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Reader Bob writes:

I’m flying AA in November, using miles to fly first class to Hawaii from Ft Myers, Fl… I have attempted to move my departure date one day earlier and have had no success…Seeking the change for two of us… Current reservations have us staying over in LA on the way over… Willing to make the stop on the return in LA/SF etc…. No luck thus far …seeking advice!! THANKS!! Bob

Well, Bob, there are not a lot of options open to you right now that *guarantee* success, but there are few things to do to maximize your chances of getting those seats.

First off, award inventory changes all the time, sometimes several times a day. Keep checking the website to see if there is availability, and keep calling the airline. You have several months to get lucky, so keep trying. (You’ll have to call to make any changes, since American doesn’t allow award ticket changes online.)

I always recommend using the phone for award reservations, even (grudgingly) if an extra fee is involved, because the airlines’ websites generally stink for a complete picture of award availability. They don’t show you all the options, and in most cases ignore partner airlines. (Continental will show some partners, like Northwest, but you’re still better off calling to get the full scoop.)

When you do call, make sure you’re armed with a knowledge of your options. This means knowing what possible combination of flights you would be willing to take: including partner airlines. Go to the airline’s award homepage, and see which airlines go to your destination. Then look up the timetables or use ITA Software’s search (login as a guest) to figure out who’s flying when. Then suggest specific options — first by airline, then by flight (segment-by-segment) — to the phone agent. Their computers are often programmed to just pull up the most direct flight combinations, and to favor their own company flights, so you may need to be proactive. If you don’t like the agent you’re speaking with, or they are unwilling to check individual flights, hang up and call again. Repeat until you get an agent willing to spend the time necessary to search things.

In your case, American Airlines flies to Honolulu (you didn’t say where in Hawaii you were going, so I’m assuming HNL) from Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Also, American is partnered with Hawaiian Airlines, which flies to Honolulu from Seattle, Portland, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and San Diego. Quite a list of possibilities. You would fly to one of those cities with American and then connect to Hawaiian. Make sure the agent checks flights to HNL for each of those cities until you hit a winner. I’m guessing that the segments to Hawaii are the challenge, and that flights within the lower 48 are probably easier to snag.

If I’m wrong, and the flights out of Ft. Myers are the problem, then consider driving to Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, or Miami. (If you want to keep the return flight to Ft. Myers, you might even consider a one-way car rental, which looks to be about $50…) Naturally, this is an inferior solution, but it’s worth a shot.

A change fee will probably apply (definitely if you add Hawaiian Airlines to the mix), but it may be worth the cost if it gets you where you want to be.

Good luck, and let me know how it works out.