flight switch on American Airlines ticketed flight
May 3, 2019, 6:32 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 76
flight switch on American Airlines ticketed flight
Bear with me on this one. I took a somewhat low cost business class flight ticketed on American:
LAX-PVG (American Airlines)
BKK to LAX via HKG (BKK-HKG on CX and HKG-LAX on AA)
The BKK to HKG portion is on Cathay Pacific. I currently have a 2 hour layover in HKG. However, I have a business meeting I just found out about that I really would like to attend in Hong Kong, and want to change to a layover of just under 24 hours. I have found a Cathay Pacific flight that just perfectly fits, with a layover of 23 hours.
I called American to see about changing and the change fee plus the change of fare was almost more than the cost of the original ticket
I asked about seeing if Cathay could change on their end, and the American ticket agent said it was worth a shot. Before I call Cathay I was hoping for any insight, advice, words of encouragement of caution. As always thanks to the flyer talk community.
LAX-PVG (American Airlines)
BKK to LAX via HKG (BKK-HKG on CX and HKG-LAX on AA)
The BKK to HKG portion is on Cathay Pacific. I currently have a 2 hour layover in HKG. However, I have a business meeting I just found out about that I really would like to attend in Hong Kong, and want to change to a layover of just under 24 hours. I have found a Cathay Pacific flight that just perfectly fits, with a layover of 23 hours.
I called American to see about changing and the change fee plus the change of fare was almost more than the cost of the original ticket
I asked about seeing if Cathay could change on their end, and the American ticket agent said it was worth a shot. Before I call Cathay I was hoping for any insight, advice, words of encouragement of caution. As always thanks to the flyer talk community.
May 3, 2019, 8:18 am
#2
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
CX has the capacity, but no reason to change your AA ticket and if it does so, no reason to charge less for the change fee and fare difference than AA.
But, nothing prevents CX from making such a change to its own segment and thus, you should feel free to call and test the waters. The worst you can have happen is being in the situation you are in right now.
But, nothing prevents CX from making such a change to its own segment and thus, you should feel free to call and test the waters. The worst you can have happen is being in the situation you are in right now.
May 3, 2019, 8:40 am
#4
Join Date: May 2015
Location: WAS, SZX, HKG
Programs: AS MVP Gold 75K, CX Green
Posts: 736
Bear with me on this one. I took a somewhat low cost business class flight ticketed on American:
LAX-PVG (American Airlines)
BKK to LAX via HKG (BKK-HKG on CX and HKG-LAX on AA)
The BKK to HKG portion is on Cathay Pacific. I currently have a 2 hour layover in HKG. However, I have a business meeting I just found out about that I really would like to attend in Hong Kong, and want to change to a layover of just under 24 hours. I have found a Cathay Pacific flight that just perfectly fits, with a layover of 23 hours.
I called American to see about changing and the change fee plus the change of fare was almost more than the cost of the original ticket
I asked about seeing if Cathay could change on their end, and the American ticket agent said it was worth a shot. Before I call Cathay I was hoping for any insight, advice, words of encouragement of caution. As always thanks to the flyer talk community.
LAX-PVG (American Airlines)
BKK to LAX via HKG (BKK-HKG on CX and HKG-LAX on AA)
The BKK to HKG portion is on Cathay Pacific. I currently have a 2 hour layover in HKG. However, I have a business meeting I just found out about that I really would like to attend in Hong Kong, and want to change to a layover of just under 24 hours. I have found a Cathay Pacific flight that just perfectly fits, with a layover of 23 hours.
I called American to see about changing and the change fee plus the change of fare was almost more than the cost of the original ticket
I asked about seeing if Cathay could change on their end, and the American ticket agent said it was worth a shot. Before I call Cathay I was hoping for any insight, advice, words of encouragement of caution. As always thanks to the flyer talk community.
Keep in mind, though: after you fly the first segment, usually the ticket will be re-priced using historic fare when you first purchased the ticket. So while the change fee is still there, the fare difference would be much lower (almost none)
May 3, 2019, 9:00 am
#6
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
No way for anybody here to tell. You would have to look at the fare and fare rules for your existing ticket. It may well be that AA is assessing a change fee plus a fare difference and the fare is now much higher than it was at the time of the purchase.
If you did not ask the AA agent to break all of this down for you when you called, you should call back and obtain that information. Always possible that the first agent got it wrong, but ticket pricing is fairly automated on AA, so it's not likely. Nonetheless, having a clear understanding of what makes up the $2,000 will be important when you speak with CX.
If you did not ask the AA agent to break all of this down for you when you called, you should call back and obtain that information. Always possible that the first agent got it wrong, but ticket pricing is fairly automated on AA, so it's not likely. Nonetheless, having a clear understanding of what makes up the $2,000 will be important when you speak with CX.
May 4, 2019, 9:20 am
#7
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: TPE / HSZ
Programs: CX GO (=SPH), IHG Diamond Amb, Hertz 5*, Accor, Hilton, National
Posts: 6,437
Bear with me on this one. I took a somewhat low cost business class flight ticketed on American:
LAX-PVG (American Airlines)
BKK to LAX via HKG (BKK-HKG on CX and HKG-LAX on AA)
The BKK to HKG portion is on Cathay Pacific. I currently have a 2 hour layover in HKG. However, I have a business meeting I just found out about that I really would like to attend in Hong Kong, and want to change to a layover of just under 24 hours. I have found a Cathay Pacific flight that just perfectly fits, with a layover of 23 hours.
I called American to see about changing and the change fee plus the change of fare was almost more than the cost of the original ticket
I asked about seeing if Cathay could change on their end, and the American ticket agent said it was worth a shot. Before I call Cathay I was hoping for any insight, advice, words of encouragement of caution. As always thanks to the flyer talk community.
LAX-PVG (American Airlines)
BKK to LAX via HKG (BKK-HKG on CX and HKG-LAX on AA)
The BKK to HKG portion is on Cathay Pacific. I currently have a 2 hour layover in HKG. However, I have a business meeting I just found out about that I really would like to attend in Hong Kong, and want to change to a layover of just under 24 hours. I have found a Cathay Pacific flight that just perfectly fits, with a layover of 23 hours.
I called American to see about changing and the change fee plus the change of fare was almost more than the cost of the original ticket
I asked about seeing if Cathay could change on their end, and the American ticket agent said it was worth a shot. Before I call Cathay I was hoping for any insight, advice, words of encouragement of caution. As always thanks to the flyer talk community.
As Often1 said, no one can help you here without knowing the dates, the flight you are currently on and the one want, fare basis, and date of purchase.
May 4, 2019, 9:27 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 76
Have you taken the LAX-PVG part yet? If not, there's a chance that the amount you have have to pay will be a lot lower after the ticket is used. On the other hand, it is also possible that the availability will be gone...
As Often1 said, no one can help you here without knowing the dates, the flight you are currently on and the one want, fare basis, and date of purchase.
As Often1 said, no one can help you here without knowing the dates, the flight you are currently on and the one want, fare basis, and date of purchase.
I am supposed to take the BKK to LAX (via HKG) portion next week. I called CX but after awhile on hold I had to run.
I know the answer is likely "no" but I wonder if there is some sort of trick where I just buy my own bkk-hkg ticket and then inform AA that I had to grab an earlier flight because I was worried about short layover etc.
Any advice is VERY much appreciated
May 4, 2019, 10:48 am
#9
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
Tricks?
If you no show for a segment, the segment you skipped as well as any onwards or return segments will be cancelled. Those segments will then retain whatever value they retain under their fare rules. Without looking at the fare rules, nobody here can advise you, but if you hold a standard penalty discounted fare, if you no show, your ticket will lose all value and be worth $0.
You would then have purchased your own ticket BKK-HKG and will then need to purchase new tickets to travel any further.
I would come back to the earlier advice. Find the time, get the facts, make some decisions, and then act on them. Air carriers have seen every trick in the book and you are not likely to find any they have not seen before.
If you no show for a segment, the segment you skipped as well as any onwards or return segments will be cancelled. Those segments will then retain whatever value they retain under their fare rules. Without looking at the fare rules, nobody here can advise you, but if you hold a standard penalty discounted fare, if you no show, your ticket will lose all value and be worth $0.
You would then have purchased your own ticket BKK-HKG and will then need to purchase new tickets to travel any further.
I would come back to the earlier advice. Find the time, get the facts, make some decisions, and then act on them. Air carriers have seen every trick in the book and you are not likely to find any they have not seen before.
May 4, 2019, 10:49 am
#10
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Stuck on this planet - mainly in STR and LAX
Posts: 5,019
If you don't show for BKK-HKG normally the rest of your reservation would cancel.
If you call AA to drop the BKK-HKG segment i would expect you would need to pay a change fee and the fare difference, which also could be high.
Sounds like the best solution is to buy an extra RT BKK-HKG-BKK. You can find tickets for around 200 $ RT.
If you call AA to drop the BKK-HKG segment i would expect you would need to pay a change fee and the fare difference, which also could be high.
Sounds like the best solution is to buy an extra RT BKK-HKG-BKK. You can find tickets for around 200 $ RT.
May 4, 2019, 6:55 pm
#11
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: TPE / HSZ
Programs: CX GO (=SPH), IHG Diamond Amb, Hertz 5*, Accor, Hilton, National
Posts: 6,437
I have taken the LAX-PVG portion.
I am supposed to take the BKK to LAX (via HKG) portion next week. I called CX but after awhile on hold I had to run.
I know the answer is likely "no" but I wonder if there is some sort of trick where I just buy my own bkk-hkg ticket and then inform AA that I had to grab an earlier flight because I was worried about short layover etc.
Any advice is VERY much appreciated
I am supposed to take the BKK to LAX (via HKG) portion next week. I called CX but after awhile on hold I had to run.
I know the answer is likely "no" but I wonder if there is some sort of trick where I just buy my own bkk-hkg ticket and then inform AA that I had to grab an earlier flight because I was worried about short layover etc.
Any advice is VERY much appreciated
May 4, 2019, 10:30 pm
#13
Join Date: May 2015
Location: WAS, SZX, HKG
Programs: AS MVP Gold 75K, CX Green
Posts: 736
Too few information here to make a meaningful suggestion... but you can ask AA what is causing the price hike by asking the agent whether the booking class has changed. If it is because your desired new CX flight doesn’t have “I” class you could ask them to put you into Economy “Y” class and re-price.
May 5, 2019, 2:11 am
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Hong Kong, France
Programs: FB , BA Gold
Posts: 15,570
As mentioned above, it is not possible to give you more helpful advice without knowing your fare code, probably something like I****.. And I assume that your CX operated flight is AA-coded.
IF, your afre allows repricing at the historical fare, then you should look at availability of both flights on EF. As sdh9 mentioned, if the CX flight is cause of repricing because of non-availability in I, then you might ask AA to downgrade you to Y. That coud still cause a repricing though.
You have to deal with AA, not CX.
IF, your afre allows repricing at the historical fare, then you should look at availability of both flights on EF. As sdh9 mentioned, if the CX flight is cause of repricing because of non-availability in I, then you might ask AA to downgrade you to Y. That coud still cause a repricing though.
You have to deal with AA, not CX.