Update March 14 ... what is the answer to this question:

Can the first segment of a xICN DONE3 purchased through AA be changed at no cost (even after the 10% discount is gone)? It seems that the written rules say yes, but that AA 'says' no.

Can someone point to written rules that would support AA's view point.


Original post:

Changes to the first flight:

Is the FAQ correct?

Q: Can I change my mind?
A: Yes, you will find the *ONE* to be a reasonably flexible ticket. For tickets originating in North or South America, changes to the first international flight and all preceding flights must be completed no later than 7 days before departure. Date/time changes are permitted at no charge, and subject to availability you can change the oneworld carrier you want to use without charge as long as there is no change in origin/destination and intermediate points (eg. changing BA to QF for a flight SYD-LHR). Changes other than date/time (routing is the obvious change) incur a US$75 charge and the ticket is reissued, with some carriers charging you a service fee. For tickets originating elsewhere, changes to the first international flight and preceding flights are not permitted. Date/time changes are permitted at no charge, but routing changes incur a US$75 charge, and again some carriers charge you a service fee. The rules don't state that routing changes in this case are a reissue (see below about what happens if the rules change). The number of continents/extra flight segments may be increased or decreased and you will be charged/refunded accordingly. If you need to cancel before departure, tickets originating in North or South America incur a penalty of 10% of the ticket price, tickets originating elsewhere incur no penalty. If you need to cancel after departure, all tickets other than those originating in SWP (no penalty) or Japan (lower of 10% penalty or JPY50,000) incur a 10% penalty. You may get a refund of the unused portion of your ticket based on the cost of the flights used to date and the penalty due.

Versus rules

-- ORIGIN TC1 --
BEFORE TICKET ISSUANCE - PERMITTED WITHOUT
PENALTY.
AFTER TICKET ISSUANCE - CHANGES TO THE FIRST
INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT AND PRECEDING FLIGHTS ARE
NOT PERMITTED LESS THAN 7 DAYS PRIOR TO THE DATE
OF THE FIRST TICKETED FLIGHT. DATE/TIME CHANGES TO
OTHER FLIGHTS PERMITTED AT NO CHARGE. DATE/TIME/ ONEWORLD CARRIER CHANGES ARE PERMITTED WITHOUT ‡
REISSUE PROVIDED ORIGIN/DESTINATION/CONNECTING
POINTS AND INVENTORY REMAIN THE SAME. CHANGES
OTHER THAN TO DATE/TIME/ONEWORLD CARRIER PERMITTED
AT A CHARGE OF USD125.00 PER TRANSACTION.

-- ORIGIN TC2/3 --
UNLIMITED CHANGES PERMITTED WITHOUT CHARGE. DATE/
TIME/ONEWORLD CARRIER CHANGES ARE PERMITTED
WITHOUT REISSUE PROVIDED ORIGIN/DESTINATION/
CONNECTING POINTS AND INVENTORY REMAIN THE SAME.

I believe the problem is that many GDS cannot properly handle changes to the first flight of a booking without a complete re-issue. So, while the rules might indicate you can, the point may be moot.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8100/4.2.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100)

If it is electornic does that matter?

I want to buy a ticket from AA ex ICN... will I be able to change my initial icn nrt dps flight.

We are a family of 5 ... I can only get 4 D seats on jal. For myself I was thinking of taking L and waitlisting or D on a different day and changing the date (which is probably better if date changes are easy)

Thoughts?

Ps what should the FAQ say?

Yes. Your departure date must correspond to the date the ticket is issued on. If it does not match, you won't be able to check in. Hence the ticket must be reissued to the new dates. If a reissue is made in this case, the airline CRS will not make a change without a complete reissue, ie change fee.

For an electronic ticket what does re-issue mean? Isn't just a phone call?

Isn't a re-issue ex-ICN just as easy as a call?

i.e. changes to first flight ex-ICN are easy?

What is a re-issue?

Even if there is no physical ticket, the airlines consider this to be a 're-issue' and a new document number will be generated / used showing the new date(s). Ergo you pay.

As far as a AA RTW DON3 'you pay' Do you pay for a new ticket or do you pay $100-$150?

I want to take advantage of purchasing a additional ex-ICN DONE3 starting later this year. I want to have flexibility changing the DATE (not routing) of the first flight (i.e. ICN-NRT-ORD). Can I have that flexibility at a reasonable cost?

Huh? Guy, did you mean "for" instead of "on" at the end of the above quote? You don't have to travel the same day on which the ticket is issued....

Still looking for an answer to the original question.

I don't think you'll get a definitive answer in advance because it is open to interpretation. We can speculate all we like, but only the airlines can tell us for sure.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8900/4.6.1.114 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100)

Legalistically speaking can someone point or interpret rules justyfying a ch
arge. Thanks!

I have a vested interest in this question also, so I just called AA RTW again and was told quite definitely that any change (including date/time/carrier) to the first flight, will require re-issue and repricing at the then current prices and rules. Thus you would lose the 10% discount and be subject to any subsequent price increases.

Unfortunately this is the same answer that I got last year, when the more important issue was whether a 20 segment RTW would be reduced to 16 segments if you wanted to change the first flight. (Yes it would!).

It does mean that you have to pick your first flight VERY carefully!

Happy Travels.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8900/4.6.1.114 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100)

What is the possible legal / rule reason when it seems like other OneWorld partners do not charge? Does anyone see any ambigous rule interpretation? Seems if it got into a legal fight that the passenger should prevail.

I was told today by the AA RTW desk that it's not just the first flight, but that any changes to the first inter-continental flights, would incur a $125 fee. So, for an ex-ICN DONE4, starting ICN-HKG-SYD, changing anything, including the date or carrier, for either the ICN-HKG or the HKG-SYD flight, would cause the fee.

I don't see anything in the OW rules that justify a fee. On the contrary, an ex-Asia xONEx should permit changes for free, according to my reading of the rules:16(a)(1)(b)(1) says to me that date/time/carrier/inventory changes, even to first flights, are permitted for free.