ferriswren

If you missed your connection (last flight of the day) would you stand in line to talk to the agent at the arrival gate, call the EXP desk, or go to the Admiral’s Club and seek help from the AAngels to negotiate a re-booked flight and any hotel or meal vouchers you were entitled to?

execplatscum

Admirals Club or First Class Ticket Counter... EXP desk may be able to book you but it would be hard to get vouchers for Room and Meals.

brp

First call the EXP desk as the flight is the most important piece of the puzzle. Then go to GA or F ticket counter if vouchers are required.

I'll give an example:

Early this year we were flying (IIRC) LHR-DFW-SJC (or something like that). Well, the LHR-DFW a/c was leaking from the lav area. After a couple of hours, they scrapped the flight, and told people to go to desk XYZ for rebooking for the next day.

En route I called the EXP desk. They rebooked (and confirmed upgrades) for LHR-ORD, that day and ORD-SJC early the next morning, and arranged the vouchers, telling us where to go to get them.

While folks were still filing toward desk XYZ, we did an about-face to the new gate and boarded our plane shortly thereafter.

Cheers.

JY1024

Agree with brp regarding urgency of getting booked first.

I usually get on the phone immediately with the EXP desk (either on the plane or at the gate) and simultaneously start walking to the AC if there is one. Depending on the magnitude of the issue (one flight cancelled vs. massive weather, strike, maintenance, etc issues), you may even have a hold on the EXP line and/or at the AC. See which one can help you re-booked first, and you can always pick up vouchers soon thereafter.

phillykp

Agree with the above two - my main concern is to grab a seat first on the very first/most convenient flight/connection. Call the EXP desk as you're walking to the AC in case there is indeed a wait to get to an agent on the phone...

BrianV

Agreed.

EXP line immediately, walk towards Admiral's Club simultaneously.

Only time I don't call EXP is if I'm already in the AC and there's no or very little line.

execplatscum

Deleted

Non-NonRev

Funny - during my only serious IRROPS this year in ORD, the EXP desk failed to assist me (combination of phone problems on both ends and one unhelpful individual). I ended up being helped, quite satisfactorily, by the H-K AC.

nsr

EXP desk is great with rebooking, but AAngels at the airport can sometimes do even better, especially with upgrades. While EXP might need the inventory for upgrade on another flight, airport agents can book you to full J/F even if these are the only seats available.

makfan

I've had the same experience at HNL after a mechanical where they were rebooking most people on a UA redeye (HNL-SFO). I was looking at a downgrade from a 763 daytime flight with NGBC to a middle seat redeye in Y as a nobody on UA.

The phone agent got me seats on the AA flights I wanted (HNL-LAX-SFO) but said I had to wait in the upgrade queue for first. The agent in HNL handed me BP for the same flights that had a class code of F. ^

Non-NonRev

I completely agree - a few years ago when I was Plat., a storm in ORD had cancelled my ORD-FLL flight, however, Ted was operating a final flight down to FLL. The AAngel got me a seat on that flight, and when I walked over to T1 and went to one of the infamous Easy Chicken machine, I was given a choice of a regular aisle seat or a window in E+ (I took the aisle).

I wonder if, in a similar situation, the EXP Desk has the ability to book on other carriers.

ESpen36

Agreed 100%. The instant the flight is canceled, I call EXP as I walk in the direction of the Admirals Club or Flagship Lounge. Usually, by the time I arrive at the lounge, the EXP Desk has already set up a new itinerary. Then, it's just a matter of asking the lounge agents to finalize the ticket reissue and print the new BP(s), along with any applicable vouchers.

ckpeter

Would the same advice for calling EXP line applies for calling regular reservation line, otherwise known and working as gold desk or platinum desk?

Also, is an elite member entitled to AC help even if one is not a AC member or accessing it on an international itinerary? (If so, is that limited to IRROP or does it also applies to other service issues?)

videomaker

It could still be a good idea, though those staffing the elite lines are probably more able and motivated to make things happen. And it's probably easier to get through on the elite lines during major IRROP situations.

No.

Pedler

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8130/4.5.0.131 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/104)

I agree with all of the above, but would also emphasise that even if your in line at a counter or standing at the gate your still a lot of the time better off calling simultaneously.