Programs: AA EXP MM, SPG Plat (Life Gold), Hertz #1 Gold (5*)
Posts: 11
Am I being unreasonable (received upgrade, then downgraded at gate)?
More of a lurker than a poster, but here I go. I have never complained to a company before, but I am on gogo on my flight now feeling frustrated about my experience. I have written the below note that barely fits in the web complaint form AA has on the web. Should I hit send or am I being a prima donna?
Thanks.
>>>
This is the first complaint letter I have ever written so please understand I don't take this lightly.
I would like to express my frustration with the gate agent for this flight.
When I arrived at JFK for my flight this morning I was pleased to learn that I had received an upgrade to 7A from my original seat 27H. However, when I stepped up to board the gate agent took my pass, told me that there was a mistake, tore it up and gave me a new boarding pass for 22B. I asked what happened and she said there was a glitch in the system and moved to the next customer. I asked what happened to my original seat and she said it was given to another customer. I know I am not entitled to an upgrade, but as a member since 1990 who is a million miler executive platinum I am frustrated with the short manner in which I was handled. An apology for the misunderstanding is not much to ask rather than a curt explanation of a glitch.
To add insult to injury 22B is between the the business class galley and the restrooms while having an exit row in front. Thus, I had to watch and the business class meal being prepared while being trapped in my seat by the business class cart for long stretches of the flight. I originally chose my seat at 27H to avoid these issues.
So, rather than being rewarded with an upgrade for my years being a loyal customer I actually received a downgrade.
I'd like to close with the observation that seing the character count limit go down as I type is infuriating.
Programs: UA 1K, AA Exec Plat, SPG Plat, HH Diamond, Hyatt Plat, Marriott Silv, PC Plat Amb, Fairmont Premier
Posts: 7,218
Sounds like a justified complaint to me. I think you clearly state your frustration with the treatment by the gate agent, and not with the downgrade, so you don't come across as seeming over-entitled.
In your letter (or in a follow-up referencing the same flight, if you don't have enough space in the first note), you might add a brief description of the gate agent so that AA might inform that person and his/her supervisor of the poor treatment and conceivably add it to the GA's record. (Though I have to confess that I don't know how much follow-up AA pursues on such matters.)
Programs: AA EXP, US Silver, SPG Gold, National Emerald Club Executive Selection
Posts: 6,248
Quote:
Originally Posted by ikitai
More of a lurker than a poster, but here I go. I have never complained to a company before, but I am on gogo on my flight now feeling frustrated about my experience. I have written the below note that barely fits in the web complaint form AA has on the web. Should I hit send or am I being a prima donna?
Thanks.
>>>
This is the first complaint letter I have ever written so please understand I don't take this lightly.
I would like to express my frustration with the gate agent for this flight.
When I arrived at JFK for my flight this morning I was pleased to learn that I had received an upgrade to 7A from my original seat 27H. However, when I stepped up to board the gate agent took my pass, told me that there was a mistake, tore it up and gave me a new boarding pass for 22B. I asked what happened and she said there was a glitch in the system and moved to the next customer. I asked what happened to my original seat and she said it was given to another customer. I know I am not entitled to an upgrade, but as a member since 1990 who is a million miler executive platinum I am frustrated with the short manner in which I was handled. An apology for the misunderstanding is not much to ask rather than a curt explanation of a glitch.
To add insult to injury 22B is between the the business class galley and the restrooms while having an exit row in front. Thus, I had to watch and the business class meal being prepared while being trapped in my seat by the business class cart for long stretches of the flight. I originally chose my seat at 27H to avoid these issues.
So, rather than being rewarded with an upgrade for my years being a loyal customer I actually received a downgrade.
I'd like to close with the observation that seing the character count limit go down as I type is infuriating.
What flight #? Happy to look at the Priority List on this one.
Programs: AA EXP, US Silver, SPG Gold, National Emerald Club Executive Selection
Posts: 6,248
Quote:
Originally Posted by ikitai
AA179 as we type.
No upgrade list shenanigans. They must have just cleared you prematurely when there was a paying/previously confirmed customer occupying the seat. No upgrades to J were ultimately cleared by the gate.
That said, the proper customer service response here would have been to have moved someone, or you, to the empty seat in F to avoid downgrading a passenger (you).
That said, the proper customer service response here would have been to have moved someone, or you, to the empty seat in F to avoid downgrading a passenger (you).
You absolutely have a legitimate complaint.
Or, at the very least, getting the OP back to his/her original (or equivalent) seat. But your suggestion seems very reasonable.
Programs: AA Executive Platinum, HHonors Gold, Priority Club Gold
Posts: 94
Similar, but different position. Not thread worthy and don't mean to derail your thread, but your issue and mine can both be clumped into, "flying sucks."
Booked my DFW/SEA rt flight in October as a PLT member. Even though I made EXP on 12/1, when I showed up for my DFW to SEA flight on Tuesday, the boarding pass stated Platinum and I was bumped on the upgrade list by other EXPs. Same thing on the return this morning. There were seats available in F that went to other EXPs that requested upgrade today, bumping me out of consideration simply because the system has me down as requesting the upgrade as a PLT. I even called the EXP desk wile awaiting our ( late) departure from the Alaska Board Room Club, and they said the gate agents would have to fix it.
I approached the gate with 3 agents behind the desk an hour before scheduled departure with no sign of our plane. 2 completely ignored me while I waited for the 3rd to finish helping another passenger. When it was my turn, I explained my situation. The woman I'd been waiting to speak to never said a word, but one if the others that had been ignoring me butted in to say, "it's a glitch in the system and there's nothing we can do. Just board when we call you and take your original seat." That's it!
Lastly, they called EXP, PLT and Priority Access to board all at the same time! It looked like a money grab!
In summary, even as an EXP, flying sux (sometimes it just does a little bit less).
if there was an open F seat, the GA should have op up a paying J pax (assuming there was one or highest J EXP) to F and still kept the OP in J.
Or at the very least the OP should have been offered the next flight with a seat available in J.
Though the OP didn't ask for any compensation, I believe the correct thing for AA to do in this case would be to upgrade the return ticket immediately, irrespective of upgrade window/inventory (provided the flight is at least J1).
)
