GUWonder

They never have had dropped calls while in a moving vehicle? They've never had a dropped call when making a call via a busy tower? They've never had a call drop for no definitively known reason? They've never had a phone battery drain and/or recharge issue while on the move?

None of us were born yesterday and should know these issues hit people on the move.

The OP of this thread should have taken the EXP agent's advice that everyone would be better off if the OP does the seat selection online himself.

Given the EXP is calling, the EXP commonly gets the EXP agents.

The non-EXP friends and family of the EXP is not calling in this situation.

The EXP is calling the EXP agents in this situation.

This seems a perfectly natural outcome for an EXP calling to help a family member or friend who asks the EXP for free help.

An informed EXP helping out a non-EXP can even result in freeing up AAgents' time so the AAgents can deal with one less less-prepared, less-informed customers hit by IRROPs. If anything, perhaps AA should thank EXPs for doing something that could streamline AA's work -- which is why the OP should have taken the EXP agent's "harassment" as advice that frees up AA resources to get onto the next customer needing assistance.

Bonehead

I spend a ton of $$$$ flying and count the very occasional call on behalf of someone else as one of my perqs, and at least UA agrees with me so far. I suspect that AA would too, but all my friends and family have moved to UA hubs so I haven't found out if I would get yelled at.

abk

I have done this on occasion for years without any type of push back whatsoever. Like others I am automatically routed to the exp desk and if I said my daughter ( or my associate, my friend, my in laws-- you choose) is having a problem, which is what I do do, they always offer to help. If I said sorry I know this isn't proper can you transfer me to the general number because they are not an elite, I would be absolutely shocked if they actually did that as opposed to just taking care of the problem.

The slippery slope arguments go both ways, so my kid with no status is on a mileage ticket from my account, can I call for her. I give an a vip to a friend with no status, can I call for him? Can I check on whether it cleared for him? From some, I guess the line is drawn on whether it is your pnr and those who share that pnr with you. Awfully technical reading of a rule that may or may not actually exist for all we know, but typical.

Stripy

Right, so according to you, just because other people have to deal with a cluster **** an EXP isn't allowed to help out a family member by calling the EXP desk?

What about the people that don't fall into your category of "most"? Presumably they don't do so fine?

How would you react if one of your relations called you from an airport, told you that he/she wasn't getting anywhere with the staff on hand and asked if you would help? Based on your comments presumably you'd suggest they use their mobile phone and leave it at that?

Still, I'm delighted you're in the "I'd never call the EXP desk" camp - means it's more likely I'll get through to the EXP desk quickly when I'm helping out a loved one.

lizs

Coming from a US elite I have called for a coworker in a major snowstorm IRROP before and for my brother in the 2 years I've had status. Nobody has ever cared on the US side. These were situations where normal people can't even get through to sit on hold. And for these less experienced flyers they don't know the ins and outs of rerouting rules, other airports they may be able to fly out of, etc.

I do think the OP's outrage is extreme but there is nothing wrong with the occasional call, and I'd say 3-4 times a year is appropriate. Again, just my two cents...

tom911

I think it's more a matter of knowing the right questions to ask when things go wrong, and someone that might fly once or twice a year isn't as well-versed with how the system works when things do go wrong.

I called the EXP desk a few years ago for a friend that was stuck at SFO while transiting from Madrid to Vancouver. She was on AA award travel and Alaska had no record of her booking SFO-YVR. She called family, family contacted me in Vancouver, and I called AA. Had it sorted out in about 3 minutes (her last segment had not been properly reticketed when there were some flight changes and was no longer part of the booking - something had clearly gone wrong). All she could tell me was that Alaska said she had no ticket and she wasn't flying without buying one.

I also helped her write a complaint letter to AA when she had to buy a walk-up fare from Alaska SFO-YVR. AA fully reimbursed her as they should have caught this mistake well before the travel dates.

Generally I have friends call AA on their own, armed with the right questions to ask. If time is of the essence though, and they're going to miss the last flight of the day, or not be able to get one of few remaining seats, I wouldn't hesitate to call for them again.

Tom in Arlington, Virginia

Doc Savage

Ill add my vote that the EXP line should be reserved for EXP use with rare exceptions such as another person traveling with the EXP or a child of the EXP.

OP, your first post shows that you know what is right.

And surely you could understand why the AAgents were overwhelmed yesterday and a little less forgiving of your repeated calls on someone else's behalf.

chasgoose

Right but I'm elite, having earned it myself, and when I'm calling on their behalf, I'm taking advantage of the EXP line to save myself some time and trouble.

vasantn

Wow, what a storm in a teacup.

Full disclosure: I use the EXP Desk very frequently to deal with the itineraries of family, friends or colleagues. If that bothers some of you, sorry. I've never ever been "chastised" for doing this, and EXP AAgents have almost invariably gone out of their way to help me. And as an EXP, I expect this treatment; not as a contractual right but as a courtesy.

Exactly.

This.

At the end of it, I feel that the OP was right in feeling slightly annoyed, but over the top in complaining about the AAgent. OMMV.

Well said. I couldn't agree more.

Paul1976NJ

Frequent reader; infrequent poster here. But those giving OP a hard time for calling the EXP desk to help out with his family's flight annoyed me so much I just had to reply to this one.

As an EXP for the past 4 years, I've had the need to call AA every once in awhile (3, maybe 4 times a year tops) to assist with a friend's or family's itinerary not traveling with me. Now usually this is because I booked it/paid for it, but even if I didn't, I'd surely not waste my time waiting on hold on the regular line knowing I could get help much faster (not to mention better) by simply calling the EXP desk. I am EXP; therefore, if I'm calling (no matter what it's about), I'm calling the EXP desk--period. And quite frankly I think any EXPs who DON'T do this (no matter what/who they're calling about) are either lying when they say don't, or silly (for lack of a better word) for wasting their own time needlessly. Look, we EXPs give AA a lot of money; if there's a line available for our exclusive use, then we should use it. Yes this can be abused (by an EXP calling constantly for everyone he/she knows who has an issue with AA), but let's get real here: who has time to do that? Like OP said in a post early-on in this thread, things aren't black and white; there are shades of grey, and if it's only an occasional thing (which it should be for legitimate friend/family issues with AA), then it's NOT abuse, and there is nothing wrong with it.

To the OP, I've never had any agent so much as raise an eyebrow about this whenever I've done it. I'm always very polite and friendly to the agents when I call, as I'm sure you were too. The agent's attitude today was probably due to being slammed by all the IRROPS going down due to the FAA situation around ORD, but regardless, it doesn't excuse it. I feel the OP was justified in being miffed and lodging a complaint with CS--hectic day or not. (Hectic days don't excuse rudeness.) Now if OP was rude that's a different story, but I take him at his word that he was polite as can be.

Dr. HFH

That is the very time that your dignity and grace should come out and shine. Can you think of a better time to be polite and understanding, possibly making her stressful day a little less so?


It wasn't an "unsupported assertion," it was JonNYC's personal opinion.


Yes, that's true. And when it happens, it wreaks havoc with the air transport system and jacks up the call volume to incredible levels.

intub8r

I called the EXP line on Friday during the ORD chaos to rebook my brother and his wife on a ticket for today. They were supposed to fly LGA-ORD-PHX, I had them changed to connect in DFW instead.
It so happens that it was an award ticket paid for with miles from my account. As such, I felt perfectly justified in calling the EXP line on their behalf to adjust a ticket that was originally ticketed by me, an EXP.
The agent could not have been nicer or more helpful, she had the ticket reissued with new seats in five minutes flat.

I think the OP just got a third agent who was a little overwhelmed and while they may not have had the smoothest interaction, a letter to CS is perhaps over the top.... And I am surprised that the OP's story generated 7 pages of comments in less than 24 hours! It's been good popcorn reading tonight though :-)

Colin

Man, I love access to the EXP line. I add my cell phone to the AA profile of a family member who is EXP and viola! No waits and expanded domestic F award saver access, after agents searches for the award space with the EXP number in the profile and then subs in my name after space is found.

Only time I speak to a non EXP agent is when I need an agent with more flexibility to break rules. Then, I just call in with Skype to get to a regular agent.

mvoight

How much business you have thrown to AA with other people traveling has nothing to do with any of this, unless those people have EXP status. The EXP agents are not there to handle the reservations and issues of all of the friends, family members, coworkers, and friends of friends. It is to handle the issues of EXP members. Now, it is true they might have time to assist in the past, but in this situation, their time should be devoted to handling the needs of the EXPs who have travel issues. That is, their priority for IRROPS covered by the fire, should be with the EXP members who have IRROPS due to this, not issues for anyone who might happen to know an EXP.

mvoight

Would you agree, given the circumstances (fire in Chicago), the EXP agents' first priority should be to EXPs members who have IRROPS, rather than a friend or relative of an EXP?