zman

ABOLUTELY NOT, DOES NOT HAPPEN

techgirl

I can recall being told this was an "unwritten" benefit of EXP way back in the day (before I became one in 2001).

I have yet to ever experience a fare match although I've not asked for one either. I have heard stories from three old-time EXPs that claim they have had them (all former FT posters who talked about some of these favors way back in the day - and this would have been back when JonNYC & kanebear were still CO guys, so I'm showing my true age in FT years here. I think that is how they ended up in FewMiles's list of undocumented benefits.

That said, I think that these types of things fall under what AA management came to call "Favors and Waivers" and around the start of 2002, it was reported by EXP desk agents that AA management was cracking down on "Favors and Waivers" being granted by the EXP agents.

Some of the "special" things that EXPs that I know well tell me they used to get from the EXP desk way back when:

* Fare matches (in VERY specific circumstances in apples-to-apples scenarios to existing published AA low fares on the same exact route, same city pair, same dates/times)

* The ability to call in and always request certain agents (where we came up with the term AAngel) to handle all travel requests

* Waived change fees (I had a lot of these done myself)

* Refares (not only an EXP benefit but used to be very easy to do)

* Special requests to yield management to release seats into certain inventory buckets (which is where some of these "fare match" type claims may actually have come from with bookings)

All of these were undocumented benefits. And yes, some of this stuff really DID take place - WAY back in the day. Hell, there was even one EXP I knew who would give the EXP desk phone number out to important clients to call, ask for his AAngel who would then take a message. He would then use the two digit code on the airphone to call the EXP desk free in flight (man I DO miss that benefit!) and retreive his messages.

That FAQ on undocumented benefits definitely needs a teensy update. 2001 has come and gone - and the old days of the EXP desk went away along time ago.

andrzej

that pretty much sums it up.....

but let the dreamers DREAM.....

andrzej

that is still true.......

techgirl

Yep, still very true andrzej although I have been told that some agents have been discouraged from doing this if the number of "personal" customers they are handling ends up dropping the overall number of calls they can handle.

This is something that isn't so much a "policy change" as something folks have gotten hands slapped in personnel reviews for. And sadly, it appears to be a peer-turn-in-peer thing. I heard from one AAngel, for example, that her colleagues complained that they constantly had to transfer calls to her because she was being requested. You would think AA management would hold that up as a superior agent rather than slapping her hand, but we all figured out a long time ago to quit trying to figure out what management is thinking.

andrzej

Have a great time in BA! ^

techgirl

Thanks! You too (right?).

We'll only be there less than 24 hours. Going to have dinner with a friend and then we'll be on the early Buquebus to Uruguay the next morning where we'll spend a week before catching the quick MVD-EZE hop to link up with our flight home.

Spiff

Yes, keep calling back repeatedly. If you get the same AAgent 3 times, they will match any competitor's published fare.

JonNYC

Or, just contact the posters who said "why not try?"-- get them on the project-- in their spare time, of course.

andrzej

Going to GIG tonight and will be in EZE on the 10th....

this is so OT, but the subject is sooooo ridiculous that I don't mind doing it

kanebear

When I started flying AA in '02 some of those things DID happen for me, even as a plat. I called in several times and had seats in C and A "shaken loose". Once I made EXP, the desk blocked off the seat next to me several times. Those were all things that happened. Sadly, the world changed, the airline industry went to hell, and it mostly went away. EXP is still the best top-tier status among the US majors IMO (based upon personal experience at CO and AA as well as reports here for other carriers). It's just not as good as it used to be. Then again, what is?

andrzej

and this relates to the question, HOW

techgirl

Okay, had a chance to ask bollar this question. Some of you oldtimers remember bollar. He has been an EXP since the days of the programs inception.

His response to me was:

Yes they did them but that went away with the VIP2. They wouldn't do a match if the fare basis wasn't available, but if their Y was $1800 and UA's Y was $1400 and AA had Y available, that's when you might get a match.

He then added the caveat (which is what I implied above):

But who knows what the policy was. The desk might have just had the latitude to do a favor.

Now the VIP2 went away after 2001 - and that would be the timeframe I reference above... so while I think some of our respected posters here are dead-on about current policy, that is the word of at least one of the posters I was referencing above who were posting prolificly back in the days that FewMiles first put his guide together several years ago.

AA53

AA knows their revenue management. If an EXP has a better fare, AA probably doesn't mind you taking it as they have already maxed out that flight or the fare would be lower. People need to get over the "I am an EXP"...its not that big of deal anymore. Check out the PIL sometime...there are lots of us.

Fly AA J all the way

Forgive my ignorance, but what was a VIP2?