TomBrady

Yea I was really hoping for a sympathetic ticket counter who will just do it for me.

TomBrady

Update:

They tried to do it, but my fare class prevented them fro mre-issuing me a ticket or something like that.

Mykle

Hopefully when the new AA comes around, they'll go to the AA policy. Changes allowed within 24 hours, make the change online (or phone, or kiosk, or agent), $75 (waived for Advantage Gold and higher). Easy, affordable, can be done without an agent so shorter wait times.
http://www.aa.com/i18n/utility/sameDayTravel.jsp

dtremit

If you've since started buying the PHL-BOS nonstop at a premium, then it makes sense

dtremit

AA waives standby charges for elites, but not the SDC fee.

hginPHL

The PHL-BOS fares are no longer $1200 RT as they were back then. And, after they changed the policy, and the prices were still around $1200, I opted for Amtrak. So indeed for a while US did lose money on my weekly trips to Boston.

However, that wasn't really my point. I was just trying to help the OP.

dtremit

Ah, I got thrown off by the thread merge.

In any case, though, I suspect the reason for the change was that enough people were doing just that to have an effect on revenue. Likewise, I suspect the four hour window was picked to prevent people from buying redeye tickets and moving up -- as there are very rarely non-overnight itineraries that depart <4h before a redeye.

DCBob

Can you move up from a "direct" flight where the only thing the two connecting segments have in common is the flight number? I have to change planes in PHX from an A321 to a 757-200, yet both segments have the same flight number even though I have two separate boarding passes with different seat numbers! The Move Up webpage says you must change on the same day with the same number of stops. Nothing is mentioned about having different flight numbers.

Mykle

A direct flight is a single segment, since it's sold as one flight # from A-C, even though there is technically a change of planes at B. You can only move up to another single segment flight, such as another direct flight, or to a non-stop flight.

DCBob

It's a real change of planes, and technically a direct flight. I don't question that is their policy, but the webpage mentions "same number of stops", not how the flight is marketed. So I may not be successful but I am still going to give it a try in the hope that a sympathetic ticket agent will override the computer as sometimes happens (by using IRROPS procedures). I have nothing to lose.

BoeingBoy

It sounds like you may be going to Hawaii after the PHX segment. If so, that's technically a change of gage flight and not a direct flight. A true direct flight is almost certainly a domestic flight (N America excepting AK and HI) that happens to have a stop while having the same flight number. Most times a change of planes isn't required, although maintenance or weather/ATC needs may change that.

Most times, a change of gage won't get you to your destination earlier since many of the change of gage destinations (mostly TATL) only have one flight per day. The entire purpose of MoveUp is to get passengers to their destination sooner without incurring normal ticket change fees.

Jim

DCBob

No, I'm not going to Hawaii. But I am using the Move Up program to arrive 3 hours earlier. I'm on Flight 415 from BWI to SFO and it's definitely a change of gauge flight (321 to 757-200). I will mostly certainly benefit from the Move Up program by getting into SFO at 7:11 pm or 7:20 pm instead of 10:19 pm if I switch to a flight with a connection in PHL or CLT instead of PHX. So, it sounds like you are saying I'm not on a "direct" flight and would qualify, right?

BoeingBoy

No, you're on a direct flight - same flight number but a stop (and plane change in your case) between origin and destination. It's just somewhat strange that there would be a scheduled plane change given the purpose of having direct flights. Changing planes on direct flights is usually due to unusual situations. In your case it doesn't matter that the 757 is larger than the A320 - either is suitable for PHX-SFO.

It's technically not a change of gage, since the change of planes isn't necessitated because one can't do the overwater segment (which you don't have). An A321 to PHL then an A330 to Europe would be a change of gage if the flight number remained the same.

MoveUp would be what you want, although I haven't kept up with the latest changes that much so don't know if you can change connecting points. At the least you'd need a confirm-able seat on both new segments - confirming a seat on one segment wouldn't work.

Jim

DCBob

Turns out you were wrong. The gate agent had no problem moving me up to a flight today that gives me two segments with different flight numbers (instead of two segments with the same flight number) - this time the flights required a plane change in CLT instead of PHX. I didn't even have to push the issue - he just typed away for 3 minutes and handed me two new BPs. I land 3 hours earlier than under the prior itinerary. So if you have an actual plane change, this works even if you are going from a single flight number to two different flight numbers.

BoeingBoy

With US, there are generally two rules - what the policy says and what an understanding agent is willing to do despite the policy. Hence the oft repeated wisdom here - if you don't get what you want from one agent (res, ticket counter, gate) ask another agent.

Jim