zig2

Hi, does anyone know if this is an actual policy for this?

Actually I've done this once two years ago but it was not quite straight forward. I had a BA-issued JL award HND-OKJ and I wanted to change to an earlier flight (just one hour earlier). When I arrived the airport the first agent I got doesn't get me at all and refused to do anything. Fortunately I had OW Emerald status so I got another one on the elite desk who was willing to help. But since the earlier flight was too close (<30 mins) she was not able to put me on the flight directly. Instead she gave me a standby slip and it was processed at the gate.

I searched but can't find the official policy for standby this time. Maybe it's because of my poor Japanese. Is that for sure that same day standby is allowed on award tickets with BA/AA even with international segments attached? Does checkin bags matter? Thanks.

ChrisLi

My understand is that they will first call the ticket issuing airline (i.e. BA in your case) to confirm if the issuer has any problem with that (that some airline, like CX, charges for flight change for award that they will follow that protocol). Then they will help on the change if it is all clear.

zig2

Have you experienced this in practice? It sounds like an super complicated task for me. I doubt if any agent is willing to spend so much time on an award ticket. I am talking about same day standby not a ticket change.

ZKOKA

I am not sure same day standby is a thing outside of North America. Most airlines I've tried this with (AB, LH, LX, JL, BA, AF...) quoted me an upsell to the next available fare bucket. The one exception I've experienced was ANA on a United Mileage Plus award, where I was offered a re-routing to HND-ITM (instead of HND-CTS-FUK-ITM, which we specifically booked for the B747 domestic version) and an earlier flight on ITM-HND, which I gladly accepted. As it turned out, United booked their awards into the Y fare bucket, so no wonder the agents offered this.

Anyway, back to topic, I've tried this once with JAL on a revenue ticket to no avail.

kaka

logic flow is, they will call your issuer and check if the ticket is changable (new rules are that they will try make your issuer to change for you if it is changable).

now, as you may know BA awards are not changable within 24 hours. so the answer is no. (I know this as a fact cuz they did everything to change for me AND printed my boarding pass and issued my upgrade with coupon as a JMB member. THEN they read the rules before giving me the BP. there it says no no no... so, I'm 99.9% sure you cant change it. Of course you might be lucky. stranger things had happened.)

as i see you've had past experience, just to let you know they have tightened/aligned to the rules lately (past year and a bit)

kaka

Many JAL fares allow standby (domestically). the few that does not allow on top of my head is the first leg of yokoso and W2J; and japan explorer pass.

JALPak

First leg of Yokoso and W2J allow standby to an earlier flight on the same day.

zig2

is there a written rule or just a secret rule not written anywhere?
I am thinking of attaching a JL-segment AA-issued international award. In that case will they call AA or they will let me call AA? I am AA EXP so change is not a problem for me but it may cause repricing of the award ticket which is bad.

zig2

I tried this with ANA as well and I know they are willing to do this. I think they have some explicit rules written on their website. But I can't find one for JAL. Maybe JAL also has some rules but in Japanese only.

kaka

depends on ur award since its a aa or ba issued ticket.
if aa award then u prob know better.
ba doesnt allow changes 24 hours in so is nogo
cx allows changes but in general if jl contacts cx to verify changability then i dont see any fees (would have costed me if i called myself)

kaka

indeed just not ahead of time

s1362083

Any more recent experience of trying same day change on Avios reservation? It suits me very well to get on an earlier flight but wouldn't want to waste a few hours getting there early if there is close to nil chance of it being allowed.

kaka

forget it. ticket is not changable within 24 hours, and they will check with ticket rules or get you to call BA.