Originally Posted by
dstan
As the FAs were unsure if vouchers would be provided, and hotel rooms were scarce, I'd gone ahead and booked the Hilton Miami Airport at $201 while we were on the ground at JFK. At MIA, I declined the hotel voucher (at the EB Hotel Miami, which actually looked pretty good) and told the AAgent I'd already booked my own. Without my asking, he told me explicitly that AA would reimburse up to $250 and I just needed to email the receipt to Customer Relations. I was a little skeptical, knowing how hard it is to send them stuff, but he reconfirmed explicitly.
Dear AA Customer Relations,
On (date) I misconnected at MIA. Even before departure from JFK, it was obvious that we would misconnect. AA staff could not tell me whether AA would provide overnight lodging. Therefore I booked a hotel near MIA.
At MIA, your Agent met the plane with a handful of hotel vouchers. I told your agent that I anticipated the misconnect therefore I already booked my hotel. THE AGENT REPLIED THAT AA WOULD REIMBURSE UP TO $250. I was a bit skeptical but the Agent insisted that AA would reimburse up to $250, and my reservation was only $202. The Agent told me to simply mail in a receipt.
Imagine my surprise, after mailing in a receipt, to learn that AA does not reimburse after all! In other words, I relied on incorrect information from your agent. That misinformation cost me $202. Had the agent told me the correct facts (that I should cancel my rez and take one of his fistful of hotel vouchers instead), I would have readily done so. I did exactly and only what a reasonable person would have done, expecting that your Agent's words were true.
Let's do the right thing. Clearly, the right thing is to make your Agent's words true. Your agent was ready and willing to hand me a hotel voucher. Your agent said (and then repeated) that I did not need a voucher, because AA would reimburse the reservation which I made when it became certain that the flight would misconnect.
With appreciation in advance for the courteous and efficient handling of this routine issue,
etc