AA knowing its own policies - Too much to ask?
Oct 22, 2005, 8:19 am
#1
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2001
Location: MSY; 2-time FT Fantasy Football Champ, now in recovery.
Programs: AA lifetime GLD; UA Silver; Marriott LTTE; IHG Plat,
Posts: 14,518
AA knowing its own policies - Too much to ask?
In the last week...
1) I flew with my dog, in-cabin, DFW-STL. At checkin (F line), the agent told me the fee was $100. I was surprised, it having been $80 in April, the last time my pup flew. I even questioned it, and was told it went up a couple of months ago. I paid it, figuring it was just AAnother AAnnoying fee increAAse. Until I checked in for the return, and was only charged $80. That agent said the $100 fee was only for checked pets.
Pet fees
2) My gal and I had tickets (purchased in July) for early Nov. to MSY. We're not going, the city dooesn't seem quite ready. Her non-refundable ticket was purchased as a nonstop STL-MSY-STL. Those flights are gone, and they had her rerouted thru DFW, departing STL several hours earlier. So in accordance with AA's own Katrina policy, she should be able to get a refund. (Heck, that kind of change should be enough for a refund even w/o the hurricane policy, right?) But when she called (regular 800 #), the agent would only offer a voucher. She argued, but gave up and eventually accepted the voucher.
Katrina Policy
3. The next day I called (Gold line) to cancel my MSY ticket. Mine was a nonstop DFW-STL-DFW that had only shifted a few minutes. So I get a voucher, right? Agent: it's a nonrefundable ticket sir, why would I give you a voucher?
Me: because of your hurricane katrina travel policy.
Agent: New Orleans is not affected by the hurricane.
Me: Um, not Hurricane Wilma, Hurricane Katrina. The policy is linked right from the AA.com home page.
Agent: Let me look into this.
(several minutes of hold time)
Agent: OK sir.
1) I flew with my dog, in-cabin, DFW-STL. At checkin (F line), the agent told me the fee was $100. I was surprised, it having been $80 in April, the last time my pup flew. I even questioned it, and was told it went up a couple of months ago. I paid it, figuring it was just AAnother AAnnoying fee increAAse. Until I checked in for the return, and was only charged $80. That agent said the $100 fee was only for checked pets.
Pet fees
2) My gal and I had tickets (purchased in July) for early Nov. to MSY. We're not going, the city dooesn't seem quite ready. Her non-refundable ticket was purchased as a nonstop STL-MSY-STL. Those flights are gone, and they had her rerouted thru DFW, departing STL several hours earlier. So in accordance with AA's own Katrina policy, she should be able to get a refund. (Heck, that kind of change should be enough for a refund even w/o the hurricane policy, right?) But when she called (regular 800 #), the agent would only offer a voucher. She argued, but gave up and eventually accepted the voucher.
Katrina Policy
3. The next day I called (Gold line) to cancel my MSY ticket. Mine was a nonstop DFW-STL-DFW that had only shifted a few minutes. So I get a voucher, right? Agent: it's a nonrefundable ticket sir, why would I give you a voucher?
Me: because of your hurricane katrina travel policy.
Agent: New Orleans is not affected by the hurricane.
Me: Um, not Hurricane Wilma, Hurricane Katrina. The policy is linked right from the AA.com home page.
Agent: Let me look into this.
(several minutes of hold time)
Agent: OK sir.
Oct 22, 2005, 8:48 am
#2
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: MSP (and will only fly NWA in re-routes if I HAVE to)
Programs: AA EXP (4.5MM), hotel programs as needed
Posts: 5,800
1. Agent miss-informed and too lazy to look up the rule. Next time print the information you have on the fees .. just like you print your itinerary! The difference between checked and cabin animals may have slipped the agents mind. YOU BE PREPARED!
2. and 3. I will blame the weather and the incredible amount of work that phone agents must be under. They had Katrina then Rita and now Wilma. Right now they are so focused on helping people re-route with the CURRENT weather issue, they kinda forgot about the one two hurricanes ago! There was another post here that said yesterday AA international phone agents were not accepting any non-Wilma related changes .. to call back in a couple of days if you are not impacted by this hurricane! I would blame these two on 'short term memory' and the crush of people currently making changes from Wilma!
Moral of these three issues ... when you KNOW you are in the right, have the documentation with you (or able to refer to online) and stand your ground!
2. and 3. I will blame the weather and the incredible amount of work that phone agents must be under. They had Katrina then Rita and now Wilma. Right now they are so focused on helping people re-route with the CURRENT weather issue, they kinda forgot about the one two hurricanes ago! There was another post here that said yesterday AA international phone agents were not accepting any non-Wilma related changes .. to call back in a couple of days if you are not impacted by this hurricane! I would blame these two on 'short term memory' and the crush of people currently making changes from Wilma!
Moral of these three issues ... when you KNOW you are in the right, have the documentation with you (or able to refer to online) and stand your ground!