Change carriers for a segment -- need reissue?
 

For the final segment on my AONE, I'll fly LAX-JFK. But AA has A0 on all the flights that would work best for me -- providing a special inspiration to take QF instead. Their 747 service has better seats anyway; http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum39/HTML/002645.html reports catering is better; I might just get Flagship Lounge admittance on a QF ticket (whereas I know I wouldn't on an AA ticket).

Next question is whether my existing paper ticket is valid, as is, for travel on QF rather than AA. This segment is issued OPEN, but it specifies AA as the carrier. (It says AMERICAN AIRLINES under CARRIER/FLIGHT on the far right; it says CAAA next to the origination city at left center; it specifies AA in the routing / fare calculation section ("[other segments] ... LAX AA NYC ... [fare calculation]"). But, of course the ticket also says "VALID ONLY ON ... QF."

So -- Can I use it for QF rather than AA, as is? Or is reissuance required for this change? I think there's nothing special about my situation -- this is the usual can-I-change-carrier-for-a-segment-flown-by-2-or-more-OneWorld-carriers question. But I don't immediately recall seeing that question answered before here...

Yes, you can change carriers and dates without a reissue if the routing remains the same. Although I've never flown a transcon P-class on AA to compare, I think the QF flight is definitely worth it. I just flew QF 107 a few weeks ago on my RTW.

[This message has been edited by hauteboy (edited Jan 20, 2004).]

The Star file rule involved states:

It is possible but highly unlikely that QF may ask you to have AA endorse the ticket over to them. Either way it shouldn't cost you anything but maybe a little extra time at the airport.

So it does! Silly me not to have started with the rules. I had thought this would be too subtle a situation to be explicitly discussed in the rules, but clearly I don't give the rule-writers enough credit.


Thanks, folks. Much appreciated.

Interestingly the rule Exmo quotes isn't in the (no doubt outdated) version of the ONE RTW rules posted to FewMiles' site.

http://members.shaw.ca/fewmiles/oneworld/owe.html -- an edit-find on words from Exmo's quote shows they're not there!

Is there a more recent version of the RTW rules available on the web somewhere? I'd like to print out the rules (in full) to have with me, including this rule in particular (and in context among the other rules).

http://www.hardlink.com/~markdu/OWFi...eExplorer.html

or

http://home.so-net.com.hk/~pns/CXRule/OWE.xls
for the version published by CX in HK (a multi-sheet spreadsheet, so not so "convincing" as a printout I guess)

[This message has been edited by christep (edited Jan 22, 2004).]

I'm looking carefully at the rules as posted to http://www.hardlink.com/~markdu/OWFi...eExplorer.html . The "Oneworld carrier change" provision comes under heading "After ticketing deadline" -- which as is distinguished from "after departure" in which date/time changes are permitted at no charge, but there's no mention of Oneworld carrier changes (provided origin, destination, connect points, and inventory remain the same).

This makes me concerned that I actually can't change carriers for this segment now, after departure.

Others' experiences? Or closer/better readings of the rules?

I do think this will be OK at the airport, but I'd rather not take my chances.

The worse that could happen under your reading of the rules is that you get hit for the $75 change fee. However, while I have not changed carriers in LAX from AA to QF, I have done it elsewhere without a problem or charge.

I'm with ExMo on this. Particularly with an open-dated ticket you should have absolutely no problem checking in for the QF flight with the ticket as is. As with ExMo I have done this a number of times on other routes and never had a problem, except in HEL where the AY check-in desk insisted that I walk 10 yards to the AY ticketing desk to get a sticker put on the coupon to change it from AY to BA (or vv, I can't remember now). There was no charge for this.

All right. Thanks again, folks.

YGM

I used to think I was pretty good at acronyms, but I can't make anything out of YGM. Any help?

You've Got Mail. Lux has sent an e-mail to the address in your profile.

Edited to add - maybe to bedelman, actually http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by Steady-EDI (edited Feb 01, 2004).]

Just wanted to write to confirm that my experience was as hauteboy, ExMo, and Christep said it would be -- ticket was accepted without any concern whatsoever. Excellent!