earning AA miles for her AA segments. She can earn them for her BA segments, too, but AA has offered some bonuses off and on for T-A flights. Don't know if any will be in effect when we fly.

I guess I'll just give it a shot!

loosehead

I bagged a bunch of tickets for the family in what I guess would have been the same (splendid) 2-day sale, and was subsequently affected quite badly by AA timetable changes on two of the trips. BA emailed me saying an AA flight had been cancelled, and to call for rebooking.

Now I had originally picked indirect routings from IAH-LHR via MIA, to maximize TP's, but both times the agents seemed quite pushy about getting me to take the direct BA flights, I thought to minimize the cost to BA. Obviously YMMV, and I wouldn't suggest that I know better than CWS, but you may wish to rehearse the argument you'll use before you call (eg: 'I really must have the AA flights I originally chose to earn points & keep my status for the coming year") - something I didn't do, and thus allowed myself to be booked onto BA direct flights.

Hope you are able to be more resolute than me, and get the results you are after.