First time personally upset/offended by AS
May 20, 2018, 10:27 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
Programs: Hyatt LT Globalist, Marriot LT Titanium, UA 2.4MM, HH Gold, AS MVPG
Posts: 3,400
First time personally upset/offended by AS
long story short. Flight tomorrow from SFO-LAX-FLL. Received notification that SFO-LAX was cancelled. Immediately call and am offered SFO-SEA-FLL (told no other flight to LAX would get me there in time to connect). Tell guy I’m not happy with that flight. Can he not change and I’ll see if I can get another airline and if so call back to cancel with refund. He said no problem. I book flight on AA and call back about 20 minutes later. Agent refused to refund and says only my wallet credit. I ask to speak to a supervisor and explain that previous agent offered/promised refund. He won’t budge. When I push him on it he says- “I remember speaking to you about 6 weeks ago and you were also upset over something and that he remembers me”. I swear to whatever I’ve never had a single complaint. Or escalated something to a supervisor at AS before.
The only thing I can think of (in keeping everything on the record) is I asked an agent to check with supervisor for a flight in September that had been cancelled and they had put us on connection versus non-stop. And I asked if they would open up U on nonstop to different airport. But I wasn’t in any way insisting or upset.
Anyway he said “I don’t forget names”. I told him just go ahead and credit my wallet. Not like I won’t use it - but still disappointed in having an agent say something and then not honoring it. Also starting to be upset that continual schedule changes and cancellations have me “being the bad guy”.
Not sure if I should send a complaint to anyone or not.
The only thing I can think of (in keeping everything on the record) is I asked an agent to check with supervisor for a flight in September that had been cancelled and they had put us on connection versus non-stop. And I asked if they would open up U on nonstop to different airport. But I wasn’t in any way insisting or upset.
Anyway he said “I don’t forget names”. I told him just go ahead and credit my wallet. Not like I won’t use it - but still disappointed in having an agent say something and then not honoring it. Also starting to be upset that continual schedule changes and cancellations have me “being the bad guy”.
Not sure if I should send a complaint to anyone or not.
May 20, 2018, 11:12 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Intermountain West
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{Edit: Sorry, missed the "cancelled" part]
Last edited by philemer; May 21, 2018 at 8:10 am
May 20, 2018, 11:25 pm
#3
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Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
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How can they not refund a flight where they cancelled a flight, offered an alternative, and you said “that alternative you offered doesn’t work for me, I want my money back”?
I would definitely push this. AS funny money isn’t cool either, they either deliver an acceptable alternative or you get cold hard cash back.
You weren’t trying to drop a segment, you just wanted all the cash back, right? Seems like a CoC violation to me worthy of a DOT complaint if you don’t get a refund.
I would definitely push this. AS funny money isn’t cool either, they either deliver an acceptable alternative or you get cold hard cash back.
You weren’t trying to drop a segment, you just wanted all the cash back, right? Seems like a CoC violation to me worthy of a DOT complaint if you don’t get a refund.
May 20, 2018, 11:27 pm
#4
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FAI
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How was the flight ticketed originally? Mywallet funds?
Generally with a cancellation, AS would refund to the original form of payment. Numerous scheduling changes may make this difficult to determine.
Generally with a cancellation, AS would refund to the original form of payment. Numerous scheduling changes may make this difficult to determine.
May 20, 2018, 11:39 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
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Posts: 3,400
Originally paid with credit card. Not a single change made and I just wanted a full-refund. I only bought it last Thursday.
May 21, 2018, 1:22 am
#6
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: los angeles, calif.
Programs: Alaska Airlines Gold MVP
Posts: 7,170
When a flight is cancelled, a customer is owed a full refund to original payment method if customer isn't happy with alternative flight options and prefers to book elsewhere.
May 21, 2018, 6:48 am
#9
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May 21, 2018, 7:20 am
#10
Suspended
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The flight was cancelled. OP is absolutely entitled to a full refund to his original form of payment.
Not worth having an argument. Rather than getting into it with the agent, just thank him, hang up and call back. Start by noting that as the flight was cancelled, you want a refund. No need to give a history of what happened (and did not happen).
If any back talk, file a DOT complaint. Cite the COC contract provision and you will have your refund in short order after DOT refers the complaint to AS for a response.
Not worth having an argument. Rather than getting into it with the agent, just thank him, hang up and call back. Start by noting that as the flight was cancelled, you want a refund. No need to give a history of what happened (and did not happen).
If any back talk, file a DOT complaint. Cite the COC contract provision and you will have your refund in short order after DOT refers the complaint to AS for a response.
May 21, 2018, 9:42 am
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
Programs: Hyatt LT Globalist, Marriot LT Titanium, UA 2.4MM, HH Gold, AS MVPG
Posts: 3,400
The flight was cancelled. OP is absolutely entitled to a full refund to his original form of payment.
Not worth having an argument. Rather than getting into it with the agent, just thank him, hang up and call back. Start by noting that as the flight was cancelled, you want a refund. No need to give a history of what happened (and did not happen).
If any back talk, file a DOT complaint. Cite the COC contract provision and you will have your refund in short order after DOT refers the complaint to AS for a response.
Not worth having an argument. Rather than getting into it with the agent, just thank him, hang up and call back. Start by noting that as the flight was cancelled, you want a refund. No need to give a history of what happened (and did not happen).
If any back talk, file a DOT complaint. Cite the COC contract provision and you will have your refund in short order after DOT refers the complaint to AS for a response.
In the end the part that just got me was the CS supervisor being so rude and telling me he remembers speaking to me before and that I always complain - that is 100% not true, this is the first time I've ever had an issue like this with AS. Really rubbed me the wrong way - but I'm just going to tell myself I have a lot of interactions with AS and fly them a lot so to have 1 bad apple doesn't make them bad and move on from there.
May 21, 2018, 9:42 am
#12
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 1,107
The flight was cancelled. OP is absolutely entitled to a full refund to his original form of payment.
Not worth having an argument. Rather than getting into it with the agent, just thank him, hang up and call back. Start by noting that as the flight was cancelled, you want a refund. No need to give a history of what happened (and did not happen).
If any back talk, file a DOT complaint. Cite the COC contract provision and you will have your refund in short order after DOT refers the complaint to AS for a response.
Not worth having an argument. Rather than getting into it with the agent, just thank him, hang up and call back. Start by noting that as the flight was cancelled, you want a refund. No need to give a history of what happened (and did not happen).
If any back talk, file a DOT complaint. Cite the COC contract provision and you will have your refund in short order after DOT refers the complaint to AS for a response.
To add to that, if they still won’t refund then maybe dispute the charge with your CC as well?
May 21, 2018, 10:00 am
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA
Programs: Hyatt LT Globalist, Marriot LT Titanium, UA 2.4MM, HH Gold, AS MVPG
Posts: 3,400
True - I didn't really want to go down the road of "negative" - my relationship with AS has always been so positive and they are my favorite US airline. I think that was the other part that was so upsetting about the CS agent - took me back to the "dark days" of dealing with United. It just wasn't the type of treatment that I'm used to from AS. Hopefully it will all be resolved now.
May 21, 2018, 10:25 am
#14
Join Date: Sep 2001
Programs: Alaska Tanzanite 100K
Posts: 3,858
With the addition of 600 res staff because of the Virgin aquisition, there are a lot of newbies out there... So this definitely sounds like a HUCA situation.
I am surprised AS wouldnt rebook you on AA. I had no problems on my last ANC-SEA-MCO flight that went bust and rebooked on DL SEA-MCO, no questions.
I am surprised AS wouldnt rebook you on AA. I had no problems on my last ANC-SEA-MCO flight that went bust and rebooked on DL SEA-MCO, no questions.
May 21, 2018, 10:52 am
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Phoenix, AZ
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Thank you. Called Customer Care this morning and she processed - of course now it takes more time for them and work because it was already in My Wallet, but ensured me it would be refunded.
In the end the part that just got me was the CS supervisor being so rude and telling me he remembers speaking to me before and that I always complain - that is 100% not true, this is the first time I've ever had an issue like this with AS. Really rubbed me the wrong way - but I'm just going to tell myself I have a lot of interactions with AS and fly them a lot so to have 1 bad apple doesn't make them bad and move on from there.
In the end the part that just got me was the CS supervisor being so rude and telling me he remembers speaking to me before and that I always complain - that is 100% not true, this is the first time I've ever had an issue like this with AS. Really rubbed me the wrong way - but I'm just going to tell myself I have a lot of interactions with AS and fly them a lot so to have 1 bad apple doesn't make them bad and move on from there.