booking aa awards

[sunny]

Does anyone have recent experience to know if it still works to book the ticket 3 weeks in advance and then change it to avoid the fee? Thanks!

[PlatinumGuy]

Does anyone have recent experience to know if it still works to book the ticket 3 weeks in advance and then change it to avoid the fee? Thanks!

No it doesn't anymore.

[lala]

Does anyone have recent experience to know if it still works to book the ticket 3 weeks in advance and then change it to avoid the fee? Thanks!

SOmetimes an agent will waive it

[txtmax4]

It has worked with sob story but YMMV.

[Ergel]

It has worked with sob story but YMMV.

My FIL got it waved on a flight I booked for him (side point, I booked him 5 tickets on the flight an early morning cle-lga and other than the give of them there were 4 other people on the flight.and you wonder why AA is going out of business? Is that standard for those flights?)

[Side incomer]

My FIL got it waved on a flight I booked for him (side point, I booked him 5 tickets on the flight an early morning cle-lga and other than the give of them there were 4 other people on the flight.and you wonder why AA is going out of business? Is that standard for those flights?)

A friend of mine has booked once himself 12 people LGA-CLE same flight (in a few separate bookings via BA), and when they arrived they found out that at least 3 other people also had award tickets.

[Dan]

My FIL got it waved on a flight I booked for him (side point, I booked him 5 tickets on the flight an early morning cle-lga and other than the give of them there were 4 other people on the flight.and you wonder why AA is going out of business? Is that standard for those flights?)

I don't know how AA continues to operate that 5:40am flight.  Must be a significant savings to park the plane in CLE than in LGA overnight.

[Ergel]

I don't know how AA continues to operate that 5:40am flight.  Must be a significant savings to park the plane in CLE than in LGA overnight.

and house the pilots. That's what I was thinking but still seems pretty crazy

[Dan]

Who said the pilots are NYC based?

[Ergel]

Who said the pilots are NYC based?

I didn't. I meant putting them in hotels

[Dan]

I didn't. I meant putting them in hotels

But that would be the case regardless of where the plane is parked for the night.

[Fan of Dan]

I was on the 540 am flight with 2 other people besides wife and I. Their last flight of the day I noticed can also be same story. Your sevara would explain the last flight of the day to if they need to move a plane. I just assume they have no clue what is going on

[Ergel]

But that would be the case regardless of where the plane is parked for the night.

The pilots will be in hotels in the same place the plane is parked. Just suggesting that the hotel will be cheaper in CLE than in LGA

[Fan of Dan]

yeah cash and points airport sheraton

[Dan]

The pilots will be in hotels in the same place the plane is parked. Just suggesting that the hotel will be cheaper in CLE than in LGA

Gotcha.
Could also be there's just no more overnight space at LGA, who knows?  It's clear it's not being run for the loads.

[TC610]

(side point, I booked him 5 tickets on the flight an early morning cle-lga and other than the give of them there were 4 other people on the flight.and you wonder why AA is going out of business? Is that standard for those flights?)

Flew LGA-CLE on 4/18.  There were 6 other people on the plane besides me and my gf.