Wow - kudos to AA for resolving many of these complaints.
I don't have a problem to report....
But I'd like to point out that Delta, after their second consecutive time getting me to Europe 7 hours late (2nd time around bonus: lost luggage! woo hoo!) did absolutely NOTHING after I called to complain and followed up my phone call with a three page letter. They never even responded.
Hey Delta: I've got 90,000 miles on AA starting from the date of the letter I wrote you on June 28, 2005. Anytime you'd like to respond, I'm ready in the meantime, I'm enjoying AA's trouble-free service, and they're enjoying the $$ I fork over for airfare... ta ta!
if overnight due to weather misconnect, will AA generally pay for hotel?
Since the weather forecast doesn't look too good for DFW tomorrow evening, if worst happens and T-storms cancel my connecting flight home, will AA generally give hotel/meal vouchers since they flew me to connection city to begin with?
Also, is AC AAngel or EXP line best place to start? Can EXP line authorize vouchers to be issued by AC or gate AAgent? Thanks.
Since the weather forecast doesn't look too good for DFW tomorrow evening, if worst happens and T-storms cancel my connecting flight home, will AA generally give hotel/meal vouchers since they flew me to connection city to begin with?
Not likely. Ask AC or EXP for a "distressed passenger rate" at a local hotel. Or check out www.sleepinginairports.com
On rare occasions you can get a good deal at Airline Hotels (800) 261-0660. They supposedly specialize in hotels for stranded passengers. I have used them once or twice. In most cases, you can easily beat their best deal.
Quote:
Also, is AC AAngel or EXP line best place to start? Can EXP line authorize vouchers to be issued by AC or gate AAgent? Thanks.
Start either place. EXP line can definitely authorize vouchers to be issued by AC or GA.
Programs: AA EXP & SPG PLT. Long-suffering Mets fan.
Posts: 3,490
Date: May 9, 2007 AAdvantage Status: PLT Fare Class: Deeply Discounted Y (0.50 EQP/mile) What Happened: AA 133, the 4pm JFK-LAX, was a full 762; I was #3 on the upgrade list, as no seats were available at the magic moment.... At about 3:20pm, they announced a delay for maintenance issues - with further information by 6pm.
(As luck would have it, a client was on the flight, in paid J. His corporate travel dept. said everything was full in F & J for the rest of the day. I took him into the AC, they put him on the standby list for the 5pm LAX-JFK, he was first on the list, and cleared into J at 4:35.)
At 5:30pm they announced a 6:30pm departure, with a gate change. When I went to leave the AC at 5:50p, I asked the angel if enough people had moved out of F/J so that I could clear to J. She told me that they had downgauged to a 752, so a few J pax were bumped to Y. I had reserved 20H, and was relieved to be given 18D (exit row aisle) - and fully understood when she said that row 9 and 10A/F had been given to the downgrades.
Today I got the email from AA customer service telling me that I was getting 8000 bonus miles in compensation.
Date: May 9, 2007 AAdvantage Status: PLT Fare Class: Deeply Discounted Y (0.50 EQP/mile) What Happened: AA 133, the 4pm JFK-LAX, was a full 762; I was #3 on the upgrade list, as no seats were available at the magic moment.... At about 3:20pm, they announced a delay for maintenance issues - with further information by 6pm.
(As luck would have it, a client was on the flight, in paid J. His corporate travel dept. said everything was full in F & J for the rest of the day. I took him into the AC, they put him on the standby list for the 5pm LAX-JFK, he was first on the list, and cleared into J at 4:35.)
At 5:30pm they announced a 6:30pm departure, with a gate change. When I went to leave the AC at 5:50p, I asked the angel if enough people had moved out of F/J so that I could clear to J. She told me that they had downgauged to a 752, so a few J pax were bumped to Y. I had reserved 20H, and was relieved to be given 18D (exit row aisle) - and fully understood when she said that row 9 and 10A/F had been given to the downgrades.
Today I got the email from AA customer service telling me that I was getting 8000 bonus miles in compensation.
Do you feel like this was a good thing? Sounds like AA responded to your liking.
Programs: AA EXP & SPG PLT. Long-suffering Mets fan.
Posts: 3,490
Quote:
Originally Posted by david7021
Do you feel like this was a good thing? Sounds like AA responded to your liking.
I'm not complaining -- and, in fact, I didn't complain. We were 3+ hours late to LAX, but that's home, so all I missed was dinner with the family and some sleep. Lots of folks missed connections to Australia/Asia, and they were probably more pissed than I.
8000 miles seems like a lot to offer up for a 3 hour delay. And, if there's some model for compensation here, I'm not figuring it out...
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Marriott Silver, AA Exec Plat, Lifetime Plt, 3.0MM Admiral's Club
Posts: 364
Quote:
Originally Posted by CO FF
I'm not complaining -- and, in fact, I didn't complain. We were 3+ hours late to LAX, but that's home, so all I missed was dinner with the family and some sleep. Lots of folks missed connections to Australia/Asia, and they were probably more pissed than I.
8000 miles seems like a lot to offer up for a 3 hour delay. And, if there's some model for compensation here, I'm not figuring it out...
I don't think they have a model for compensation. I suppose it's whoever happens to be looking at these events and what they feel is fair? AA lost my luggage 3 trips in a row and sent me a $150 and a $300 voucher and a couple of "please give us one more chance emails." Sat on a plane for 2 hours at DFW with no air conditioning last week and not a "we're sorry" email and Tuesday delayed out of SDF, got home 5 hours late, had to change flights and was given seats 27A and 31D even though FC was not full and a non-rev FA was riding in FC and no "we're sorry emails."
To be fair to the CS folks that have to decide how to address these issues what do you do when you have these things happen everyday? A pax has 1.6MM unused miles, 66 500 miles upgrades in their account, 8 EVip's, will get 12 more in the next few months, and is ExecPlat. What can you do for them that has much meaning? The infrequent traveler would be much easier as you can give them a few miles or upgrades and you have a very good chance of making them happy. Not a good position for the CS person to be in. A difficult job for sure.
Only 26 more segments to requal for ExPlat and less than 69K to 3MM lifetime!
__________________
If you think air travel can't get any worse, fly American Airlines!
need your opinion about an irregular trip, compensation
This one was a bit strange. Flying SJU-ORD-BUF last week, our flight was routed due WEST out of SJU, supposedly flying over Cuba (? Can they do that? Doesn't Fidel mind?) before turning northward. Made the trip about 5hr40 minutes. We had a tight connection to AE in G concourse, and arrived at the gate apparently after boarding, but before the flight closed. It was still at the gate with the door open.
Apparently, however, they had DB'd eight other passengers 'due to weight'. Interestingly, we had already been rebooked for the 8AM flight to BUF the next day. We were issued $250 vouchers each, and issued a meal voucher for $20. But the GA said he could not do anything for us regarding accommodations as there were four conventions (or something) in Rosemont and everything was booked solid.
We managed to locate a room at the Hampton Inn in Skokie (wherever that is, alll I know is that it was a ways from ORD), and grabbed a bite before the Ruby Tuesday on premises closed. Used the AA voucher in ORD the next morning for coffee and bagels.
We spent about $70 in taxis and $150 on the room. Should I submit these for reimbursement, given these facts? If so, where do I send the bills?
Programs: AA EXP, 1 MM, AC, HH Diamond, Marriott Silver, Hertz 5*
Posts: 1,755
Probably was weather, but he didn't actually miss the connection.
OP, did you take a VDB or were you IDB? Usually, an overnight voluntary bump includes hotel. But if they said hotels were full and they couldn't help there, not sure what kind of response you'll get after the fact. Read the fine print on the voucher and see if it says something about releasing AA from "any and all claim" related to the flight.
Read the fine print on the voucher and see if it says something about releasing AA from "any and all claim" related to the flight.
This clause holds not water if AA committed fraud, so don't worry about checking for this.
If you were at the gate 15 minutes prior to the departure time, then you were involuntarily denied boarding, as you met the contract of carriage requirements. By being forced (no other option) to "accept" the coupon you got defrauded by AA, who still needs to pony up $400 CASH (not another voucher) per passenger: make a substantiated demand at http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/problems.htm.
If not, then you must be thankful that you had a good GA who proactively rebooked you and gave you a voucher that you technically were not entitled to.
The fact that the door was opened was irrelevant to the situation. The 15 minutes cutoff is there to ensure that there's enough time to process the flight so that it can leave on time.
Folks, the Cuba part is irrelevant to the entire question. They fly over Cuba all the time, since the missle crisis ended some time ago, and without risk of armed air force escort.
in the meantime, I'm enjoying AA's trouble-free service, and they're enjoying the $$ I fork over for airfare... ta ta!
- and fully understood when she said that row 9 and 10A/F had been given to the downgrades. 
need your opinion about an irregular trip, compensation
This one was a bit strange. Flying SJU-ORD-BUF last week, our flight was routed due WEST out of SJU, supposedly flying over Cuba (? Can they do that? Doesn't Fidel mind?) before turning northward. Made the trip about 5hr40 minutes. We had a tight connection to AE in G concourse, and arrived at the gate apparently after boarding, but before the flight closed. It was still at the gate with the door open.
