Same-day earlier flight change possible for OWE?
 

Generally there is no "standby" process with the exception of popular routes such as PVG/ PEK whereby if you arrive at check-in early enough they may offer you a seat on the earlier plane.

Why don't you just call AA and change your flight?

though airport control / check in / lounge staff may try to change you a earlier flight without a fee (tried it a few times before for busy route like BKK and TPE), only provided that your ticket is a CX ticket
Tried one time on a BA issued redemption ticket on CX metal to TPE, but was asked to call the BA service centre as the ticket was not issued by CX and so the check in staff / airport control cannot change the ticket and move to an earlier flight
so i guess if your ticket is issued by AA but on a CX metal, you will have to call the AA reservations.

Not so strictly. I have flown back to HKG a couple times on an earlier flight ex-BKK on A D I base fares on the basis I got there quite early and they had a flight leaving earlier, once due to just being amazingly early at BKK and the other the flight was late in from HKG or DEL or wherever and thus hadn't departed, but it was 90 minutes earlier than mine. Their attitude was sure, there are seats, why hang around, go earlier if you want. No fees, no fare rules, nothing.

The latter is IRROPs on your confirmed flight, so change rules/fees are waived.

Surprised about the former.

Are any of these instances in the last 2-3 years?

IME Cathay significantly changed operating procedure and this just doesn't happen like it used to. I cannot attest to BKK, but in the last few years at HKG, TPE, HND and SIN I have all been asked to upfare or wait it out. (This is in normal operations, aka no cancelled flights, oversold and CX needs help, etc. Etc. I would still expect them to waive in those situations and it will on lucky occasions benefit the person who wanted to change anyway). I've upfared at TPE a couple times and at HKG at least 5x, maybe more. I'm Cathay Diamond, OWE equivalent.

PEK and PVG are also exempt from this....you can always show up early and board.

3+ years ago, yes I agree you could just show up and they'd basically ignore your ticket conditions. But they are definitely hemming a much tighter line in recent years. If your fare requires an update or change fee, they ask for it in my recent experiences (except at PVG and PEK).

The fact the OP is OWE is irrelevant, regardless of what happens. My guess is he/she gets it without paying if CX needs help due to irrops or overselling. And no if not. They won't care about his/her status here.

It must be way more than 3 (at least 8) years ago. I bought a ticket with a USD100 change fee. I went to TPE and tried to check in early. The check-in lady initially said I had to pay the change fee. Then she took a closer look and found that my flight was behind schedule for 30 min. She asked me to wait while she requested her manager to waive the fee. I was able to switch to an earlier flight for free because of flight delay. I was a DM and they still need to find a reason to waive the fee.

Indeed.
Except when there are irrops on that day, CX is fairly strict with fare rules.

No the latter was an earlier flight (not mine) was late arriving at BKK and thus was still there and had not left. I checked in for my on time flight which was scheduled later and they asked if I'd prefer to go now as the earlier flight was finally leaving and I had time to take it instead. They suggested it and I said sure.

And it was about 18 months ago. The other was less than 3 years ago which was just a case of asking because I was early at BKK and with fast track you don't need more than 15 minutes to exit after check-in.

My last flight ex-BKK was in November 2018 and while there was a flight an hour earlier than mine it was full in J. The agent said he'd have been happy to change it but the earlier flight was sold out in J, and it was only an hour, which was well spent in the nice BKK lounge.

Never did "no" as a policy, change fees or fare differentials come up, and none were situations with IRROPS on my flights.

Well this wasn't a complete loss.

After a lovely LAX-HKG flight over on AA in which I was able to upgrade to J I headed to my favorite lounge in the world.

In the Pier FC I asked the CX Agents about changing to an earlier flight and they told me I had to call AA as it was a AA-issued ticket--meaning call and pay any fare difference, blahblahblah.

They literally wouldn't do anything.

So, I spent 11 hours in the Pier FC and I enjoyed every second. :)

Also, Y was oversold and I got upgraded to PE on the HKG-CGK flight.

So all in all.....zero complaints. :)

That is surprising and an unusual experience. Check-in agents at oustations are not given that latitude and have to do what their system ask them (pay the change fee). Only supervisor can override. But there are operational reasons when all check-in agents are instructed to show flexibility 1) in a day with irrops on that route (not necessarily on your flight), 2) when your own flight is fully, or near fully booked.

thanks for the follow up. sounds like the agents handled as predicted. and you had an enjoyable time regardless.