Almost ready to quit AA [denied change on restricted fare]
Mar 12, 2014, 6:32 pm
#61
Join Date: Aug 2010
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,659
I'm curious as to how much time elapsed between the time the OP booked the ticket and when they realized they made a mistake and wanted to make changes. Situations like this usually all for last minute flights, usually within 24 hours, and it's been my experience that they are more sympathetic to fixing your mistake if it is caught within 24 hours.
Mar 12, 2014, 6:52 pm
#62
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Mar 12, 2014, 9:35 pm
#63
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Location: NYC
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Agreed.
Mar 12, 2014, 10:13 pm
#64
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 4,861
From the AAdvantage terms and conditions:
At no time may AAdvantage mileage credit or award tickets be purchased, sold or bartered.... Any such mileage or tickets are void if transferred for cash or other consideration. Violators (including any passenger who uses a purchased or bartered award ticket) may be liable for damages and litigation costs, including American Airlines attorney's fees incurred in enforcing this rule. Use of award tickets that have been acquired ... for any ... consideration may result in the tickets being confiscated or the passenger being denied boarding. If a trip has been started, any continued travel will be at the passenger's expense on a full-fare basis. The passenger and member may also be liable to American Airlines for the cost of a full fare ticket for any segments flown on a ... bartered ticket.
Mar 13, 2014, 12:32 am
#65
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This is similar to why I quit AA. Got notification my father was in hospital and expected to die soon. Had 30 min to book flight and 1 hr to airport. After 3m+ butt in seat miles and 7 yrs of EXP PLUS many employee EXPs for which I paid AA couldn't have cared less. Cost 4k for me and spouse domestically. He died, I flew back and never booked another paid flight (and won't). I will use my 1.5 award miles but they won't see another dime from me.
Business ExtrAA rep actually called me and asked why we weren't using them anymore. So apparently they cared but not enough to accommodate me when I needed it. I told her loyalty needs to work BOTH ways.
Business ExtrAA rep actually called me and asked why we weren't using them anymore. So apparently they cared but not enough to accommodate me when I needed it. I told her loyalty needs to work BOTH ways.
I am not sure what you expected AA to do. If the airline doesn't offer bereavement fares, then I don't see the issue. Rather the pay the AA walk up fare, you could have flown on another carrier's bereavement fares.
I would not leave a carrier because it didn't waive published fare restrictions.
Mar 13, 2014, 12:35 am
#66
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Bingo... Dresses need not cost hundreds of dollars... AND people need not fly between Philadelphia and NYC.
Mar 13, 2014, 12:46 am
#67
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Benicia CA
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Doesn't AA still offer anytime awards at double the miles for the last available seat for sale? Are there any restrictions on those awards? I've only had to get one at that rate once, for a short-notice trip to Barcelona last summer, and it was painful to give up the extra miles, but it was an event I wanted to go to. Cheapest ticket was around $1,900 if I bought one.
Mar 13, 2014, 5:41 am
#68
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First of all, I'm sorry for your loss.
Second of all, and please don't take this the wrong way, but I side with AA here.
I used to run an independent rental car company. Whenever people wanted a discount, free stuff or to get out of something they'd done wrong, they told me that someone had died (or someone was in the hospital). After awhile, I got desensitized. I'm sure people do similarly to AA. The question becomes, where do they end up drawing the line? Is it only the funerals of family and spouse? Best friends who are like family? Cousins who are almost siblings?
Non-refundable and non-changeable mean exactly that, always. I'd just eat the charge and move on, especially as I'd imagine I'd have a lot of other things to do and things on my mind in your circumstance.
Second of all, and please don't take this the wrong way, but I side with AA here.
I used to run an independent rental car company. Whenever people wanted a discount, free stuff or to get out of something they'd done wrong, they told me that someone had died (or someone was in the hospital). After awhile, I got desensitized. I'm sure people do similarly to AA. The question becomes, where do they end up drawing the line? Is it only the funerals of family and spouse? Best friends who are like family? Cousins who are almost siblings?
Non-refundable and non-changeable mean exactly that, always. I'd just eat the charge and move on, especially as I'd imagine I'd have a lot of other things to do and things on my mind in your circumstance.
Mar 13, 2014, 6:01 am
#69
Join Date: Oct 2006
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,635
Just an observation. There seems to be about an even split on this board between OP's who are outraged that every AA employee and agent does not know every rule and strictly adhere to them (visas, upgrade priority, routing and award rules, etc.) and OP's like this one who are outraged that an AA employee knew the rules and strictly adhered to them.
Mar 13, 2014, 7:03 am
#70
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Just an observation. There seems to be about an even split on this board between OP's who are outraged that every AA employee and agent does not know every rule and strictly adhere to them (visas, upgrade priority, routing and award rules, etc.) and OP's like this one who are outraged that an AA employee knew the rules and strictly adhered to them.
Mar 13, 2014, 8:20 am
#71
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 3,049
Buy your friend a ticket with your miles and just give it to him and you are within the rules, the moment you expect anything back from him you are outside the rules.
Pedantic perhaps, but you can't duck the rules by calling it a loan.
Mar 13, 2014, 9:46 am
#72
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No idea if it would be worth their time to pursue, but your expectation of the return of the miles is the 'consideration' in the deal. Without that consideration you would not be willing to provide him with the ticket ...
Buy your friend a ticket with your miles and just give it to him and you are within the rules, the moment you expect anything back from him you are outside the rules.
Pedantic perhaps, but you can't duck the rules by calling it a loan.
Buy your friend a ticket with your miles and just give it to him and you are within the rules, the moment you expect anything back from him you are outside the rules.
Pedantic perhaps, but you can't duck the rules by calling it a loan.
]PS: I'm thinking of a number between 1 and 10, what number am I thinking of?--only one person is allowed to respond.
]
Mar 13, 2014, 9:51 am
#73
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First of all, I'm sorry for your loss.
Second of all, and please don't take this the wrong way, but I side with AA here.
I used to run an independent rental car company. Whenever people wanted a discount, free stuff or to get out of something they'd done wrong, they told me that someone had died (or someone was in the hospital). After awhile, I got desensitized. I'm sure people do similarly to AA. The question becomes, where do they end up drawing the line? Is it only the funerals of family and spouse? Best friends who are like family? Cousins who are almost siblings?
Non-refundable and non-changeable mean exactly that, always. I'd just eat the charge and move on, especially as I'd imagine I'd have a lot of other things to do and things on my mind in your circumstance.
Second of all, and please don't take this the wrong way, but I side with AA here.
I used to run an independent rental car company. Whenever people wanted a discount, free stuff or to get out of something they'd done wrong, they told me that someone had died (or someone was in the hospital). After awhile, I got desensitized. I'm sure people do similarly to AA. The question becomes, where do they end up drawing the line? Is it only the funerals of family and spouse? Best friends who are like family? Cousins who are almost siblings?
Non-refundable and non-changeable mean exactly that, always. I'd just eat the charge and move on, especially as I'd imagine I'd have a lot of other things to do and things on my mind in your circumstance.
Mar 13, 2014, 10:04 am
#74
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Doesn't AA still offer anytime awards at double the miles for the last available seat for sale? Are there any restrictions on those awards? I've only had to get one at that rate once, for a short-notice trip to Barcelona last summer, and it was painful to give up the extra miles, but it was an event I wanted to go to. Cheapest ticket was around $1,900 if I bought one.
As far as the issue of a "loan of miles" or whatever description one wants to use, in an emergency, no, nobody's gonna get jammed up for that, barring some very extraordinary circumstances. Completely safe, let's not get people unnecessarily paranoid over this stuff.
Mar 13, 2014, 11:04 am
#75
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Playing devils advocate, for some "families", there might actually be lots of grandmothers--whether any of them are dying is a different issue.