Originally Posted by
Austinrunner
So you believe that AA's current award availability policy for routes served by both AA and BA violates federal law. Which law?
I believe it goes against certain commitments about neutrality that AA made when seeking anti-trust immunity for it's joint venture. I also believe AA has already been fined for representing surcharges as taxes, has committed to refrain from such practices, and yet continues to do so. In no less than 4 different instances in my case. I have documented my thoughts in my submission to the appropriate official channel.
Originally Posted by
Austinrunner
Complaints like yours could result in the "no good deed goes unpunished" whack on our collective heads by AA starting to collect surcharges on its own award seats and those of its partners.
You are of course quite entitled to your pessimistic belief, I prefer to believe that it might be possible to drag things the other way and ensure we are treated appropriately. Perhaps AA is thinking of imposing these "taxes" on all of it's award seats anyway, and only complaints like this actually stop them from doing it. We all have a voice, I am choosing to use mine as opposed to silently accepting the continual erosion of my choices and value of my miles.
Living in Boston I have been negatively affected by losing the previous 3 or 4 AA direct flights to LHR that I used to redeem my awards on, for both myself and my family. Now my only direct option involves ridiculous surcharges that quickly make the costs of my "free" ticket add up and devalue my miles. Alternatively I can trek through NYC or ORD. My preference with a toddler is non-stop, but now I have to pay more than before the joint venture for that option.
I've started speaking with my wallet and flying DL and VS more often, but when it comes to redeeming my earned miles I obviously need to use them on OW.
Originally Posted by
Austinrunner
Some believe it's great to file DOT complaints at the proverbial drop of a hat and then brag about it here. But I believe common sense strategy needs to be used more often.
I am not bragging by any means, I am simply updating people who appeared interested in a thread on flyertalk about this particular subject. If you don't care to hear further about it, feel free to unsubscribe from the thread, not click on it, put me on ignore, whatever. I have no need to garner your permission nor do I seek your validation of my approach.
I apologize for knowing the difference between surcharges and taxes and for seeking an equivalent trip for my parents that I had entered into a contract with AA to provide. If this was a revenue ticket there would be no question in anyone's mind here, that I would be happily transferred onto the BA direct. Why should award tickets once issued be any different?
I also believe that letting large corporations do whatever they want without questioning them is likely to lead to a worse world for all of us - frequent flyers or not.