Xero

Gift cards can be done over the phone and with vouchers.

However they can't be used with paying the fare difference after paying the change fee.

wesmanz

haha....I found that out as well. I had never used a voucher before, what an archaic backassward system they have there.

I was surprised that I could use a voucher even if it wasn't made out to me, we used all of them on one ticket rather than spreading them out to 3 tickets and not using the GC's at all.

--wes

wesmanz

The EXP agent and her supervisor would disagree with you on them being able to be used with vouchers. We had 3 vouchers and were attempting to use them for the 3 PNR's we had on hold. We finished the first one and she asked how we were going to pay the difference, I told her GC and she said that wasn't possible for the reasons listed above. She said to hold on and asked her Sup, and was given the same answer.

We decided to apply all 3 of the vouchers to one ticket and then pay the small difference via CC and use GC's on the two remaining tickets.

--wes

Xero

I thought all EXP agents had supervisor privileges.

I was able to use a gift card and a paper voucher last week. Might this be a new policy?

ORD-TGU

Today 6/28 is opening day for Costco in near west side of chicago by medical district (Ashland and 12th Street). Plenty of AA gift cards. It is a madhouse, packed, if you see the parking lot you would think they are giving things out for free!

lili

Gift cards can't be used when you're holding a confirmed systemwide upgrades because, just because. At least that's what they told me tonight. Please someone, tell me this isn't true.

I was on the phone for over 40 minutes with EXP desk while agent checked upgrade availability, removed my confirmed upgrades, took the gift card numbers, couldn't use the last gift card because she had to charge something to a credit card, talked to her supervisor, had a computer freeze, walked to supervisor's desk, took the gift card information again and said she would call me back within a half hour. It made no sense whatsover.

Eventually told me an hour ago that she would personally follow this and call me when the gift cards cleared and ticketed and she re-applied the upgrades to my ticket. Should take 20 minutes or less, she said. Still waiting... and my upgrades are floating out there available to anyone who wants them.

Have two more intl reservations on hold with confirmed upgrades and really don't want to go through this process again tonight. The savings for the tickets is about $400 which is why I went to Costco today and bought the cards. Can't return them either as I scratched off the PIN while on the phone with EXP desk expecting them to want the PIN numbers.

Essentially I'm no longer upgraded for my December flight, and the two October flights are going to cost me $600 more than planned unless I forfeit my upgrades again.

These gift cards are great, but they are not anything like cash.

RogerD408

Yes, it's true. AA does not allow mixing and matching payment types. Lots of querks using GC, vouchers, discount codes, and SWUs.

gizmodell

Unfortunately, you have to ticket prior to confirming an upgrade instrument on the flights with these gift cards. Strangely, the EXP desk agents are all supervisors, so I'm not sure why the agent could not have performed whatever she needed to perform without someone else intervening.

JY1024

Unfortunately, this is true.

Here's the thread if you want to read about other's tips and strategies: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...d-upgrade.html

lili

Lesson learned. Thanks all. Using GC on flights you have upgraded is difficult but not impossible.

December flight finally worked out with GC - they CAN do it, then we discussed Oct flight for two on two different PNRs. Yikes! I told the agent if she would hold our upgrades on the outbound and reroute the return on the cheaper, more direct flight with open business seats I wouldn't ask her to use my outstanding gift cards. Voila! all is done, cost iess than using GC and I now have about $600 in GC for next year.

(On the phone(s) from 4:09 to 9:10 pm to accomplish this. Felt like I was talking to United, but all is well now.) Life is good. Really good.

toomanybooks

I used about $1400 in Costco AA GCs in Dec. in conjunction with discount codes. So did a bunch of other people.

Illini_Fan

Do all three Houston stores have them? I'll be there in two weeks and wanted to pick some up.

martig4

Went to Montgomveryville and King of Prussia on 6/30 - no AA gift cards available and they will not have new stock.

Also spoke to a friend in the Chicago area, they are phasing out the gift cards there too.

Might be the last chance to buy discounted gift cards at Costco.

UNITED959

I was at the Costco in Riverwoods (some suburb of Chicago way the hell out there), and they had the GCs.

It probably cost me $30 in fuel to drive there from the city...

achuang24

I was at the Bunker Hill store last weekend and they still have like 5 left after my purchases. I am sure they restocked by now.