AA error led to cancelled reservation, said they'd do nothing [$600 vouchers finally]
Sep 3, 2013, 3:47 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2008
Programs: DL, AA, US, AF
Posts: 19
AA error led to cancelled reservation, said they'd do nothing [$600 vouchers finally]
AA made an error which resulted in us not being able to take our vacation last week.
They admitted the error but said that since it was unintentional, they will do nothing. Advice appreciated as to next steps:
September 3, 2013
Dear Mrs.G:
Thank you for contacting Customer Relations. It is obvious that you are disappointed in us and we hope you will accept our sincere apology for what happened when you called our Reservations Office.
In order to provide our customers with outstanding service, our reservation personnel receive very specialized training and must complete recurrent training throughout their careers with American Airlines. That is why we are especially sorry to learn about the difficulty with your reservation. It is evident that a mistake was made: one keystroke to retain the reservation. However, we're confident that this oversight was unintentional. Under the circumstances, we are afraid we must respectfully decline to process compensation for your lost vacation.
Your comments about this situation are of great concern to us. We are constantly striving to improve our service and your comments will assist us in reaching that objective.
Mrs. G, thank you for taking the time to write to us. We hope you will give us the opportunity to better serve you in the future.
Sincerely,
Customer Relations
American Airlines
AA Ref#1-997539890
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MODERATOR NOTE
For additional information and followup reports from the OP, see:
Post #5
Post #69
Post #123
Post #155
Post #179 (resolution)
dstan
AA Forum Co-Moderator
They admitted the error but said that since it was unintentional, they will do nothing. Advice appreciated as to next steps:
September 3, 2013
Dear Mrs.G:
Thank you for contacting Customer Relations. It is obvious that you are disappointed in us and we hope you will accept our sincere apology for what happened when you called our Reservations Office.
In order to provide our customers with outstanding service, our reservation personnel receive very specialized training and must complete recurrent training throughout their careers with American Airlines. That is why we are especially sorry to learn about the difficulty with your reservation. It is evident that a mistake was made: one keystroke to retain the reservation. However, we're confident that this oversight was unintentional. Under the circumstances, we are afraid we must respectfully decline to process compensation for your lost vacation.
Your comments about this situation are of great concern to us. We are constantly striving to improve our service and your comments will assist us in reaching that objective.
Mrs. G, thank you for taking the time to write to us. We hope you will give us the opportunity to better serve you in the future.
Sincerely,
Customer Relations
American Airlines
AA Ref#1-997539890
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MODERATOR NOTE
For additional information and followup reports from the OP, see:
Post #5
Post #69
Post #123
Post #155
Post #179 (resolution)
dstan
AA Forum Co-Moderator
Last edited by dstan; Sep 13, 2013 at 9:57 pm
Sep 3, 2013, 3:51 pm
#2
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Houston, TX, USA
Programs: UA 1K, AA Lifetime Platinum, DL Platinum, Honors Diamond, Bonvoy Titanium, Hertz Platinum
Posts: 7,969
It sounds like you were perhaps asking the wrong question: They denied your request to compensate you for your lost vacation, rather than your request that they do something to reinstate your flights.
Sep 3, 2013, 3:54 pm
#3
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: LAX and LHR
Programs: AA EXP, IHG Spire Elite, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 230
Whoa! Very sorry to hear about your troubles... and surprised to see AA admit fault, but offer no compensation or other token of apology.
Can you share some more facts?
Was this paid or award?
Was the mistake made during the initial booking, or subsequent when changing or amending the travel?
Can you share some more facts?
Was this paid or award?
Was the mistake made during the initial booking, or subsequent when changing or amending the travel?
Sep 3, 2013, 3:56 pm
#4
Join Date: Sep 2011
Programs: AA SPG Amex
Posts: 4,644
Could you perhaps elaborate more on the situation? Did you have other out of pocket costs associated with the vacation that you were forced to eat due to AA's error? And, more importantly, what was their error in the first place and what exactly did you ask for?
Finally, I would suggest redacting names from the letter you copied and pasted, both yours and perhaps the CR rep.
Finally, I would suggest redacting names from the letter you copied and pasted, both yours and perhaps the CR rep.
Sep 3, 2013, 4:19 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2008
Programs: DL, AA, US, AF
Posts: 19
This mistake was made by a supervisor during the reissue of a ticket and discovered when I tried to check in online.
It was for Labor Day weekend and I was advised they could not get me out for 3 days, and our trip was 4 days.
I was on the phone with them for 1 hr, 47 minutes and they finally advised they could nothing but refund me as tickets had been paid in full when reissued, along with their assessed change fees. The senior supervisor saw where the error had been made and apologized profusely but could not offer any other flights due to sold out flights.
We have expenses we cannot recover and the bigger loss of our Caribbean vacation.
Upgraded, thanks for that reminder and I did redact.
I asked for this:
Get bumped / denied boarding involuntarily, I have a right for compensation:
3. 400% of the fare to the passenger’s destination or first stopover, with a maximum of $1,300, if the carrier does not offer alternate transportation that is planned to arrive at the airport of the passenger’s destination or first stopover less than four hours after the planned arrival time of the passenger’s original flight.
0 to 1 hour arrival delay - No compensation.
1 to 4 hour arrival delay - 200% of one-way fare (but no more than $650).
Over 4 hours arrival delay - 400% of one-way fare (but no more than $1,300).
It was for Labor Day weekend and I was advised they could not get me out for 3 days, and our trip was 4 days.
I was on the phone with them for 1 hr, 47 minutes and they finally advised they could nothing but refund me as tickets had been paid in full when reissued, along with their assessed change fees. The senior supervisor saw where the error had been made and apologized profusely but could not offer any other flights due to sold out flights.
We have expenses we cannot recover and the bigger loss of our Caribbean vacation.
Upgraded, thanks for that reminder and I did redact.
I asked for this:
Get bumped / denied boarding involuntarily, I have a right for compensation:
3. 400% of the fare to the passenger’s destination or first stopover, with a maximum of $1,300, if the carrier does not offer alternate transportation that is planned to arrive at the airport of the passenger’s destination or first stopover less than four hours after the planned arrival time of the passenger’s original flight.
0 to 1 hour arrival delay - No compensation.
1 to 4 hour arrival delay - 200% of one-way fare (but no more than $650).
Over 4 hours arrival delay - 400% of one-way fare (but no more than $1,300).
Sep 3, 2013, 4:22 pm
#6
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold but PlatPro thanks to LPs
Posts: 4,438
Why were you unable to take your vacation?
Did you have confirmed, ticketed reservations that disappeared for no reason? Did you check ahead of time? Did you just arrive at the airport only to find there were no reservations?
Could you buy tickets, then and there, get to your vacation, then settle up the difference in ticket price with AA?
Are you expecting them to refund the entire cost of your vacation, pre-paid hotels, etc.?
Sep 3, 2013, 4:24 pm
#7
Moderator: New York City and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2007
Programs: AA PLT, Natl EC
Posts: 10,855
Woah! Sorry to hear about that! It's too late now, obviously, but since the AA flights were sold out, I would have asked them to book you on any other carrier to get you to your destination.
While I understand your logic, I don't think they are going to apply the IDB rules since this occurred prior to your arrival at the airport.
While I understand your logic, I don't think they are going to apply the IDB rules since this occurred prior to your arrival at the airport.
Sep 3, 2013, 4:24 pm
#8
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold but PlatPro thanks to LPs
Posts: 4,438
Sep 3, 2013, 4:29 pm
#9
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 248
I asked for this:
Get bumped / denied boarding involuntarily, I have a right for compensation:
3. 400% of the fare to the passenger’s destination or first stopover, with a maximum of $1,300, if the carrier does not offer alternate transportation that is planned to arrive at the airport of the passenger’s destination or first stopover less than four hours after the planned arrival time of the passenger’s original flight.
0 to 1 hour arrival delay - No compensation.
1 to 4 hour arrival delay - 200% of one-way fare (but no more than $650).
Over 4 hours arrival delay - 400% of one-way fare (but no more than $1,300).
Get bumped / denied boarding involuntarily, I have a right for compensation:
3. 400% of the fare to the passenger’s destination or first stopover, with a maximum of $1,300, if the carrier does not offer alternate transportation that is planned to arrive at the airport of the passenger’s destination or first stopover less than four hours after the planned arrival time of the passenger’s original flight.
0 to 1 hour arrival delay - No compensation.
1 to 4 hour arrival delay - 200% of one-way fare (but no more than $650).
Over 4 hours arrival delay - 400% of one-way fare (but no more than $1,300).
Last edited by skiflyer; Sep 3, 2013 at 4:34 pm
Sep 3, 2013, 4:31 pm
#10
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: ATL
Programs: Delta PlM, 1M
Posts: 6,363
It's not an IDB as you had no confirmed flight, so perhaps this put them on the defensive?
Certainly some compensation is reasonable. I would try again, striking the IDB language and simply stating the reservation created serious issues with loss of vacation.
Certainly some compensation is reasonable. I would try again, striking the IDB language and simply stating the reservation created serious issues with loss of vacation.
Sep 3, 2013, 4:36 pm
#11
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador, AA EXP
Posts: 2,702
Car accidents are unintentional, but we are still responsible for compensation when at fault.
Of course AA can write whatever it wants in its one-sided contract of carriage. They mention that the mistake was "unintentional". I made an "unintentional" reservation before and AA wanted $150 for the change fee. They can do that because they have bargaining power; there are only a handful of airlines but millions of people who want to fly. Sadly, to fix this issue, it would require a change to regulation. This is why we need regulation in some industries, because the airlines refuse to do the right thing.
AA had a choice. They could have sent the family on a different airline. Or they could have oversold the flight further. I am sure there would have been volunteers who would have taken vouchers.
I think this is a good case that should be sent to Elliott.org.
Of course AA can write whatever it wants in its one-sided contract of carriage. They mention that the mistake was "unintentional". I made an "unintentional" reservation before and AA wanted $150 for the change fee. They can do that because they have bargaining power; there are only a handful of airlines but millions of people who want to fly. Sadly, to fix this issue, it would require a change to regulation. This is why we need regulation in some industries, because the airlines refuse to do the right thing.
AA had a choice. They could have sent the family on a different airline. Or they could have oversold the flight further. I am sure there would have been volunteers who would have taken vouchers.
I think this is a good case that should be sent to Elliott.org.
Last edited by Xero; Sep 3, 2013 at 4:43 pm
Sep 3, 2013, 4:50 pm
#12
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: JFK
Programs: AA EXP/CK 2M+
Posts: 540
Wow. Don't know what facts are missing but going on the above, just wow.
Sep 3, 2013, 4:55 pm
#13
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Stockholm, Sweden + Austin, Tx
Programs: "But, I'm a GLOBALIST guest...."
Posts: 2,848
would be nice if the OP would just send a copy of the email they sent to customer service that most likely described the problem (along with the request for compensation).
Sep 3, 2013, 5:02 pm
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,531
Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.601 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
This sounds like an ideal case for the Ombudsman Service at Condé Nast Traveler magazine.
This sounds like an ideal case for the Ombudsman Service at Condé Nast Traveler magazine.
Sep 3, 2013, 5:24 pm
#15
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,353
Car accidents are unintentional, but we are still responsible for compensation when at fault.
Of course AA can write whatever it wants in its one-sided contract of carriage. They mention that the mistake was "unintentional". I made an "unintentional" reservation before and AA wanted $150 for the change fee. They can do that because they have bargaining power; there are only a handful of airlines but millions of people who want to fly. Sadly, to fix this issue, it would require a change to regulation. This is why we need regulation in some industries, because the airlines refuse to do the right thing.
AA had a choice. They could have sent the family on a different airline. Or they could have oversold the flight further. I am sure there would have been volunteers who would have taken vouchers.
I think this is a good case that should be sent to Elliott.org.
Of course AA can write whatever it wants in its one-sided contract of carriage. They mention that the mistake was "unintentional". I made an "unintentional" reservation before and AA wanted $150 for the change fee. They can do that because they have bargaining power; there are only a handful of airlines but millions of people who want to fly. Sadly, to fix this issue, it would require a change to regulation. This is why we need regulation in some industries, because the airlines refuse to do the right thing.
AA had a choice. They could have sent the family on a different airline. Or they could have oversold the flight further. I am sure there would have been volunteers who would have taken vouchers.
I think this is a good case that should be sent to Elliott.org.
Instead of only fixing it on a sellable-space-available basis, they should have fixed the tickets by overselling the flight, with all that entails (asking for volunteers and compensating, and IDB to whoever was selected if none). That's why OP needs to fight for the equivalent of IDB cash compensation, because AA shouldn't be able to do the wrong thing and get out of it cheaper than if they'd done the right thing.
Since the AA channel has been exhausted, perhaps a DOT complaint is in order now? Stick to the short summary of the facts -- had a valid ticket that was unknowingly cancelled solely due to an AA employee error, AA refused to reinstate and transport.
Last edited by jmastron; Sep 3, 2013 at 5:35 pm