AS agent canceled partner segment by mistake, now can't get it back
Aug 30, 2022, 8:41 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: EWR
Posts: 180
AS agent canceled partner segment by mistake, now can't get it back
I had an award booking during the Fiji sale for US-NAN-SYD, with AS and Fiji segments.
There have been a lot of AS schedule changes, so while recently calling in to have the ticket reissued, I asked the agent if I could make a free voluntary change to the date of the NAN-SYD segment (originally November 13 6pm). The agent said she would try. Twenty minutes later, she comes back and says that because I booked during the promo (20k miles), she couldn't do an even exchange, so I asked to just stick with the original flight.
That's fine. But the agent then said she already canceled the original NAN-SYD segment (November 13 6pm), so she would have to request space (some "authorization code") back from Fiji. She apologized for her mistake, and kept saying that she shouldn't have done that.
It's been over a week, I've called in again, and the best AS has been able to do is confirm me on NAN-SYD for November 13 9am. Given that I have existing Fiji accommodation booked, this is unacceptable to me. The 6pm NAN-SYD is completely greyed out for all of November, but there's wide open space on the 9am. So I asked AS if I could do 9am on November 14, and they've refused, asking for 20k miles fare difference.
Given that I never requested to be on the November 13 9am, and the original agent clearly made a mistake, I feel like AS needs to either (1) confirm me on the original flight, or (2) treat this as a 9 hour schedule change, and let me fly on November 14 without ponying up more miles. Front line phone agents clearly aren't able to do either. How do I solve this? Am I missing something?
There have been a lot of AS schedule changes, so while recently calling in to have the ticket reissued, I asked the agent if I could make a free voluntary change to the date of the NAN-SYD segment (originally November 13 6pm). The agent said she would try. Twenty minutes later, she comes back and says that because I booked during the promo (20k miles), she couldn't do an even exchange, so I asked to just stick with the original flight.
That's fine. But the agent then said she already canceled the original NAN-SYD segment (November 13 6pm), so she would have to request space (some "authorization code") back from Fiji. She apologized for her mistake, and kept saying that she shouldn't have done that.
It's been over a week, I've called in again, and the best AS has been able to do is confirm me on NAN-SYD for November 13 9am. Given that I have existing Fiji accommodation booked, this is unacceptable to me. The 6pm NAN-SYD is completely greyed out for all of November, but there's wide open space on the 9am. So I asked AS if I could do 9am on November 14, and they've refused, asking for 20k miles fare difference.
Given that I never requested to be on the November 13 9am, and the original agent clearly made a mistake, I feel like AS needs to either (1) confirm me on the original flight, or (2) treat this as a 9 hour schedule change, and let me fly on November 14 without ponying up more miles. Front line phone agents clearly aren't able to do either. How do I solve this? Am I missing something?
Aug 30, 2022, 9:06 am
#2
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 1,610
The agents are refusing to make the change is because the *system* is not treating it as a schedule change (if the system treated this as a schedule change then yes they would be able to move you).
You options are:
1) Wait for a real schedule change so the system allows the frontline agents to make the change to your desired date
2) Ask them nicely, very very very nicely, if they can credit you 20k miles so that then it is applied to the change (this happened to me once about 5-6 years ago, when Emirates award pricing had increased but i had a booking at the original lower pricing - i wanted to make a change which I was eligible for without the new price, an agent basically put 50k or whatever miles in my account and immidiately used them to make the change, basically as far as the system is concerned i paid the miles difference)
You options are:
1) Wait for a real schedule change so the system allows the frontline agents to make the change to your desired date
2) Ask them nicely, very very very nicely, if they can credit you 20k miles so that then it is applied to the change (this happened to me once about 5-6 years ago, when Emirates award pricing had increased but i had a booking at the original lower pricing - i wanted to make a change which I was eligible for without the new price, an agent basically put 50k or whatever miles in my account and immidiately used them to make the change, basically as far as the system is concerned i paid the miles difference)
Aug 30, 2022, 9:35 am
#3
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: EDI/GLA
Programs: DL 2 MM Unobtainum | UA 1.1MM Gold | MR Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 2,272
I had an award booking during the Fiji sale for US-NAN-SYD, with AS and Fiji segments.
There have been a lot of AS schedule changes, so while recently calling in to have the ticket reissued, I asked the agent if I could make a free voluntary change to the date of the NAN-SYD segment (originally November 13 6pm). The agent said she would try. Twenty minutes later, she comes back and says that because I booked during the promo (20k miles), she couldn't do an even exchange, so I asked to just stick with the original flight.
That's fine. But the agent then said she already canceled the original NAN-SYD segment (November 13 6pm), so she would have to request space (some "authorization code") back from Fiji. She apologized for her mistake, and kept saying that she shouldn't have done that.
It's been over a week, I've called in again, and the best AS has been able to do is confirm me on NAN-SYD for November 13 9am. Given that I have existing Fiji accommodation booked, this is unacceptable to me. The 6pm NAN-SYD is completely greyed out for all of November, but there's wide open space on the 9am. So I asked AS if I could do 9am on November 14, and they've refused, asking for 20k miles fare difference.
Given that I never requested to be on the November 13 9am, and the original agent clearly made a mistake, I feel like AS needs to either (1) confirm me on the original flight, or (2) treat this as a 9 hour schedule change, and let me fly on November 14 without ponying up more miles. Front line phone agents clearly aren't able to do either. How do I solve this? Am I missing something?
There have been a lot of AS schedule changes, so while recently calling in to have the ticket reissued, I asked the agent if I could make a free voluntary change to the date of the NAN-SYD segment (originally November 13 6pm). The agent said she would try. Twenty minutes later, she comes back and says that because I booked during the promo (20k miles), she couldn't do an even exchange, so I asked to just stick with the original flight.
That's fine. But the agent then said she already canceled the original NAN-SYD segment (November 13 6pm), so she would have to request space (some "authorization code") back from Fiji. She apologized for her mistake, and kept saying that she shouldn't have done that.
It's been over a week, I've called in again, and the best AS has been able to do is confirm me on NAN-SYD for November 13 9am. Given that I have existing Fiji accommodation booked, this is unacceptable to me. The 6pm NAN-SYD is completely greyed out for all of November, but there's wide open space on the 9am. So I asked AS if I could do 9am on November 14, and they've refused, asking for 20k miles fare difference.
Given that I never requested to be on the November 13 9am, and the original agent clearly made a mistake, I feel like AS needs to either (1) confirm me on the original flight, or (2) treat this as a 9 hour schedule change, and let me fly on November 14 without ponying up more miles. Front line phone agents clearly aren't able to do either. How do I solve this? Am I missing something?
Aug 30, 2022, 9:36 pm
#5
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 561
Question for OP: what was your desired date/time for the NAN-SYD flight, when you tried to make the failed change?
Were you looking at a flight with no award availability at all, and hoping that AS can request one for you? Or was there availability, but you wanted AS to waive the 20k miles difference?
Were you looking at a flight with no award availability at all, and hoping that AS can request one for you? Or was there availability, but you wanted AS to waive the 20k miles difference?
Aug 31, 2022, 3:58 am
#6
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 782
I had an award booking during the Fiji sale for US-NAN-SYD, with AS and Fiji segments.
There have been a lot of AS schedule changes, so while recently calling in to have the ticket reissued, I asked the agent if I could make a free voluntary change to the date of the NAN-SYD segment (originally November 13 6pm). The agent said she would try. Twenty minutes later, she comes back and says that because I booked during the promo (20k miles), she couldn't do an even exchange, so I asked to just stick with the original flight.
That's fine. But the agent then said she already canceled the original NAN-SYD segment (November 13 6pm), so she would have to request space (some "authorization code") back from Fiji. She apologized for her mistake, and kept saying that she shouldn't have done that.
It's been over a week, I've called in again, and the best AS has been able to do is confirm me on NAN-SYD for November 13 9am. Given that I have existing Fiji accommodation booked, this is unacceptable to me. The 6pm NAN-SYD is completely greyed out for all of November, but there's wide open space on the 9am. So I asked AS if I could do 9am on November 14, and they've refused, asking for 20k miles fare difference.
Given that I never requested to be on the November 13 9am, and the original agent clearly made a mistake, I feel like AS needs to either (1) confirm me on the original flight, or (2) treat this as a 9 hour schedule change, and let me fly on November 14 without ponying up more miles. Front line phone agents clearly aren't able to do either. How do I solve this? Am I missing something?
There have been a lot of AS schedule changes, so while recently calling in to have the ticket reissued, I asked the agent if I could make a free voluntary change to the date of the NAN-SYD segment (originally November 13 6pm). The agent said she would try. Twenty minutes later, she comes back and says that because I booked during the promo (20k miles), she couldn't do an even exchange, so I asked to just stick with the original flight.
That's fine. But the agent then said she already canceled the original NAN-SYD segment (November 13 6pm), so she would have to request space (some "authorization code") back from Fiji. She apologized for her mistake, and kept saying that she shouldn't have done that.
It's been over a week, I've called in again, and the best AS has been able to do is confirm me on NAN-SYD for November 13 9am. Given that I have existing Fiji accommodation booked, this is unacceptable to me. The 6pm NAN-SYD is completely greyed out for all of November, but there's wide open space on the 9am. So I asked AS if I could do 9am on November 14, and they've refused, asking for 20k miles fare difference.
Given that I never requested to be on the November 13 9am, and the original agent clearly made a mistake, I feel like AS needs to either (1) confirm me on the original flight, or (2) treat this as a 9 hour schedule change, and let me fly on November 14 without ponying up more miles. Front line phone agents clearly aren't able to do either. How do I solve this? Am I missing something?
You did EVERYTHING right here, and the error was 100% AS's fault. I'd fight as hard as possible to get them to fix it. It sucks that you have to waste so much time resolving this, though.
Aug 31, 2022, 5:07 am
#7
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Orange County, CA, USA
Programs: AA (Life Plat), Marriott (Life Titanium) and every other US program
Posts: 6,411
I see many references to filing a DOT complaint. Has anyone ever had a DOT complaint solve an issue like this? (i.e. - create availability on a partner where the agent mistakenly cancelled a segment).
Aug 31, 2022, 7:39 am
#8
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 782
Filing a DoT complaint probably won't create availability, but it WILL get AS to credit the passenger with the miles they'll have to use, to get the flights they want.
Aug 31, 2022, 10:04 am
#9
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: EDI/GLA
Programs: DL 2 MM Unobtainum | UA 1.1MM Gold | MR Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 2,272
This is assuming there's time to do this since it takes up to 60 days for a DoT complaint to trickle down to the airline in question and a response/resolution to the complainant.
Aug 31, 2022, 2:21 pm
#10
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Federal Way, WA
Programs: Mileage Plus 2P, Marriott Silver, many others
Posts: 1,305
This is going to sound argumentative, but I don't mean it to be -- I'm just confused and looking for clarification. I do like to know the whole story before forming an opinion!
Originally scheduled 13 Nov @ 1800. Asking if it's possible to change (to when, we don't know). Best they can do is 13 Nov @ 0900, which is unacceptable because Fiji accommodations are already booked.
Do you mean you have some activities booked during the day on the 13th, or that you changed your accommodations before knowing the flight change was approved?
Originally scheduled 13 Nov @ 1800. Asking if it's possible to change (to when, we don't know). Best they can do is 13 Nov @ 0900, which is unacceptable because Fiji accommodations are already booked.
Do you mean you have some activities booked during the day on the 13th, or that you changed your accommodations before knowing the flight change was approved?
Aug 31, 2022, 4:52 pm
#11
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 7,875
This is going to sound argumentative, but I don't mean it to be -- I'm just confused and looking for clarification. I do like to know the whole story before forming an opinion!
Originally scheduled 13 Nov @ 1800. Asking if it's possible to change (to when, we don't know). Best they can do is 13 Nov @ 0900, which is unacceptable because Fiji accommodations are already booked.
Do you mean you have some activities booked during the day on the 13th, or that you changed your accommodations before knowing the flight change was approved?
Originally scheduled 13 Nov @ 1800. Asking if it's possible to change (to when, we don't know). Best they can do is 13 Nov @ 0900, which is unacceptable because Fiji accommodations are already booked.
Do you mean you have some activities booked during the day on the 13th, or that you changed your accommodations before knowing the flight change was approved?
Sep 1, 2022, 11:32 am
#12
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: SEA
Programs: Alaska MVPG 100K, IHG Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,704
Originally scheduled 13 Nov @ 1800. Asking if it's possible to change (to when, we don't know). AS said no without 20k miles fare difference. OP said no change then, but AS already cancelled the originally scheduled flight. OP wants the original scheduled flight back, but AS said best they can do is 13 Nov @ 0900, which is unacceptable because Fiji accommodations are already booked. AS also refused to put OP on 14 Nov @ 0900 without the 20k fare difference.
Sep 1, 2022, 3:07 pm
#14
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 561
Can you share a little more details, such as what you original itinerary was, and what you're now happy with? Apparently some FTers, me included, couldn't quite figure it out from your earlier post. Hopefully not, but we all might face a similar situation at some point, and more details can better help us understand what AS can/can't do in these cases.
Sep 3, 2022, 9:52 am
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: EWR
Posts: 180
Can you share a little more details, such as what you original itinerary was, and what you're now happy with? Apparently some FTers, me included, couldn't quite figure it out from your earlier post. Hopefully not, but we all might face a similar situation at some point, and more details can better help us understand what AS can/can't do in these cases.