Originally Posted by
RTWonSAT
Background, I’m an EP and my wife is GLD. The system wanted to take the stickers out of her account when checking in and forced us to buy more stickers when I had enough to cover hers. The check in agent didn’t help and directed us to the kiosk to purchase. Now customer relations are saying it only comes out of the sponsoring account when it’s an award flight. Am I going crazy or is the agent incorrect?
This one is tricky as it depends on how the upgrade requests were set up, IME. I'm EXP, girlfriend PLT, so I've run into this a bunch. Also, AFAIK, the award vs. paid ticket thing is not correct or at least irrelevant here, so I would disregard that.
But, if you were on the same PNR, and you didn't call AA before to do anything "special" with the request (see below), and the upgrades cleared before arriving at at airport, then the stickers would be pulled from her account (and the agent was correct).
The system is set up such that when both pax have status it will pull stickers from each individual account, as it will also separate you out on the waitlist by status, even when you're on the same PNR.
I found on a few occasions traveling with PLT gf we would get to the airport and I'd be #1 and she'd be say #6, same PNR. This doesn't make sense as if it was a no-status companion they'd be #2 right behind me, but because she has PLT the computer sees that and pushes her back with PLTs. Just the way the system is.
In order to get around this you have to call AA, remove her AA#, re-request the upgrade as a no-status companion, then add back her AA#. The request is then set up so that she inherits my EXP status on the waitlist, and any stickers necessary will be pulled from my account, not hers.
Clear as mud?