Clueless AB customer service
Nov 27, 2015, 2:31 am
#1
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: HEL
Programs: lots of shiny metal cards
Posts: 14,105
Clueless AB customer service
I know, that AB is not famed for the CS, but here's my recent experience with them.
Flying xxx-TXL-AMM-TXL-yyy on an RJ issued ticket, with AB on the EUR legs.
1/ Calling CS to reserve XL seats (as OWE, free) - call took 30+ minutes until the Russian CS managed to reserve it. (It was their English service, but all background discussion was in Russian and the agent had Russian accent) At that point I hung up, instead of having another 30 mins on the line. But anyway, he did book the seat for the first leg.
2/ Later calling again, this time the German line and an Indian accented agent reserves the seat in a jiffy and asks for my CC details. He doesn't acknowledge that OWE have it free. Putting me on long hold while "checking it" and comes back with the same answer "only topbonus plat is free" When I argue it is free, he says they are all reserved. I said he just wanted to sell me one, he gets confused to get caught in a lie. I hung up.
3/ Turning to FT, the fount of all knowledge, I found this "better number" to call. German agent answers, everything's fine "you already have the XL seat" and free of course. As he seems effective, I mention that I cannot OLCI for the TXL-yyy flight, he checks and says, yeah, it's a RJ ticket, you can c/i only in TXL (!!) It makes me nervous, because I had a tight connection.
4/ Going to AMM, they check me in all the way to yyyy without an eyebrow raised. I was the only pax seated in the 2 exit rows (12 seats) - so much for Hr Indien's "all seats are reserved" lie.
So 3 interaction out of 3 produced unsatisfactory and/or misleading results. I loath to imagine how it would go with a REAL problem
PS - the flights were uneventful, the crew effective, the plane "nagelneu" according to the FA - it actually smelt a bit like a new car
Flying xxx-TXL-AMM-TXL-yyy on an RJ issued ticket, with AB on the EUR legs.
1/ Calling CS to reserve XL seats (as OWE, free) - call took 30+ minutes until the Russian CS managed to reserve it. (It was their English service, but all background discussion was in Russian and the agent had Russian accent) At that point I hung up, instead of having another 30 mins on the line. But anyway, he did book the seat for the first leg.
2/ Later calling again, this time the German line and an Indian accented agent reserves the seat in a jiffy and asks for my CC details. He doesn't acknowledge that OWE have it free. Putting me on long hold while "checking it" and comes back with the same answer "only topbonus plat is free" When I argue it is free, he says they are all reserved. I said he just wanted to sell me one, he gets confused to get caught in a lie. I hung up.
3/ Turning to FT, the fount of all knowledge, I found this "better number" to call. German agent answers, everything's fine "you already have the XL seat" and free of course. As he seems effective, I mention that I cannot OLCI for the TXL-yyy flight, he checks and says, yeah, it's a RJ ticket, you can c/i only in TXL (!!) It makes me nervous, because I had a tight connection.
4/ Going to AMM, they check me in all the way to yyyy without an eyebrow raised. I was the only pax seated in the 2 exit rows (12 seats) - so much for Hr Indien's "all seats are reserved" lie.
So 3 interaction out of 3 produced unsatisfactory and/or misleading results. I loath to imagine how it would go with a REAL problem
PS - the flights were uneventful, the crew effective, the plane "nagelneu" according to the FA - it actually smelt a bit like a new car
Nov 27, 2015, 6:24 am
#2
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: NYC
Programs: AA 2MM, Bonvoy LTT, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,636
Clueless AB customer service
AFAIK, XL hasn't been free for OWE in more than a year. IMO, it's never been free for OWE but it was easier to find an agent in the past to bend the rules in your favor.