Originally Posted by
newyorkgeorge
The OP is considering buying an AC membership. I've found that the AC staff will be very proactive in helping with re-routes compared to a TA or GA that just wants you to go away and accept whatever you are being told. It's AC staff that will make a telephone call to make something happen. Doing your own research helps them help you. The AC staff can also find out the true story behind a mechanical delay other than the detail less story you get from a GA.
In my somewhat limited experience, the AA club agents have had their ability to proactively help passengers reduced drastically in the last few years. I'm not an AC member, but before the downturn I would routinely buy a day pass when IRROPs started snowballing in order to get the improved service. In the last year or so, I still did that, with negligible results. The AC agents would routinely direct me to the gate agents or give me a number to call. "I don't have the ability to fix that..." Now it is no longer an issue since I have Skyclub access, and also in my still limited experience DL gate agents are as proactive and helpful as the AC agents ever were at their best. To be precise, I've experienced IRROPs twice since I switched to DL, and both times the gate agents, that I spoke to initially, aggressively and cheerfully solved the problem with better results than I expected.
So, in short, I totally agree with your experience regarding AC staff _as of several years ago_. In recent years, my experience has been different, I am sorry to say.
saunders111