MAJOR Issue: oneworld Award Booked by AA - Use Travel Center?
#76
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Cambridge
Posts: 63,556
Once again AA has screwed up this ticket. For those that placed all of the blame on me for my earlier problems, this change was clearly by the book - no question about that. Will these issues ever end? I just want this trip to complete smoothly so I can get home and never contribute to AA's bottom line again.
Seems like AA finally got a combination of manual over-rides which enabled them to issue the ticket without the oneWorld desks of the various airlines freaking out.
Then you make more changes to the ticket, which now require yet another re-issue. The person you spoke to almost certainly didn't know the history behind your particular ticket, and thus didn't know the can of worms being opened up. It's like finally getting a suitcase packed when you had to sit on top to just barely get it closed. Then you decide to stuff in 1 last item.
At this point, any additional changes which result in you being upset with AA is pretty much self-inflicted. I personally wouldn't find the difference of being in J for BKK-HKG to be worth the hassle and mental suffering.
Originally Posted by troyb
I was already thinking about sending a letter to AA about all the problems I had previously, now its certain. Not necessarily going to ask for miles because that would mean having to deal with AA agents again. I'm thinking something more along the lines of a brief note with copies of each of my other airline elite cards, a couple receipts for future flights purchased on those airlines, and my AA Platinum elite card as well as Citi AA MC cut up into tiny pieces. Will the recipient of my package care? Probably not, but it will make me feel a little better.
They'll take a look at all the manual over-rides they had to do to issue your itinierary and then look at your complaint letter, then write you off as a customer who is impossible to please and thus not worth trying to keep.
Because you offer them no positive avenue for action, and apparently feel that all the things they had to do to enable an itinierary which violates the award rules is apparently didn't even get them any positive feedback. So why bother doing those over-rides for the next passenger? He's just going to be angry and send in his cut-up card.
#77
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Scottsdale
Posts: 2,949
Plato90s' post above is perfect - especially the suitcase analogy.
No sympathy here Troy.
No sympathy here Troy.
#78
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: NJ/NYC
Programs: AA EXP/LT Plat, SPG Plat/LT Plat, HHonors Gold, Hyatt Plat, IHG Plat, MR Silver
Posts: 2,786
Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8310/4.2.2 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102)
Well, at the end of the day, your ticket is still either double open-jaw (illegal) or over the mileage (illegal), right?
Seems like AA finally got a combination of manual over-rides which enabled them to issue the ticket without the oneWorld desks of the various airlines freaking out.
Then you make more changes to the ticket, which now require yet another re-issue. The person you spoke to almost certainly didn't know the history behind your particular ticket, and thus didn't know the can of worms being opened up. It's like finally getting a suitcase packed when you had to sit on top to just barely get it closed. Then you decide to stuff in 1 last item.
At this point, any additional changes which result in you being upset with AA is pretty much self-inflicted. I personally wouldn't find the difference of being in J for BKK-HKG to be worth the hassle and mental suffering.
I can tell you right now what AA will think of your letter.
They'll take a look at all the manual over-rides they had to do to issue your itinierary and then look at your complaint letter, then write you off as a customer who is impossible to please and thus not worth trying to keep.
Because you offer them no positive avenue for action, and apparently feel that all the things they had to do to enable an itinierary which violates the award rules is apparently didn't even get them any positive feedback. So why bother doing those over-rides for the next passenger? He's just going to be angry and send in his cut-up card.
Actually, per my previous posts, I removed both open jaws and the ticket was reissued in a higher category, so I have nothing in my itinerary which is illegal.
I would agree with your suitcase analogy, except for the fact that after being issued in the higher 150C vategory and removing BOTH open jaws, my ticket was supposed be flexible per the award rules. That's what I was told.
This was a case of another incompetant agent working on my itinerary, not abuse of the rules.
As far as my letter to AA, it was a bit tounge in cheek, discussed when I was in the midst of dealing with them today. If I do send a letter like that, I don't care what their response, if any, is. I won't be asking for compensation.
I'm sorry, but there are way too many AA apologists here. American Airlines is a company who like many others messes up from time to time. They are not some do no wrong god like being.
Originally Posted by Plato90s
Once again AA has screwed up this ticket. For those that placed all of the blame on me for my earlier problems, this change was clearly by the book - no question about that. Will these issues ever end? I just want this trip to complete smoothly so I can get home and never contribute to AA's bottom line again.
Seems like AA finally got a combination of manual over-rides which enabled them to issue the ticket without the oneWorld desks of the various airlines freaking out.
Then you make more changes to the ticket, which now require yet another re-issue. The person you spoke to almost certainly didn't know the history behind your particular ticket, and thus didn't know the can of worms being opened up. It's like finally getting a suitcase packed when you had to sit on top to just barely get it closed. Then you decide to stuff in 1 last item.
At this point, any additional changes which result in you being upset with AA is pretty much self-inflicted. I personally wouldn't find the difference of being in J for BKK-HKG to be worth the hassle and mental suffering.
Originally Posted by troyb
I was already thinking about sending a letter to AA about all the problems I had previously, now its certain. Not necessarily going to ask for miles because that would mean having to deal with AA agents again. I'm thinking something more along the lines of a brief note with copies of each of my other airline elite cards, a couple receipts for future flights purchased on those airlines, and my AA Platinum elite card as well as Citi AA MC cut up into tiny pieces. Will the recipient of my package care? Probably not, but it will make me feel a little better.
They'll take a look at all the manual over-rides they had to do to issue your itinierary and then look at your complaint letter, then write you off as a customer who is impossible to please and thus not worth trying to keep.
Because you offer them no positive avenue for action, and apparently feel that all the things they had to do to enable an itinierary which violates the award rules is apparently didn't even get them any positive feedback. So why bother doing those over-rides for the next passenger? He's just going to be angry and send in his cut-up card.
I would agree with your suitcase analogy, except for the fact that after being issued in the higher 150C vategory and removing BOTH open jaws, my ticket was supposed be flexible per the award rules. That's what I was told.
This was a case of another incompetant agent working on my itinerary, not abuse of the rules.
As far as my letter to AA, it was a bit tounge in cheek, discussed when I was in the midst of dealing with them today. If I do send a letter like that, I don't care what their response, if any, is. I won't be asking for compensation.
I'm sorry, but there are way too many AA apologists here. American Airlines is a company who like many others messes up from time to time. They are not some do no wrong god like being.
#79
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SJC
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Posts: 33,511
Not agreeing with all the things you've done here doesn't mean we think that the airline did everything correctly, and many of us have said that. But if it makes you feel better to try and insult those who disagree with you, go right ahead ^
Cheers.
#80
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Scottsdale
Posts: 2,949
That's a great term! I may have to borrow it in the future - with proper credit of course.
#81
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Cambridge
Posts: 63,556
Actually, per my previous posts, I removed both open jaws and the ticket was reissued in a higher category, so I have nothing in my itinerary which is illegal.
I would agree with your suitcase analogy, except for the fact that after being issued in the higher 150C vategory and removing BOTH open jaws, my ticket was supposed be flexible per the award rules. That's what I was told.
I would agree with your suitcase analogy, except for the fact that after being issued in the higher 150C vategory and removing BOTH open jaws, my ticket was supposed be flexible per the award rules. That's what I was told.
Short of that happening, you had a 130k award on which AA used a manual over-ride to ticket at the 150k level. Thus it wasn't quite the same as a straight 150k award.
As far as my letter to AA, it was a bit tounge in cheek, discussed when I was in the midst of dealing with them today. If I do send a letter like that, I don't care what their response, if any, is. I won't be asking for compensation.
I'm sorry, but there are way too many AA apologists here. American Airlines is a company who like many others messes up from time to time. They are not some do no wrong god like being.
I'm sorry, but there are way too many AA apologists here. American Airlines is a company who like many others messes up from time to time. They are not some do no wrong god like being.
You had a itinierary which started out as illegal routing, got a last minute re-issue in order to fix the illegal routing, and AA managed to straighten out the ticket with what was undoubtedly a pile of manual over-rides.
All I'm saying is that further changes are going to be difficult/painful and perhaps you might consider whether it's worth it to try and re-open this particular can of worms.
I wouldn't, for upgrading to J on a relatively short flight like BKK-HKG.
#82
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: NJ/NYC
Programs: AA EXP/LT Plat, SPG Plat/LT Plat, HHonors Gold, Hyatt Plat, IHG Plat, MR Silver
Posts: 2,786
Yes, 130,000 miles per ticket (260,000 total) redeposited. Yes, 150,000 per ticket (300,000 total) redeemed. I think the taxes were refunded and recharged as well, not positive on that.
#83
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Scottsdale
Posts: 2,949
It may be possible that this was not "another incompetent agent" but perhaps someone who decided to put a stop to the never-ending madness that this ticket has become.
#84
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: NJ/NYC
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If I'm not mistaken, there would be copious notes attached to your record written by the many agents and supervisors who worked on this ticket.
It may be possible that this was not "another incompetent agent" but perhaps someone who decided to put a stop to the never-ending madness that this ticket has become.
It may be possible that this was not "another incompetent agent" but perhaps someone who decided to put a stop to the never-ending madness that this ticket has become.
To suggest that I should have just stuck with Y seats on a worse flight time rather than snap up J seats on a better flight is ludicrous. This is Flyertalk, come on now. I agree that it is a short flight, one that I was even willing to take in Y, the way I originally booked it. However, the benefit of a OW award is the ability to switch dates, times, and class of service. I guess one should also not use the benefits of their ticket to make things easier for their ticketing airline.
On that note, I think I'll just let this thread die again. It seems that once again, a mistake by an AA agent has somehow been manipulated by the AA apologists into something that is my fault. Just wait until it happens to you and you will understand.
#85
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Cheers.
#86
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2008
Programs: AA/BA
Posts: 241
Just calm down and enjoy your trip-- these things happen.