Chamor

I had several AA paper vouchers I wanted to use. So I booked a reservation with AA, by telephone, on US Air operated flights, and told them I would be using paper vouchers. They told me to mail in the vouchers -- the usual approach. And I did that. A week later -- just to see if ticketing had yet occurred -- I looked up the reservation on AA's website and saw it had been "cancelled." I then looked it up on US's website, using the US record locator, and found the same. So I called AA. AA's agent said US had cancelled the reservation because it had not been ticketed within 24 hours. I asked "why didn't they hold it, since it was to be purchased using paper voucher?" Answer: "I guess they don't do that like AA does, but if you want I can get you different flights for a modestly higher fare on AA." (I later found out US Air WILL hold the reservation for AA paper voucher ticketing, IF the res agent puts the proper note in the record when making the reservation). My answer "No that is not what I would like. I like the flights and the fare that I booked and the reservation should not have been cancelled, so please get it back for me." After two calls, totaling nearly two and a half hours including hold time, they managed to do this. However, they then billed my credit card, which was supposed to be used to cover only the minor difference between the airfare and the vouchers, for the entire airfare. When I saw that, I called again. They told me they could send me back the vouchers. But that is not what I want -- I was to USE the vouchers (before they expire). Another more than an hour on the phone, and they said they should be able to work this out for me and would put notes in the record. But they said I should call back again in a few days to make sure it happened. So I did that, and they now tell me it is all worked out. We will see, when I get credit card bill, but I am cautiously optimistic.

It really should not be so difficult! I probably, in the end, will get the right result, I think, hopefully -- but not before a fair amount of airline-caused anxiety, and around 3 and a half hours of phone calls.

They should get rid of paper vouchers. It is time to enter the 20th century.

And I guess until they do that, a good lesson is to go to the airport to redeem the vouchers, rather than mailing them to Florida.

Is my experience unusual?