So, I'm already ticketed and reserved for an upcoming RTW AONE5. Segment in question is KIX-HKG on Cathay, which had been booked (and ticketed) in F/A. AA RTW desk calls and notifies of a schedule/equipment change such that my flight no longer offers F class (346 -> 773). Am I entitled to any involuntary downgrade compensation since I was already ticketed in First Class?

Would the 773 be that bad in J? I have several other CX flights in F already, so I will get to experience the service. Maybe it would be interesting to compare F to J?
Or, I can take the morning flight which offers F on the 333. However, that would only give me 1 1/2 days in Kyoto, instead of 2. Anyone know if that's enough?

Thanks

You're definitely not entitled to compensation. At best, you might be able to get a free reissue w/amended itinerary (NRT-HKG instead of KIX-HKG).

I don't know what schedules you're looking at; the morning (10am) flight in late November was a 330 with C/Y. (There's also an 11am flight, but that stops in TPE and I believe is also C/Y.) The only problem with the flight was that they originally said we'd arrive at gate 3, but then changed to gate 70.

The flight in C is fine. You get the expected CX service along with a decent meal. I enjoy resting on long flights, but I don't have much use for a sleeper seat on a less-than-4-hour flight.

And I'm afraid that 2 days, let alone 1.5, isn't nearly enough to explore and enjoy Kyoto.

OK, though I'd ask.

Well, previously only the Thursday PM departure in February KIX-HKG had been operated by the 346. EQV on other days, but no FC (I think maybe on Sunday). Now, and I think this was a very recent schedule change, The CWT ITN tool hadn't picked it up, although the AvailabilityTool did, the Thursday PM departure is operated by a 773 and the Thursday AM departure is operated by the 333 with F.

OK, I'll suck it up and fly J to get more time in Kyoto, it's just a bummer that I pay for F but can't always use it. Although, on this 20-segment AONE5 I am getting 3-class F on 10 of the segments, which I think is pretty good.

I've had as few as 2 segments in 3-class F on an AONEx ticket. It all depends on how tight your schedule and routing is. In fact my last DONEx had more 3-class F segments in it! (thanks to upgrades on QF, BA and CX). I suppose it evens out in the end, but I've found A availability to be quite bad on my dates/routes. Combined with the decline in service levels in F and improvement in J and it really isn't worth it on some routes/schedules.

Interesting. I had no problems getting A inventory on any flight except the LA SYD-AKL flight. The 10 flights in D/J are on intra-continental 2-class flights which seem hard to avoid on most continents -- e.g,. only getting F on LHR-CAI in Europe (purchasing CAI-IST, and IST-LHR is in CE) and SFO-JFK in NA, but more successful in Asia (BKK-SIN-HKG-NRT). And none of the intra-Australia/NZ flights offer F (except that elusive LA flight...)