Dec 4, 2015, 12:52 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
What's the stupidest, least substantive thing you can complain about?
Thread founder Blumie had the following dedicatory post to kick off the original thread in June of 2010 to guide us, so we will take our cues from that to continue this hallowed FT-AA|A tradition. (FT Rules still apply.)
What's FT if not a place to complain about the small stuff? After all, we've seen threads in which people have complained about virtually everything, from the ceiling height at JAX to the font, ink and paper used to print boarding passes. So I thought I'd start what I hope will become the one of the most valuable and important threads in the history of FT, one in which we consolidate all of our complaints about stuff that just doesn't matter and that validates AA's decision not to have an official presence on this board.
I'll go first: I find it really annoying the way the napkins are fanned before being put out at the Admirals Clubs. Is this supposed to make us feel like the place is uber-fancy? Why don't they just forget about the fanning and put out some real napkins instead of the flimsy cocktail napkins they use?
I'll go first: I find it really annoying the way the napkins are fanned before being put out at the Admirals Clubs. Is this supposed to make us feel like the place is uber-fancy? Why don't they just forget about the fanning and put out some real napkins instead of the flimsy cocktail napkins they use?
What's the stupidest, least substantive thing you can complain about?
Aug 21, 2023, 9:56 am
#1996
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: AA Executive Platinum; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,663
Last May, my wife and I were traveling from Bismarck ND through DFW to PHL. Had the boarding passes loaded on the phone but wanted paper passes so I could stow the phone for TSA. AA desk not open. Went to the AA kiosk, jumped through all the hoops (“bonus miles?”, “no”, “updating your information”, wait, wait, wait, etc., etc., etc.) to finally get to the print passes screen, hit print all. The kiosk showed printing passes 1, 2, 3, 4. Nothing came out. Even checked the obviously empty bin as if the passes had been printed on invisible paper. Nothing. Tried the other kiosk, same. Used the phone.
Three months goes by, and last week we're back at Bismarck again. Same itinerary, wanted paper passes, again. AA desk closed, again. Went to the same kiosk, jumped through the same hoops to finally get to the print passes screen. Printing passes 1, 2, 3, 4. Nothing came out, again. Used the phone. Same issue, three months later. I think that kiosk is trying to tell me something.
Three months goes by, and last week we're back at Bismarck again. Same itinerary, wanted paper passes, again. AA desk closed, again. Went to the same kiosk, jumped through the same hoops to finally get to the print passes screen. Printing passes 1, 2, 3, 4. Nothing came out, again. Used the phone. Same issue, three months later. I think that kiosk is trying to tell me something.
Aug 21, 2023, 10:35 am
#1997
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 2,094
Last May, my wife and I were traveling from Bismarck ND through DFW to PHL. Had the boarding passes loaded on the phone but wanted paper passes so I could stow the phone for TSA. AA desk not open. Went to the AA kiosk, jumped through all the hoops (“bonus miles?”, “no”, “updating your information”, wait, wait, wait, etc., etc., etc.) to finally get to the print passes screen, hit print all. The kiosk showed printing passes 1, 2, 3, 4. Nothing came out. Even checked the obviously empty bin as if the passes had been printed on invisible paper. Nothing. Tried the other kiosk, same. Used the phone.
Three months goes by, and last week we're back at Bismarck again. Same itinerary, wanted paper passes, again. AA desk closed, again. Went to the same kiosk, jumped through the same hoops to finally get to the print passes screen. Printing passes 1, 2, 3, 4. Nothing came out, again. Used the phone. Same issue, three months later. I think that kiosk is trying to tell me something.
Three months goes by, and last week we're back at Bismarck again. Same itinerary, wanted paper passes, again. AA desk closed, again. Went to the same kiosk, jumped through the same hoops to finally get to the print passes screen. Printing passes 1, 2, 3, 4. Nothing came out, again. Used the phone. Same issue, three months later. I think that kiosk is trying to tell me something.
Aug 21, 2023, 10:48 am
#1998
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: KUSA
Programs: Whatever AMEX Plat comes with... I buy on price.. Spirit Big Front Seat, want First/buy First
Posts: 1,486
Reminds me of a good friend of mine who was an auditor for Delta. I believe it was in Savannah where this happened (sent me photos). They have a printer in the back office/break room that prints duplicate flight paperwork (release, weather, load plan, etc) for purposes of filing in case the pilots or gate agent don't give back whatever they're supposed to retain. It's an old school Okidata dot matrix. Well, the agents hated listening to the sound of it. So they turned it off. A year prior to my friend's audit. He turned it back on. Anyone familiar with these and the old technology knows their printer queue memory is not very easy to edit/delete jobs. The printer went through a box and a half of tractor feed paper to clear the print queue.
Sep 1, 2023, 4:54 am
#1999
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 175
DFW C Club
One of the coffee machines couldn’t produce lattes or anything with milk because the fridge was broken.
The second one I went to only had decaf beans but the button for hot frothy milk was missing. Actually I am not sure if this ever existed but it should.
Just got a sad cup of drip coffee and drowned it in cream and sugar.
The second one I went to only had decaf beans but the button for hot frothy milk was missing. Actually I am not sure if this ever existed but it should.
Just got a sad cup of drip coffee and drowned it in cream and sugar.
Sep 4, 2023, 2:06 pm
#2000
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 2,094
Tons of emails about everything except the snack basket
Today the very nice FA came around with the snack basket. As always, I reached for the Maui Monk/Stellar pretzels, but I reeled in horror when I didn’t see them. They may be gone, so I had some brownie bites (which will be the topic of another complaint, as I was deceived: they were just chocolate chip cookie chunks).
AA sends me emails and app notifications about all sorts of things that I already know about, such as the fact that I can get a hotel room and a rental car in my hometown.
Why did AA not send me an email to alert me to the unexpected change in the snack basket?
AA sends me emails and app notifications about all sorts of things that I already know about, such as the fact that I can get a hotel room and a rental car in my hometown.
Why did AA not send me an email to alert me to the unexpected change in the snack basket?
Sep 4, 2023, 2:09 pm
#2001
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: KUSA
Programs: Whatever AMEX Plat comes with... I buy on price.. Spirit Big Front Seat, want First/buy First
Posts: 1,486
Today the very nice FA came around with the snack basket. As always, I reached for the Maui Monk/Stellar pretzels, but I reeled in horror when I didn’t see them. They may be gone, so I had some brownie bites (which will be the topic of another complaint, as I was deceived: they were just chocolate chip cookie chunks).
AA sends me emails and app notifications about all sorts of things that I already know about, such as the fact that I can get a hotel room and a rental car in my hometown.
Why did AA not send me an email to alert me to the unexpected change in the snack basket?
AA sends me emails and app notifications about all sorts of things that I already know about, such as the fact that I can get a hotel room and a rental car in my hometown.
Why did AA not send me an email to alert me to the unexpected change in the snack basket?
Sep 6, 2023, 8:17 pm
#2003
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: Bonvoy ambassador - lifetime plat / Hilton diamond / hyatt globalist / AA CK baby!
Posts: 896
Today the very nice FA came around with the snack basket. As always, I reached for the Maui Monk/Stellar pretzels, but I reeled in horror when I didn’t see them. They may be gone, so I had some brownie bites (which will be the topic of another complaint, as I was deceived: they were just chocolate chip cookie chunks).
AA sends me emails and app notifications about all sorts of things that I already know about, such as the fact that I can get a hotel room and a rental car in my hometown.
Why did AA not send me an email to alert me to the unexpected change in the snack basket?
AA sends me emails and app notifications about all sorts of things that I already know about, such as the fact that I can get a hotel room and a rental car in my hometown.
Why did AA not send me an email to alert me to the unexpected change in the snack basket?
Sep 7, 2023, 12:10 pm
#2004
Join Date: May 2022
Programs: AA
Posts: 24
Walked out of CLT main club this morning with a cup of coffee with no lid and straight into Z1 line where I was told by gate agent I could not board the plane due to regulations with an open container.
I politely assured her it was coffee, was not alchohol and was from AA's own club. She refused me boarding until I threw it away. Upon returning i asked if I had left and gotten a lid, would that suffice = yes.
I politely assured her it was coffee, was not alchohol and was from AA's own club. She refused me boarding until I threw it away. Upon returning i asked if I had left and gotten a lid, would that suffice = yes.
Sep 9, 2023, 11:07 am
#2006
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 2,094
Snack basket deception
Yet again, AA intentionally deceived me, by luring me with free food but tricking me.
When the snack basket came around, I saw a bag with "LOVE" on it. Thinking it was Love Corn (the addictive corn snack), I grabbed it and then discovered that the bag read "OLOVES", and the bag contained green olives. So I was tricked.
Further, you can't eat olives like that with your fingers, particularly when your fingers are not clean, so I had to wait for the FA to bring drinks, and a napkin, to eat the olives by pouring them out onto the napkin.
So I was tricked and looked like I had been raised by wolves when I ate a bag of olives by pouring them onto a napkin and then eating them off the napkin.
They were very good, though. But a sincere question is:
Since AA bombards us with emails about everything and nothing, why not mention in those emails that the snack basket has new snacks in it? That way, we could prepare for it and be prepared to take something once we're in flight (without being tricked or holding things up by digging through the snack basket). Surely the brands that have snacks in the snack basket want the exposure.
When the snack basket came around, I saw a bag with "LOVE" on it. Thinking it was Love Corn (the addictive corn snack), I grabbed it and then discovered that the bag read "OLOVES", and the bag contained green olives. So I was tricked.
Further, you can't eat olives like that with your fingers, particularly when your fingers are not clean, so I had to wait for the FA to bring drinks, and a napkin, to eat the olives by pouring them out onto the napkin.
So I was tricked and looked like I had been raised by wolves when I ate a bag of olives by pouring them onto a napkin and then eating them off the napkin.
They were very good, though. But a sincere question is:
Since AA bombards us with emails about everything and nothing, why not mention in those emails that the snack basket has new snacks in it? That way, we could prepare for it and be prepared to take something once we're in flight (without being tricked or holding things up by digging through the snack basket). Surely the brands that have snacks in the snack basket want the exposure.
Sep 10, 2023, 2:37 pm
#2007
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: Mileageplus
Posts: 245
My spouse and I are on separate PNR’s on a flight from PVR to DFW. We did this as it saved some money due to one low fare seat being available rather than pay for a higher fare (2 seats) to be on the same PNR. We booked it in June for October travel. I arranged our seats in first class to be 2 E and 2F. Flight departure, at time of booking was for 233pm. In August, AA did a schedule change on that same flight number but now it leaves at 226pm. My spouse is still in seat 2e. AA moved me to 1f. The flight is full and I cannot change seats so I know better than to complain. I’ll “do as I’m told” by AA and sit at the bulkhead (which I dislike). I have a seat search on expert flyer for another other seat besides bulkhead. I’m annoyed, but it is a least substantive issue which is why I post it here. Again, I’ll do as AA has dictated to me and stay with 1F should nothing else arise. And, no: I will not be a person who asks someone to change seats.
Sep 10, 2023, 7:03 pm
#2008
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,268
My spouse and I are on separate PNR’s on a flight from PVR to DFW. We did this as it saved some money due to one low fare seat being available rather than pay for a higher fare (2 seats) to be on the same PNR. We booked it in June for October travel. I arranged our seats in first class to be 2 E and 2F. Flight departure, at time of booking was for 233pm. In August, AA did a schedule change on that same flight number but now it leaves at 226pm. My spouse is still in seat 2e. AA moved me to 1f. The flight is full and I cannot change seats so I know better than to complain. I’ll “do as I’m told” by AA and sit at the bulkhead (which I dislike). I have a seat search on expert flyer for another other seat besides bulkhead. I’m annoyed, but it is a least substantive issue which is why I post it here. Again, I’ll do as AA has dictated to me and stay with 1F should nothing else arise. And, no: I will not be a person who asks someone to change seats.
Re: asking to change seats, why not? Always expect a no, but can't hurt to ask nicely. I proactively offered up my seat when I saw a seat snafu with a couple separated.
Sep 11, 2023, 2:20 am
#2009
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: Mileageplus
Posts: 245
This isn't where you post things that are "at least" substantive. The exact opposite. Your complaint is valid!
Re: asking to change seats, why not? Always expect a no, but can't hurt to ask nicely. I proactively offered up my seat when I saw a seat snafu with a couple separated.
Re: asking to change seats, why not? Always expect a no, but can't hurt to ask nicely. I proactively offered up my seat when I saw a seat snafu with a couple separated.
Sep 12, 2023, 8:24 pm
#2010
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 175
Phl lounge toaster was broken near the bagels in the lower level A gates lounge. Didn’t bother to ask why. Went to BC lounge because that’s were the rest of my group was actually meeting. And the toaster was moved to a random position where they would do the avocado/salmon toast but there was no one there doing anything so I toasted my bagel there. Aren’t these things supposed to be hard to break so I can get more charred calories in me faster!?!
On another note, asked for a mimosa at the bar and got a confused look. Asked for OJ and Champaign and was given a confused look again. Asked for OJ and Prosecco and got a smile and a drink.
On another note, asked for a mimosa at the bar and got a confused look. Asked for OJ and Champaign and was given a confused look again. Asked for OJ and Prosecco and got a smile and a drink.