ETA on Advanced Class change?

Agree.
Although with the 'start at 60' token I suspect the devs will consider that the default AC swap option. It comes with a few benefits but unfortunately misses many of the reasons some would want to use the AC swap.

Given that training costs (or even the need to visit a trainer past 61) have been removed, the story and companions have been boiled down to one, and you can now save keybindings. There really has never been a better time to introduce AC swap.

I'm fine with paying $300+ real dollars if it made this possible. I'm totally okay with being ripped off if I get what I want. No, this is not sarcasm, I just have more than enough money to throw at EA. And don't lecture me on how it's my kind that ruins games by purchasing DLC and paying for something that they should have included for free. I don't care. $500, $1000, $3000? It doesn't matter to me as long as I enjoy the content.

I pose this question: if instead of of 8 classes with two ACs each, we were given 16 classes to choose from at level 1, would you be asking for "class" switching?

Yes, they would. No doubt in my mind.

Heck, I have a character (my long-ago "first to level 50" when that was the level cap) whose AC I would change if AC change were to become available. But it isn't, and I agree with many if not most of the reasons why. So even though I'd use it, I agree that it is best that AC change is not possible.

Yes, I stand corrected. Everything past Corellia, which is about the same period/level/planet range when you finish the class story. There were only minor class flavor bits here and there.

that depends on whether they were identical in every other way.

if there are "2 classes" but they have the same story, the same companions, the same ship, a lot of the same talents, etc? they don't really feel like separate classes, they feel like separate specs.

It depends on what you mean by 'class'.

Mechanics wise there are only 4 base Classes in SWTOR, each with 2 Advanced Classes, and each of these has 3 Disciplines. That's 24 unique sets of abilities from a pure mechanics viewpoint.
Faction choice artificially doubles this with mirror classes differing only in animations.

For me Class in SWTOR is about faction and story choice.
Advanced Class and Discipline choice are about mechanics and the role you desire to play at any particular time.

So, if you are offering 16 unique stories to play through then I would say fine, no class swapping. (Although highly unlikely given that it was too expensive to deliver 8 individual class stories).
But, if they all share the same story I wouldn't have an issue with allowing some means of swapping.

Dead subject, stop trying to make this happen.

They are not going to do it. This particular thread has been raging for over two and a half years. In that time, not one single member of the staff has come in to say that it is even on their proverbial radar.

Ultimately, now with insta-60s I see no reason at all not to allow it so long as the price is the same as purchasing a level 60 token.

Ok so because you and some other players don't like this idea it should be dropped? Elitist player much? So people want the opportunity to change a previous decisions, does it FORCE you (Pun intended) to pay the extra for the change for the main spec change and allow you to leave or alter the secondary spec? The answer to this is NO for me I would like the option to switch Advanced specs, why you might ask well at least w/ the secondary specs you don't get forced in to one specific line with abilities. After all even WoW lets you respec, no they don't have the 2 tier method for specs but they at least allow you the opportunity to swap between spec 1 straight dps to spec two straight Tank. With Biowares two spec system this does not work in most cases (if at all) suggesting to me a case of either to cheap or don't care. Either of the two are reasons why Blizzard has gone from a good game to a bunch of lazy people working there. So seriously do you wan't to be like the current Blizzard fail sauce so bad you have to do the same or can't you fix it so where we can swap between advanced spec 1 and/or 2?