advice please, changed flt by a/line

[parsonstrish]

I arrive lax 7am in terminal b on QF flt. 21/12. Then booked with AA/qf code share to dfw. Flt. to dfw has been changed by a/line to dep. lax 8:45 in terminal 4. I know they are short walk between the two terminals but expect pandemonium at this time of year.

Due to customs, etc. should I try to get qf to change it to later flt. as I originally booked.

Or take my chances. Due to the time of year I think there wouldn't be many empty seats if I miss flt.

Won't I have to collect luggage, and rebook it to dfw?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Evan]

Is it booked as one ticket ? given you said codeshare i suspect yes.
In this case i would not worry too much since AA will know your arriving and if you wont make the flight rebook you on a later.

Upto you, depends if you want to get to DFW ASAP or couln't care less about some extra airport time.

E

 

[Driver]

I have a similar situation. We are booked to fly from San Francisco to San Antonio via DFW. We are using FF points so the flights are with AA. Recently they changed our flights from Dallas to San Antonio so we have 25 minutes between landing and take off. I don't think it's at all doable, even with luggage put straight through. I'll let the FA know and maybe they will race us to the next gate in time. If not, I presume they will put us on the next flight. I do wonder though whether it would be wiser to ring Qantas and ask if it can be rectified sooner rather than later. Good luck!

 

[Travel Guru]

I have a similar situation. We are booked to fly from San Francisco to San Antonio via DFW. We are using FF points so the flights are with AA. Recently they changed our flights from Dallas to San Antonio so we have 25 minutes between landing and take off. I don't think it's at all doable, even with luggage put straight through. I'll let the FA know and maybe they will race us to the next gate in time. If not, I presume they will put us on the next flight. I do wonder though whether it would be wiser to ring Qantas and ask if it can be rectified sooner rather than later. Good luck!

I wouldn't think you've got much chance of making it, I would recommend calling freq. flyers and seeing if you can change it, as you wouldn't want to get to DFW and find all flights out to SAT are choccas.

TG

 

[Driver]

I've just double checked that and I was wrong (Yes, I can admit it even though I am a female and always right!). It is a 40 minute turnaround, not 25 minutes. Even so, it's tight if the flight is late getting in but I took your advice and rang Qantas who tell me that AA says 40 minutes is the minimum and Qantas also tell me there is no alternative for us. We'll give it a jolly good go. I will try ahead of time to find out which terminal we need to go to and which gate. They appear to have an excellent transit system and our luggage will already be checked right through and we should not have to leave the secure area. I'd appreciate help with the terminal to catch the flight to San Antonio and gate number but maybe that's not available yet. The flight is AA1801 leaving SAT 2.25pm. Cheers!

 

[Travel Guru]

let me know the date and flight numbers and ill see if I can find the info in Galileo for you Driver

TG

 

[Driver]

Thank you!

Ex DFW

Flight Date: 21 Sept
Flight Number: AA1801
Flight Time: 2.25

 

[NM]

Even 40 mins is very tight for DFW. AA uses multiple terminals at DFW (A, C, D and E I think from memory) so its quite possible (and I would suggest probable) that you will need to change terminals between flights. The terminal transfer process is very easy now, with passengers remaining airside so no additional security screening and trains passing every few minutes.

Also note that with AA, you technically need to be at the departure gate at least 30 mins before departure or they may off-load you and give you seat to a standby passenger. So you really only have 10 mins to get off one plane, potentially to another terminals and to the departure gate.

I would not want anything less than an hour connection at DFW. And yes, I know people have managed very short connections there but I would not risk a planned short connection.

 

[Driver]

Even 40 mins is very tight for DFW. AA uses multiple terminals at DFW (A, C, D and E I think from memory) so its quite possible (and I would suggest probable) that you will need to change terminals between flights. The terminal transfer process is very easy now, with passengers remaining airside so no additional security screening and trains passing every few minutes.

Also note that with AA, you technically need to be at the departure gate at least 30 mins before departure or they may off-load you and give you seat to a standby passenger. So you really only have 10 mins to get off one plane, potentially to another terminals and to the departure gate.

I would not want anything less than an hour connection at DFW. And yes, I know people have managed very short connections there but I would not risk a planned short connection.

I certainly agree with you and when I booked there was a 2 hour break between flights. AA has changed that. I rang Qantas tonight and was told the flight could not be changed. However, I have had this answer before and rung again a few days later only to get a different answer. I'll be ringing every few days to see if I can get a change. As TG says, what happens if we can't get on the flight and all others are booked. Not fair really to change our flight to a 40 minute break.

 

[Travel Guru]

There are certainly plenty of flights after yours on AA from DFW-SAT (8 in all), so if you did miss it, there's plenty of options for being put on a later service.

But as NM said, it is tight.

TG

 

[Driver]

I'll keep calling TG.

I wanted to make a change to our trip and when I rang Qantas the fellow said there were no flights for the change I wanted. I rang a week later and was told I could have a large choice of flights. I'll try again in a couple of days. If I can't change it I'll be looking for the terminal and gate so I am at least aware of where to go. I'll also ask the FA to please let the gate know that we are onboard and will be there - in the hope that they don't give our seats away!
You've been very helpful. What a great forum - I'm enjoying it immensely.

 

[Mal]

A 40 min connection in DFW is doable, although it wouldn't be on my preferred connections list!

Agree with the other comments. If you can get a later flight, go for it. You can then relax a bit more rather than running around DFW (which could be an unfamiliar airport to you). If the 2 flights in question are on the same ticket, then things are better if you misconnect - but if all seats are booked (as is common at that time of the year), then AA might give priority with rebooking to others with higher FF status, or higher ticket classes.

 

[serfty]

In June myself and SWMBO had a 1:05 scheduled transit at DFW (rebooked from cancelled flight and connection out of NYC the day before).

Our ex LGA flight boarded on time; we taxied for 10 minutes, parked for 15 (due to some issues requiring flight parameter recalculation ). Eventually we departed 35 minutes late ...

Landed 25 minutes late. Gates were advised before landing, we had to go from C38 to 37D shock about the worst possible gate connection. Here's the AA map of DFW: Dallas Fort Worth International Airport

To top it off, we had to wait another 10 minutes while a S80 already occupying C38 was backed away.

We were off the aircraft 35 minutes before our SEA flight was due to depart; checking the monitors on the way to the Sky Train showed it on time. :evil:

Taking the sky train in the clockwise direction (we missed an anti-clockwise one by 10 seconds, at least there's no stops at "Terminal F") we arrived at D37 as they were boarding Group 6 (18 minutes before scheduled flight departure). Our carry on found space, we in row 6, they somewhere around row 12 ...

90 minutes is the least time I would allow for cnx at DFW if I had the choice.

At least on the one PNR we were protected. (However, that would have nuked our already reduced stay in SEA)

 

[Driver]

STRESS shock::shock::shock is the one thing I have worked hard to avoid on this trip . I will keep trying. It is encouraging to see that you made it!

 

[Travel Guru]

Perhaps try calling QF again and requesting a flight change to a later flight...it might be the airlines acceptable min. connect time, but tell them you're elderly and can't rush.

There's 8 flights after yours, im sure they can do something about changing it if they want too.

TG

 

[Driver]

Perhaps try calling QF again and requesting a flight change to a later flight...it might be the airlines acceptable min. connect time, but tell them you're elderly and can't rush.

There's 8 flights after yours, im sure they can do something about changing it if they want too.

TG

Got a really nice fellow today when I rang Qantas. Tried every which way to help me. Even tried to find out the terminal we'd would be disembarking from and the one we would be embarking on going to SAT. Even he couldn't find the information. On Checkmytrip.com every flight shows terminals except DFW flights. He tried to move our seating from row 13 to row 9 which showed empty but found he couldn't. There are no seats for award tickets available today for any other flight. I will keep trying :!:

 

[Dave Noble]

He tried to move our seating from row 13 to row 9 which showed empty but found he couldn't.

Row 9 on the MD80 is a premium seating row which requires AA Gold status or higher

Dave

 

[Driver]

Well, there you go - just shows the knowledge bank of a forum like this - the nice young man on the other end of the line when I rang Qantas did not know that. Row 13 is fine - we will be as quick as we can and, allowing for no late starts, planes in the way, and other unforeseen incidents might even make it!
BUT, I will keep trying!

 

[NM]

Note that AA flights operate out of several terminals at DFW and even AA won't know which terminal a specific domestic flight will use until close to the travel date. The same flight each day may use different terminals. Its not consistent like at many airports where departures to certain destinations always use the same terminals. You have to check on the day of travel, and it can change at the last minute.

 

[Driver]

Note that AA flights operate out of several terminals at DFW and even AA won't know which terminal a specific domestic flight will use until close to the travel date. The same flight each day may use different terminals. Its not consistent like at many airports where departures to certain destinations always use the same terminals. You have to check on the day of travel, and it can change at the last minute.

I have certainly been finding that out. On my itinerary every boarding terminal shows except DFW and I'm six weeks from flying. I've noted other people flying through DFW who are flying in a couple of weeks who still do not have their terminals.

I have been calling Qantas every second day to try to change the flight(s). There is a 6am leaving SFO but cannot get that. There is a 3.40 leaving DFW and one about an hour later, cannot get either of them. Even though there are seats still vacant. They apparently are not award seats.

I've been told that, if we miss the connection due to their allocation of our seats, they will be responsible for getting us to SAT - a friend recently said they would bump people (if necessary) who have paid a super special rate and fly us instead. This doesn't sound right to me - anyone have experience of missing their flight with AA (not due to their own fault) and being redirected to another flight (the next flight)??

Just to jog the memory, here are our flights (as altered by AA):
21 Sept Depart SFO 7.45am Arrive DFW 1.45pm AA1306
21 Sept Depart DFW 2.25pm Arrive SAT 3.30pm AA1801

I am armed with terminal information - AA appears to use terminals A, C and D and the skytrain will take us there inside the secure zone - a bonus. We're in row 13 for seats so will jump into the aisle to get out as quick as we can, but Mr Driver is not quick on his feet. We sure would rather have a later flight but it doesn't look good for changing.

Still calling every second day :!: