Fixing cancelled AA award flight booked using other airline's miles?
Feb 27, 2017, 10:49 am
#1
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,421
Fixing cancelled AA award flight booked using other airline's miles?
I booked an award ticket involving connecting AA flights using Etihad miles. AA has cancelled one of my flights, resulting in a silly 9 hour layover on the replacement flights thrown into the booking. (No one notified me of the change, I just happened to catch it while checking the itinerary). There's now a vastly better AA connection that day that has plenty of revenue seats for sale, but -- surprise -- no standard award seats.
I know that the standard procedure for this type of issue is to contact the airline who's miles your using, and they have a "liaison desk" that then calls the airline you're flying who has had the schedule change. The airline you're flying will then make the seat available for award travel and the airline who's miles your using will rebook you. It's an annoying phone call or two, but it usually works.
In my case, however, Etihad is entirely incompetent and, so far, seems inclined to say there's nothing they can do. This is obviously false, as a phone call from them to AA is likely to solve my problem. The problem is getting Etihad to make that call and, so far, that doesn't seem possible.
What I'm wondering is whether there's any way to solve this problem from the other end. Is there any way I can get AA to call Etihad and tell them they've had a schedule change and need to rebook my flights?
Thanks.
I know that the standard procedure for this type of issue is to contact the airline who's miles your using, and they have a "liaison desk" that then calls the airline you're flying who has had the schedule change. The airline you're flying will then make the seat available for award travel and the airline who's miles your using will rebook you. It's an annoying phone call or two, but it usually works.
In my case, however, Etihad is entirely incompetent and, so far, seems inclined to say there's nothing they can do. This is obviously false, as a phone call from them to AA is likely to solve my problem. The problem is getting Etihad to make that call and, so far, that doesn't seem possible.
What I'm wondering is whether there's any way to solve this problem from the other end. Is there any way I can get AA to call Etihad and tell them they've had a schedule change and need to rebook my flights?
Thanks.
Feb 27, 2017, 10:58 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio
Programs: DL DM, Former AA EXP now AY Plat, AC 75K, NW Plat, Former CO Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 27,042
I booked an award ticket involving connecting AA flights using Etihad miles. AA has cancelled one of my flights, resulting in a silly 9 hour layover on the replacement flights thrown into the booking. (No one notified me of the change, I just happened to catch it while checking the itinerary). There's now a vastly better AA connection that day that has plenty of revenue seats for sale, but -- surprise -- no standard award seats.
I know that the standard procedure for this type of issue is to contact the airline who's miles your using, and they have a "liaison desk" that then calls the airline you're flying who has had the schedule change. The airline you're flying will then make the seat available for award travel and the airline who's miles your using will rebook you. It's an annoying phone call or two, but it usually works.
In my case, however, Etihad is entirely incompetent and, so far, seems inclined to say there's nothing they can do. This is obviously false, as a phone call from them to AA is likely to solve my problem. The problem is getting Etihad to make that call and, so far, that doesn't seem possible.
What I'm wondering is whether there's any way to solve this problem from the other end. Is there any way I can get AA to call Etihad and tell them they've had a schedule change and need to rebook my flights?
Thanks.
I know that the standard procedure for this type of issue is to contact the airline who's miles your using, and they have a "liaison desk" that then calls the airline you're flying who has had the schedule change. The airline you're flying will then make the seat available for award travel and the airline who's miles your using will rebook you. It's an annoying phone call or two, but it usually works.
In my case, however, Etihad is entirely incompetent and, so far, seems inclined to say there's nothing they can do. This is obviously false, as a phone call from them to AA is likely to solve my problem. The problem is getting Etihad to make that call and, so far, that doesn't seem possible.
What I'm wondering is whether there's any way to solve this problem from the other end. Is there any way I can get AA to call Etihad and tell them they've had a schedule change and need to rebook my flights?
Thanks.
Feb 27, 2017, 11:16 am
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,421
Nope. Since the award is issued by EY, they only people that are even going to talk to you are at EY. AA is simply going to tell you to call them and have them contact AA. Unless AA opens award space at the lowest level EY can't book it. This isn't something an AA reservation agent can do, only someone in AA rev. mgmt can do that.
The problem is if the airline you booked the ticket with is incompetent. Sadly, that seems to be the situation with Etihad. I'll HUCA them a few more times but it doesn't look promising. I might have to chalk this up as another lesson in the potential pitfalls of partner award bookings.