Connecting Flights

[AquamarineSteph]

The other suggestion I have for AA is to immediately sign up for their AAdvantage frequent flyer program. Do that before you fly and you'll receive some introductory info including credit card offers. In that info should be an AAdvantage member telephone number that you can use for reservations, etc, that is different from the regular 800 number.

If you hit a connection snag, that AAdvantage number is the one to call -- AA takes care of its frequent flyers, even newbies.

Good advice! I have a frequent flyer number with every airline I use, even if I only use it infrequently. There is usually a different number or a different prompt on the phone tree for those members calling who have a FF account.

 

[Allison]

So annoyed at AA that I will never deal with them again.

This part I don't understand. AA hasn't done anything wrong. They are following their policy. Your lack of awareness of the terms of the ticket you bought really doesn't make AA the bad guy.

 

[hosler427]

This part I don't understand. AA hasn't done anything wrong. They are following their policy. Your lack of awareness of the terms of the ticket you bought really doesn't make AA the bad guy.

Of course it is my fault but that doesn't make it a good policy. Someone changing (not cancelling) their flight time costs the airline next to nothing and buys good will/customer loyalty. To charge more than the actual cost of the ticket to make a change is INSANE. Anyway...reason #1 I don't post a lot on message boards is this exactly. You managed to take my annoyance at something and a post asking for advice and make it about me being ignorant. Way to go Debbie Downer ;-)

 

[Allison]

Of course it is my fault but that doesn't make it a good policy. Someone changing (not cancelling) their flight time costs the airline next to nothing and buys good will/customer loyalty. To charge more than the actual cost of the ticket to make a change is INSANE. Anyway...reason #1 I don't post a lot on message boards is this exactly. You managed to take my annoyance at something and a post asking for advice and make it about me being ignorant. Way to go Debbie Downer ;-)

I didn't in any way say or imply you were ignorant. In fact, I don't think that at all even though you said it yourself earlier. I simply said I didn't understand that way of thinking.

But be aware if you are going to avoid airlines because of a policy like this, you will be restricted to just using a few airlines.

 

[Kaytie]

To charge more than the actual cost of the ticket to make a change is INSANE.

LOOK at it from the airline's side. You chose a deeply discounted ticket which came with restrictions, the biggest being your fare is nonrefundable.

I don't know how this will paste since I'm on a tablet, but I searched AA for a BOS-MCO fare at the end of September. Okay, it didn't format like it appears on the AA site, but across the top should be the date I chose, flanked by the surrounding dates. Immediately to the right, on the same line, are two boxes. One is labeled Lowest Fare, and the other is labeled refundable (interestingly, nonrefundable First Class is cheaper than any refundable fare.)

Depart Boston, MA to Orlando, FLSunday, September 24, 2017


American Airlines flights may be listed first.

Product comparison
Previous

• Mon, Sep 18
  $ 245
• Tue, Sep 19
  $ 244
• Wed, Sep 20
  $ 264
• Thu, Sep 21
  $ 280
• Fri, Sep 22
  $ 280
• Sat, Sep 23
  $ 298
• Currently selected daySun, Sep 24
  $ 331
• Mon, Sep 25
  $ 245
• Tue, Sep 26
  $ 244
• Wed, Sep 27
  $ 245
• Thu, Sep 28
  $ 280
• Fri, Sep 29
  $ 375
• Sat, Sep 30
  --Not available

Next

• Currently showingLowest Fare
• ShowRefundablefares only

 

[Kaytie]

For some reason I can't edit that post. Anyway, instead of completing that transaction I selected New Search. The page set-up is different, but toward the bottom of the page, just above the Search button, is a section labeled Options. The first of the three dropdown boxes, Search By, allows the user to choose between Lowest Fare and Refundable Fare.

No, it doesn't cost the airline $200 to change a ticket. A lot of fees aren't "fair", but they're legitimate. Caveat emptor.

 

[Minnesota!]

I wouldn't change. Granted, I prefer 90+ min layovers because kids, but with just you and wife, I would just pick seats at the front of the plane, and be ready to tear off the plane ASAP. Charlotte is not a big airport, IMO, and if you hustle you will be fine. The nice thing about it being AA is that your seats are preassigned (we fly SWA...so if we missed our initial boarding, we are SOL for decent seats...at least yours are saved).

You might be out of breath when you get on your new plane, but you will have an extra $380 in your pocket that will help you breath better

 

[JimMIA]

Someone changing (not cancelling) their flight time costs the airline next to nothing and buys good will/customer loyalty. To charge more than the actual cost of the ticket to make a change is INSANE.

LOL. This reminds me of the best definition of "fair." Fair, to almost all of us, means, "I GET what I WANT."

Being able to change non-refundable reservations with little or no cost would do nothing to build good will and customer loyalty. It would only encourage abuse of a system which works well and makes lower-cost fares possible. People who take advantage of systems are loyal to nobody but themselves.

The cost of changing a reservation to the airline would be relevant only if that was the reason for the charge. It is not. The $200 fee is a penalty designed to prevent people working the system.

 

[sam_gordon]

Of course it is my fault but that doesn't make it a good policy. Someone changing (not cancelling) their flight time costs the airline next to nothing and buys good will/customer loyalty. To charge more than the actual cost of the ticket to make a change is INSANE. Anyway...reason #1 I don't post a lot on message boards is this exactly. You managed to take my annoyance at something and a post asking for advice and make it about me being ignorant. Way to go Debbie Downer ;-)

No one said it was a good policy. The fact is it is the policy (and it's pretty much the same on all legacy airlines). If someone goes into a store that had a sign saying "no refunds", buys something, and then complains because they can't return it, it's not the policy's fault. Purchasers (of ANY product) should be familiar with what they're buying, who they're buying from, and what policies surround the purchase.

Airlines don't charge the change fee because of the cost associated with the change fee, they do so to prevent people from changing their ticket. I'm guessing primarily in case the cost drops, but it's because of other issues also.

 

[nkereina]

I have been able to make changes through JetBlue with no charges in the past

If it makes you feel any better, Jetblue typically has a $75pp change fee. The fact that you didn't get charged that is either because you were lucky, it was a unique situation, or customer service was in a good mood. The only airline to my knowledge with a true no change fee policy is Southwest.

To answer the original post, I would personally keep the original flight before spending $380.

 

[Kaytie]

If it makes you feel any better, Jetblue typically has a $75pp change fee. The fact that you didn't get charged that is either because you were lucky, it was a unique situation, or customer service was in a good mood. The only airline to my knowledge with a true no change fee policy is Southwest.

To answer the original post, I would personally keep the original flight before spending $380.

Or the last time he made a change on jetBlue was before the new fee went into effect. Back in 2012, I broke my leg at the airport heading for vacation. jetBlue not only didn't charge me the cancellation fee (and there was one), they refunded my nonrefundable fare.

That's not going to happen again any time soon.

 

[nkereina]

Or the last time he made a change on jetBlue was before the new fee went into effect. Back in 2012, I broke my leg at the airport heading for vacation. jetBlue not only didn't charge me the cancellation fee (and there was one), they refunded my nonrefundable fare.

That's not going to happen again any time soon.

Oh my! Sorry that happened to you, how awful! Did they not charge you the fee because it was a unique situation or did they not have change fees in 2012? I don't remember that far back. But present day, it's uncommon for airlines to not impose a change fee on a regular old customer initiated change, Southwest is the oddball when it comes to that.

 

[keishashadow]

What is AA's policy on free rebooks with heavily discounted fare types if the flight times change?

If akin to the nonlegacy carriers, the OP (with a flight months away) has a chance the flight times might change. Then could call & request another flight.

 

[sam_gordon]

I'm not familiar with AA's, but Delta requires a change of an hour in either your departing time or arriving time (it may have been changed to 90 minutes, but I'm not sure).

 

[Kaytie]

Oh my! Sorry that happened to you, how awful! Did they not charge you the fee because it was a unique situation or did they not have change fees in 2012? I don't remember that far back. But present day, it's uncommon for airlines to not impose a change fee on a regular old customer initiated change, Southwest is the oddball when it comes to that.

I think unique. He didn't say. They weren't charging a change fee at the time, I think that went into effect permanently in 2015, but I'm positive there was normally a cancellation fee. Maybe the State Trooper standing there telling me, " No, you're not getting on a plane, you're getting in the ambulance" that influenced the CSR?