Originally Posted by
Mr. BoH
I am coming around to this POV as well. I've use the Chase portal some to get the 7.5% cash back, but am having the same problem re-faring a flight that has dropped in value (though thankfully by a LOT less than $6600!). AA directs changes to Chase, Chase portal can't do changes, get dumped to a chat agent that can't seem to help... I think I am going to go back to booking directly with AA and forgo the extra 3%.
I have both the Chase and Amex cards and even though the AFs are high, I find that the value is there to keep both. I put all my airfare on the Amex for 5x, and it gets me access to lounges in some airports where I would not otherwise have access to any lounge at all (eg, CUN -- no AC, and the plaza premium lounge is no longer PP, but they are still contracted with Amex). Also the escape lounges in PHX (my home airport) are quite nice with good food; better than the alternatives. And their offers are generally better than Chase's.
For a while I was booking AA through the Amex portal to capture a 5% savings in addition to the 5x pts, but when I tried to change a ticket and was told that AA could not take over the ticket due to their contract with Amex on those fares, I stopped doing that. I'll still check it (there are occasionally huge discounts, though I've never been lucky enough to find one) but I won't book through them for the standard 5% discounted fare unless I'm using a credit (I had a $200 flight credit for use through the portal, so obviously I used that).