Phone fee when you can't book online?
#31
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Cheers.
#32
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,581
I do agree that if thinking that there is somehow , something wrong with the airline charging booking fees, that that is a matter for authorities and absolutely nothing to do with the credit card company
Dave
#33
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There are ways that OP could have gotten ticketed without paying the fees. I understand that OP doesn't know how to do that. In many areas of life, ignorance is more expensive than knowledge. This is yet another.
#34
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As noted by another member, the dispute mechanism chosen was for a problem with not getting the service that was paid for, not not being satisfied with having to pay a fee in the first place. For example, you paid $20 for something you didn't receive. In this case, you paid $20 and received EXACTLY what you paid for. I feel this is a waste of the credit card issuers' time, and the response given by them was correct. This was clearly an invalid dispute
If you don't want to pay AA the fee, then use another method to get the ticket.
If you don't want to pay AA the fee, then use another method to get the ticket.
#35
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Airlines fees today are mostly BOGUS and no you do not get what you paid for. It's attitudes likes this that lets the Airline industry screw the consumer.
you paid $20 for something you didn't receive. In this case, you paid $20 and received EXACTLY what you paid for. I feel this is a waste of the credit card issuers' time, and the response given by them was correct. This was clearly an invalid dispute
you paid $20 for something you didn't receive. In this case, you paid $20 and received EXACTLY what you paid for. I feel this is a waste of the credit card issuers' time, and the response given by them was correct. This was clearly an invalid dispute
Last edited by Radiant Flyer; Mar 13, 2011 at 1:57 am
#36
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador, AA EXP
Posts: 2,704
There are other threads here which talk about things such as "it's just $40, let it go". This is why I feel that consumers should not let companies keep money that should be theirs, and if a company is holding money that is rightfully yours, you should try to get it back. They obviously show no flexibility for us, even if it's 'just $20'.
#37
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: La Quinta, CA
Posts: 2,056
received from AA and sent as a part of a DOT complaint:
Dear Mr. XXXXX,
Thank you for your message to AA.com.
At this time, AAdvantage Award bookings that involves flying with one of our AAdvantage participants may not be booked via AA.com. We hope to offer these feature in the future.
However, our American Airlines AAdvantage Department will best handle your travel plans using your AAdvantage miles. In U.S, and Canada you may dial 1-800-433-73000.
Thank you for visiting AA.com.
Sincerely,
Ms. XXXXX
AA.com Web Services
American Airlines, Inc.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am currently holding PNR XXXXXX award travel for 2 passengers routed PHX-MIA-MAD-ATH-LHR-MIA-PHX. All flights are on AA and bookable on aa.com except partner carriers used for MAD-ATH-LHR. I was not successful in configuring the web site to show these two flights - or any partner carrier flights - on award travel.
I was therefore forced to call aa reservations and get assistance which costs $25 a ticket.
Please advise me how I can configure the site to show and book these partner carrier flights in order to avoid the ticketing fee. Thnak you
for your help.
Dear Mr. XXXXX,
Thank you for your message to AA.com.
At this time, AAdvantage Award bookings that involves flying with one of our AAdvantage participants may not be booked via AA.com. We hope to offer these feature in the future.
However, our American Airlines AAdvantage Department will best handle your travel plans using your AAdvantage miles. In U.S, and Canada you may dial 1-800-433-73000.
Thank you for visiting AA.com.
Sincerely,
Ms. XXXXX
AA.com Web Services
American Airlines, Inc.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am currently holding PNR XXXXXX award travel for 2 passengers routed PHX-MIA-MAD-ATH-LHR-MIA-PHX. All flights are on AA and bookable on aa.com except partner carriers used for MAD-ATH-LHR. I was not successful in configuring the web site to show these two flights - or any partner carrier flights - on award travel.
I was therefore forced to call aa reservations and get assistance which costs $25 a ticket.
Please advise me how I can configure the site to show and book these partner carrier flights in order to avoid the ticketing fee. Thnak you
for your help.
Last edited by idainc; Mar 13, 2011 at 4:00 pm
#38
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"Hey Apple, this iPad2 that I just bought is really cool, but you charged too much so I'm going to dispute 20% of it with my credit card company." (I don't actually own an iPad )
Cheers.
#39
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 1999
Posts: 12,097
received from AA and sent as a part of a DOT complaint:
Dear Mr. XXXXX,
Thank you for your message to AA.com.
At this time, AAdvantage Award bookings that involves flying with one of our AAdvantage participants may not be booked via AA.com. We hope to offer these feature in the future.
However, our American Airlines AAdvantage Department will best handle your travel plans using your AAdvantage miles. In U.S, and Canada you may dial 1-800-433-73000.
Thank you for visiting AA.com.
Sincerely,
Ms. XXXXX
AA.com Web Services
American Airlines, Inc.
Dear Mr. XXXXX,
Thank you for your message to AA.com.
At this time, AAdvantage Award bookings that involves flying with one of our AAdvantage participants may not be booked via AA.com. We hope to offer these feature in the future.
However, our American Airlines AAdvantage Department will best handle your travel plans using your AAdvantage miles. In U.S, and Canada you may dial 1-800-433-73000.
Thank you for visiting AA.com.
Sincerely,
Ms. XXXXX
AA.com Web Services
American Airlines, Inc.
#40
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: La Quinta, CA
Posts: 2,056
Nope. Its a $25 free ticket.
I wasn't aware of the fee to use an IDB cert. I'd really hate to try to run a business like their's for which the profit ( when they make one ) seems to be entirely based on seeing how far they can push their best customers away.
I wasn't aware of the fee to use an IDB cert. I'd really hate to try to run a business like their's for which the profit ( when they make one ) seems to be entirely based on seeing how far they can push their best customers away.
#41
Join Date: May 2004
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#42
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 4,115
Oh, if eventually enough complaints come through, they'll just rename it the "AAdvantage award redemption fee, which is waived if you book an eligible itinerary online." (And in truth, they should do exactly that because that's what it is.)
We all hate the fee, but I don't see any end to this story that doesn't involve people paying it.
We all hate the fee, but I don't see any end to this story that doesn't involve people paying it.
#43
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SEA
Programs: AA EXP (2.5MM), Hilton Gold, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 4,859
I recently found it impossible to book the routing I wanted via the online booking engine at aa.com for a domestic award ticket. Nothing fancy - it wouldn't give me the non-stop routing even though I was using a 50k award. I called the 800 number (platinum) and begged my case, but she charged me $20 anyway. So I just went to dispute the charge to my credit card with Amex and here's what came up:
Please contact the airline directly with any questions you may have or to dispute the charges. We realize this may not be the response you hoped for, but trust you will understand that we must abide by the merchant's policies.
I guess AA got so sick of people using this as a backhanded complaint mechanism that they got Amex to agree to shut off any and all disputes of booking charges. You literally cannot dispute this charge. Cute.
Anyone have any insight on this or encountered it with other card companies? Apologies if this has been dealt with before on the boards - I did a search but couldn't find anything.
Please contact the airline directly with any questions you may have or to dispute the charges. We realize this may not be the response you hoped for, but trust you will understand that we must abide by the merchant's policies.
I guess AA got so sick of people using this as a backhanded complaint mechanism that they got Amex to agree to shut off any and all disputes of booking charges. You literally cannot dispute this charge. Cute.
Anyone have any insight on this or encountered it with other card companies? Apologies if this has been dealt with before on the boards - I did a search but couldn't find anything.
#44
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: New York
Programs: DL PM, AA Lifetime PL, Marriott Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 54
Like the OP, I recently was looking to book an award ticket with non-stop routing, but it this routing did not show up on aa.com. So I called AA and they were able to reserve the itinerary that I wanted. The rep then told me that if she ticketed it, there would be a charge. She advised that I just hold the reservation, then go onto aa.com and ticket it myself so I could avoid the ticketing charge. Isn't this still an option?
#45
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: La Quinta, CA
Posts: 2,056
Like the OP, I recently was looking to book an award ticket with non-stop routing, but it this routing did not show up on aa.com. So I called AA and they were able to reserve the itinerary that I wanted. The rep then told me that if she ticketed it, there would be a charge. She advised that I just hold the reservation, then go onto aa.com and ticket it myself so I could avoid the ticketing charge. Isn't this still an option?