Same Day Flight Changes
 

Hii all,

This is my first ever post :D, and I would be grateful if you could help.

I'm flying CX256 from LHR to HKG leaving 20:15, and wondered how easy it was to change to an earlier flight with out paying for it. I will be getting to the airport for 15:00 which is far too early. Anyway I know there is 17:00 CX238 and 18:20 CX250.

Do they give you the option when you check in online, or is it worth going on the charm offensive when checking in at the desk.

Any information or insight will be amazing

Thanks

Do you know what fare class your ticket is booked into?

My class of travel is "V"

Thanks

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My past experience w lhr is they will look at fare rules properly. It was in 2006 and i was probably silver

Fingers crossed, its not the end of the world either way and I'm guessing it might fall down to how generous and what the loads are like, I'm just going to check in straight away when I get to LHR and hope they get the hint :D

Does your ticket fare rules allow free rebookings? I am not familiar with V class but when I'm flying discount Prem Econ E/R or steeply discounted Biz I, it usually permitted free or nominal cost (less than $50) rebookings.

The key though is the new flight you want to move to needs to have your original booking class available.

I've been told £60 each by my travel agents, but I'm kinda hopeful that Cathay will take pity on me and just let me on earlier and I'm there!!!

When are you flying?

Have you consider looking into whether CX238/250 is [fairly] full?

That's generally not their style, unless it helps them out (preventing an oversell on your ticketed flight or such). Some outports like PVG and TPE may be different but IME those are the exceptions.

+1, at least for my experience on LHR

My experience with ground staff at LHR is very good and they might even be grateful of your offer if they have stand by passengers on the later flights, I would call them before heading to the airport, just ask to be put through to the ticketing desk.

2006 = 3 flights per day
2014 = 5 flights per day.

However - they may still look at fare rules

I think it's unlikely they will let you change for free, but if you don't ask you definitely won't get it.

15th May, not sure, I've looked at both seat maps which never really say alot!

Thanks for all your advice, I guess it will be a guess of hope for the best!

sorry but, I am darn sure a shot in football either scores or misses.

so are you saying your experience shows they usually/always waived your change fee? iirc u're a DM i'd be very surprised if they did not do so... or they didnt?

does the frequency matter more or the experience from LHR matter more for change fee? have you ever gotten change fee waived? Im seriously curious about LHR so I know how to exploit them.

TBH I wonder what status you lot have and what routes you fly most often...
im surprised noone since 2006 have tried to standby for an earlier flight on a ticket with change fee.

PS: Im especially curious why posts here seems to have similar style to someone from a subsidiary of JAL.

For PVG flights they will do same day rebooking for free if you turn up at the airport earlier than your scheduled flight (even if you have a totally restricted ticket it doesn't matter). Not sure about LHR flights. Provided they have seats open they might accommodate but I don't know. Let us know your experience so that we have a datapoint.

i hope LHR has changed, but up till 2006 they had always said pay up.

I haven't had this issue at PVG/PEK/SIN/HKG (for regional routes with many flights) - got to the airport early and asked if I could get on an earlier flight and was told sure (even in the event of light loads). On many cases I was connecting onwards and especially ex Mainland China, with ATC delays so rampant, they were actually happy to put me on an earlier flight to buffer my connection.

I will inform all of what happens when I eventually fly in May. Fingers crossed, I have worked out that the 5pm flight is a 3 class 77W, 6:25pm flight is a 4 class 77W and mine at 8:14pm is 3 class.

Not saying anything but based on personal experience the LHR staff are pretty flexible and helpful for MPOs. Of course bring DM helps.

Don't understand ur last comment - care to elaborate

I turned up to the gate at ICN for a CX flight departing 5 hours earlier than the one I was booked on. I hadn't checked in, had bags tagged on the later flight, held no status and was travelling on a partner redemption in Business. The lady was happy to oblige with no mention of change fees and I departed on the earlier flight.

Sitting in the Arrivals at HKG, my phone starting receiving CX notifications stating that the flight I was originally booked on was delayed 3hr 5mins! That lovely gate agent saved me 8 hours of pure airport boredom!!!!

Good luck!

Not necessarily the case with airport standbys, they will usually give you seats based on availability rather than sticking to the inventory

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How about this scenario:

I'm on the 1 stop to NRT next month on an award in F. If more award space doesn't open closer in, would CX entertain changes to a nonstop either earlier or later in the day? And would CX consider HND and NRT coterminal? Thanks- hoping space opens up, and not opposed to flying thru TPE. But I want more time for the lounge ;)

I think award tickets might work a little differently, but being ex-HKG gives you an advantage compared to outports

They are the most flexible ex HKG for sure.

my previous experience in NRT standby is ok and free (early 2013). im just thinking if that was a BA-issued Avios award or a CX AM award - either way constitutes a change fee which was waived. (as CX GR)
I'd assume changing airport is not ok.

Seriously it's only been LHR that did not waive it.

PS: assuming you booked CX451 as a through flight. That is, you're not ticketed as NRT-TPE + TPE-HKG.

Thought that might help. Wonder if they can do anything the night before when I arrive?

CX450 so yes a through flight.

CX542 is preferred with an afternoon departure, plus HND would be a bit closer to town. Its showing F5 on the 15th next month, so I'll keep watching BA to see if something opens up for AS.

Thanks for the thoughts ;)

1) The night before. PERHAPS.... if it's too early they'd probably tell you to change the ticket. but given 504 departs at 0905 you'd lose lounge time (504, 450 to NRT; 542, 548 to HND are the ones that consistently runs F) yet if you arrive late enough it might be at station control already which means standby ok.
2) I have never tried: if you have a bit of time maybe you can get to HND at around 2pm to ask. if all fails you have 2.5 hours to get to NRT.

For ex-HKG, standby starts at something like 6 or 7am that day for all flights within that operation day (i.e. including the "next day 1 or 2 am flight)

My experience:

On a CX J ticket with rebooking charge,
MNL - get on a 2 hours earlier flight free of charge
BKK - get on a 24 hours earlier flight (i.e. I booked the same flight the next day) free of charge

On an AVOIS redeemed ticket
NRT - being charged USD50 for getting on the flight, originally booked around 1 months later as return date was not confirmed when making the booking

50USD charged by CX or 315HKD charged by BA?

Last week I was at NRT and wanted to take the 4PM instead of the 6PM to HKG. Ticket was one of the bundle J tickets from January so change fee was 1200 HKD. Check-in agent was adamant I had to pay 1200HKD even though at PVG/TPE/PEK/SIN/KUL I have never paid to change for a ticket with restrictions. She said this was the policy. I went on and said if I was in HKG it would be free - she disagreed. Normally - I would have left it at this point but I wanted to get back to HKG - friends Birthday and the extra two hours would have meant a lot.

I called CX Diamond Line off my phone - the MPC agent said in HK we would do this for free - passed the phone to the check-in agent. They talked for about 5 minutes (during this time check-in agent went back to office - to talk with station manager I am guessing) she came back with my phone and said "well in Hong Kong they said they will do it - but this is not the policy" I said "Well seeing as CX is Hong Kong airline shouldn't you go by CX policy" She mumbled and pushed a few buttons and finally I get on the 4PM flight. She was awful, rude and made sure I only accepted the boarding pass on the condition it was not "normal procedure".

I don't normally fight but this time I was really like F'IT! Plenty of cash thrown at CX and for the sake of two hours - does it make that much difference. I can only hope I will have the energy next time this comes up - but more than likely I won't and i'll just go to the lounge and wait.

I just remember it was the 315HKD equivalent, paid to CX at the spot
(50USD seems to be inaccurate, perhaps it was 40USD)

Good news is CX542 opened up today with saver space!

It has gone from F4 to F0 to F2 to F0. Today F2 showed on EF (set an alert). Pulled up BA in the morning no avail, but this afternoon BA revealed Z class, and AS was able to make the change in 5 minutes. :cool:

Thanks everyone for the advice.

Well.... Long and Short of it.... I wasn't allowed to move my flight without coughing up, they wanted £50 per person to move my flight to one of the earlier ones. I was aware before hand my flight would be delayed somewhat due to the late inbound aircraft just wasn't sure by how much. I asked the check in agent and he said there is a possible chance of a delay. Naturally as soon as I checked in my app on my phone told me by how much. It was only 45 minutes but of course timing was immaculate. Faced a 6 hour+ wait at Heathrow and couldn't do anything about it because my case had already been checked in. I felt that if I had a connecting flight they would not have asked for the money and would have waived it.

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6 hour wait?! You could have done olci, get the delayed time, then uncheckin n fight. Or check schedule on cx.bomb...

A month ago, I was traveling I class on CX256, however, I arrived early and asked if I could take the early CX250. I class does have a rebooking fee, however, I didn't have to pay it.

Even got opt-ed up to F at gate. Just ask nicely at check in

The check in agent did ask from superior and they were being firm. I watched the delayed 17:00 flight and 18:25 leave whilst I eventually left at 21:00 (45 min late) I got to Hong Kong in the end and did everything I planned to that day albeit a little later and kept the seats I wanted but it left a slightly negative impression of CX although it was not an unexpected outcome.