JAXPax

Hello all,
I spent near 20 years in the airline or adjacent industries and have a fairly high tolerance for airline silliness as a result. But an experience I had last week with American just made me shake my head. Unfortunately for a variety of reasons I'm forced whenever possible onto American by my employer. Sometimes I fly Spirit or Allegiant instead and they can't argue with me saving 50% of the ticket price.

I'm Alaska MVP75k and use Oneworld status therefore on American.

I was booked DCA CLT originally. There was a schedule change awhile back and I was moved for some reason by a couple hours earlier to a time that really did not work. I was on a lengthy plane ride then walking around a warehouse so I made the mistake of using the AA chat to get it changed. Well the person told me there was a flight at the same time as my original and booked me DCA GSO CLT. Okay whatever. I kind of forgot about that until I was getting ready for this trip. I should have learned my lesson with the chat since the time two months ago where instead of putting my Alaska number on three AA reservations, they instead put it in the KTN field.

I was coming on another airline into IAD and finished my business in DC earlier than planned so proceeded to DCA where I sought to get home earlier. Now of course because you cannot change the routing I couldn’t self help myself onto a nonstop to CLT that I made it in time for (which I think funny enough is what they'd rebooked me on in the first place a couple months ago). I kind of understand why they don’t do that given it could have been a higher fare originally for someone. But they can’t or won’t in the Admirals Club do anything even when I point out AA is the one who rerouted me in the first place. Says I would have to pay.

Make it to GSO. About 25 minutes early in fact (with NC's interesting Republican gubernatorial candidate and his detail in First). Agent came on and told the F/A to make announcement that all gate claim bags (all rollers as this was a PSA CRJ-700) would be on the baggage claim belt in about a half hour due to staffing. The earlier GSO CLT looks to be a little late and was only halfway through boarding. According to the flight status waitlist it has open seats even in First. But I cannot same day change to it in the app as it would have only been a 20 minute connection based on scheduled times.

Off the plane (which my gate claim roller bag was basically empty so I figured that's AA's problem and can eat a claim/compensate me for failing to connect bag). Go to the next gate and stand in line for the agent. Explain the situation and show my boarding pass with oneworld status on it. She says sorry she can’t do anything for me. I would have had to do it on the app and says they get in trouble if they assist with it. I said it’s impossible for me to do. She apologizes and the plane leaves with empty seats (this I know as I heard her answer the phone as it left and someone perhaps management on the other side was asking how the flight went and I heard her outline my issue). Her and I agreed that we both miss US Airways.

So I sit for nearly two hours at GSO. I think maybe I’ll rent a car and just be home in an hour. But that’s $45 I won’t get back.

I wrote a DOT complaint while I sat. I got upgraded at boarding time (which was funny, I was only one on the list with 7 open seats). Landed early in CLT and waited 20 minutes for a gate as per usual at 8-9pm on Concourse E.

I find this just almost farcical that American is being so anti-customer to the point that as a Oneworld Emerald I can get schedule change/rebooked, not be able to even get back onto the original routing without being asked to pay, then cannot even get standby on a flight nearly two hours earlier on my actual flown routing because the app won't do it. I hear varying versions of if they should have helped me at the desk due to my status. But I've also found the American folks in the Carolinas don't really grasp Oneworld. I had a heck of a time on my outbound getting into the main CLT club as I scanned my AA BP with AS number/status and presented the Citi Executive card w/ AC access. The agent seemed puzzled and kept asking if I had Alaska Club membership, I said no, I don't need it, I have Admirals Club and I am flying on American. "But you have AAdvantage?" I do but I have my Alaska number on this. "But no AAdvantage?" Then tried to tell me I couldn't come in. I asked the next agent if they could assist me and they looked at their coworker strange and just waved me past.

It feels like every time there's a new lowest bar it drops one more peg. On my outbound, Air Canada canceled my flight and booked me on AA through LaGuardia... no beverage service due to possible turbulence. No beverage service on DCA-GSO-CLT even in First as too short. (no PDB either on second leg)

Am I being unreasonable in thinking this whole situation was just stupid?

Dave Noble

Is there a concise version without unnecessary commentary that properly explains the situation. If I managed to pick out parts correctly

Booked flight DCA-CLT
Flight cancelled
Accepted rebooking on DCA-GSO-CLT

Arrived at DCA and , quite correctly, was unable to change to DCA-CLT with payment
Checked cabin bag to be collected at gate
Flew DCA-GSO
Decided to not collect bag with the intent of trying to hold AA liable for you not collecting the bag. ( I am not sure how this was ever going to work )
Tried to get on earlier flight but was unable to do so with agent who , based on https://www.aa.com/i18n/plan-travel/...day-travel.jsp , would seem to have correctly informed that it needs to be done on website or mobile application

hat is the basis of a complainf to DOT and what aspect of AA's same day standby policy s ridiculous?

JAXPax

Yes, the brunt of it. Last time I posted something bare bones to FT the respondents spent a dozen posts picking apart or asking details I left out (like why did you book into X airport when flying on Y airline). Damned if you, damned if you don't, but I see your point.

-American changed schedule and flight, accepted reroute (which was described as "we have another departure at your original time" and saw the routing later on when I logged in).
-Policy would not allow getting back onto originally booked route even as standby. (though DCA-GSO was asking for volunteers)
-Unable to as Oneworld Emerald get onto earlier connection on traveled routing that based on actual time had about 45 minutes to make it due to early arrival but because it wasn't legal connect in the app, unable to do it.
-Normal logic has usually been if you can get a customer out and gone faster, do so.
-My issue is that the policy seems counter productive and inflexible to a situation that was AA's doing in the first place.

Dave Noble

When there was a schedule change and you accepted the new routing, that completed everything to do with that issue

On the day of departure, it was irrelevant how comes you were booked on the 2 segment routing - it was the same as if you originally booked that routing

If available, you could have made change online

As far as normal logic goes - it varies from airline to airline on whether to allow people to travel on an earlier flight. Plenty do nor

What is the basis of a complaint to DOT on this? What policy/procedure did AA fail to follow?

JAXPax

Understood. Though I can't find it, I thought there was some exception to agents helping Plat Pro/Exec Plat or equivalents. I guess reaffirms why given a choice UA, DL, NK are more flexible. I'll crawl back to those forums.

galaticos

Flexibility is a courtesy, not a rule and cannot be expected.. this is the NEW corporate AA now and has been for sometime.. yes, others are still more flexible so the choice is always yours when you book..

S80

You've made it clear in your bio that "I buy on price", and unfortunately it's a race to the bottom and you get what you pay for. I'm not sure if this is a change instigated by the recent changes that AA has made regarding requiring an AAdvantage number in their booking. I know there was a row on the BA forum in particular about this, as those folks are often high spenders on AA for their domestic flights here - perhaps an agent is misunderstanding the changes to mean AA members only, and not other OW elites. However, I've also found the current SDSB/SDFC system to not be great, since it requires elusive space to change on to (as well as the restrictions on not adding/dropping/changing connection points), so I have never used it.

chessman

It sounds from the OP like they sent valet checked bags to baggage claim rather than delivering them airside like they were supposed to because on insufficient staffing. That's absolutely AA's fault.

salut0

Can you post a link to the thread in the BA Forum where this discussion happened? I’ve searched but can’t find it and, since I’m BA Gold, would like to know what would happen if I needed to standby on AA flights.

S80

I'm unable to find the specific BA thread, but it was at least commented on here: AAdvantage Program Changes for 2024-2025

In addition, AA has clarified further in regards to OW members: https://www.aa.com/i18n/aadvantage-p...am-updates.jsp

DWFI

There's a new thing now with standby where it's supposed to be on the app or kiosk only except for PPro EP or CK. So even though OW elite is certainly eligible to do it, the gate agents are supposed to deny assistance with the request.

OP - that situation is absolutely ridiculous. Epitome of anti-customer behavior.

Bradhattan

OP, yes AA's requirements for same route, same connections are complete crAAp! When you accepted the GSO connection, that became your new original routing. In order to change that, then you are required to pay fare difference.

When I used to fly DL, and distance mattered, I would sdc the hell out of my tickets. Loved that flexibility! Good times

alphaeagle

Forcing to go through the app or kiosk wouldn't be a big deal, if it actually worked. When airlines advertise benefits but don't/can't actually provide them is when I get annoyed and when I'd hope a regulatory agency would step in and tell them to fix it or stop advertising it.

That's not even mentioning the customer-is-the-enemy approach of not allowing re-routing SDC or worse, gate agents are primarily there for your safety and can't help with issues so you are stuck with nothing in the company able to assist you.

FAA1996

I'll say it again, AA app chat personal are idiots.

skunker

I think you missed the part where OP said they they were delivering gate checked baggage to the bag claim, not the gate. That means OP would have to leave airside, collect bag, and then go back through security. You think OP signed up for that when he gate checked his bag?

I heard of gate checked baggage being checked through to final destination, but never requiring the passenger to collect at the transfer baggage claim.