SST

I´m sitting in Spain at an internet cafe, and having waited till the end near the 6/30 deadline, I just requested my P200EE two-person-first-class-back-to-Europe certificate, and, natch, AA.COM goes haywire on the last step "confirm your award". It comes back saying ¨"Cannot confirm your personal information at this time. Call 800-xx-xxxx"

Well, s@it, isn´t this just typical.... I have no way to actually call a US 800-number, and I have no way of knowing whether I´ll actually get my certificate or not, whether it went thru or not. [You cant call a US 800 number from Spain].

SO....... if somebody could post a real, non-800 number for Aadvantage, I´d be ever so appreciative...... Then I can call and say what happened, and straighten this out before the offer expires.

ccengct

It is often possible to reach a US 800 number from outside North America. Some overseas telephone companies will pass the 800 number through. For the ones that don't, you have two options. First, if the number is 800-ABC-DEFG, try calling 880-ABC-DEFG. This is an informal workaround that many (but not all) telephone companies implement. It only works overseas. Second, before you leave the US, get the overseas tollfree access numbers or access codes for AT&T, Sprint, and MCI in the countries you plan to visit. They will generally complete a call to an 800 number for you.

steve100

According to the AA website, here is the AAdvantage number for UK... You may want to try this:

United Kingdom
08457-567-567
07:00 - 20:00 GMT Mon. - Fri.
08:00 - 17:00 GMT Sat. - Sun.

If that doesn't work, you could always try AA Customer Relations at:

1-817-967-2000
8:00am - 6:00pm CT Mon. - Fri.

SK

Often, but not in all cases, you can call an 800 number from abroad by replacing 800 with 888. I've done it many times when I am in Greece, and it usually works. I am not sure if the same applies for Spain, but I'd give it a try.

Efrem

When I call a US toll-free number from overseas in the same way I'd call any other number, I get a recording that says it's not toll-free but will be charged at the regular international toll rates. When I proceed with the call it goes through. I've never run into a situation where I couldn't reach the number at all. Is that unique to Spain (where I've never been, unless you count staying on a plane as it made a stop en route from the UK to Morocco) or to some other countries? I'm curious.

Redhead

Here are the numbers for AA Cust Svc in Spain:

91 453 14 14 (desde Madrid)
902 115 575 (desde fuera de Madrid)
L-V 9:00 a.m - 18:00 p.m

Hope you are still reading email

------------------
I Love New York -- Viva España

hvd

In my experience, even using an AT&T calling card or my cell phone, 800 and 880 numbers are not reachable, absolutely, from Italy. Can call 800 numbers using the cell from Spain. Would still love to have a non-800 number to call AA from abroad.

[This message has been edited by hvd (edited 06-27-2002).]

SST

Thanks all, for the assistance.

I got thru to the Aadvantage people from the Spanish number, so that part´s a success. What´s not a success is that no one there can tell me whether or not I have a pending award request. All they can say is if the mileage doesn´t show up as deducted tomorrow, I can request the award again.

This doesn´t really impress me-- the website says you´ll receive the reduction in your mileage balance ´within 14 days´, so I get the overwhelming feeling of BS. Nevertheless, I asked her to note in my record my contention that their software had refused to complete my request transaction, and that I would be, per her suggestion, requesting the award again tomorrow.

When I said I hoped this would mean if I got two awards, I would expect not to be charged to redeposit the second one, she balked and said she ¨couldn´t authorize that¨.

It´s not that Mrs. SST wouldn´t love a second first class trip to Europe next year, but I won´t requalify as ExPlat if I never make any overseas trips!

Again, thanks all. We are lucky here to have this board.

Vision

Do what I do when I’m out of the country call have someone call you that is in the US and have them do a 3-way call to the Advantage desk. I get faster service on UG and any other things in the US then out. I had to do this about 2 1/2 months ago I wanted to change my E-UG's to Miles so I called the Local desk and they tolled me that I have to submit anything in written including Award tickets.

ccengct

On the back of my Platinum card, it lists a local telephone number for the Platinum desk in the DFW area. In a pinch, that number will always work, although the call may be expensive depending on how long you wait in the queue for an agent.

Regarding the workaround... 800 maps to 880, 888 maps to 881, 877 maps to 882, etc. in the original plan. The plan was formally dropped some time back so that 880-887 could be released for use as normal area codes, but it remains active in some places.

If AT&T won't work in a particular country, try MCI or Sprint. But it's conceivable that a country has a regulation that prevents it.