BayAArea

Thanks - that sounds like a logical place to start.

BayAArea

I don't have the UA boarding pass anymore, as they took it back when it wasn't scanning and I figured they were re-printing it.

What I have is a stapled together two vouchers from AA - one is the new Passenger Itinerary stating the UA flight info and a new ticket number (I assume for the United ticket) that is different from the original ticket number I bought for AA originally. Also, there is a second sheet that is labeled Passenger Receipt, and lays out the fare calculation in detail, the fact that it was an INVOL, and a new ticket number that the AA rep circled when she gave me the docs.

These two documents were used when I got over to UA to generate what i thought was my boarding pass, but I guess was a useless card that sat in my pocket for three hours.

HNL

FWIW the original AA flight cancelled because of mechanical issues. Contact AA for reimbursement of hotel, taxi, and meals.

sbrower

This is a weird one and I am going to suggest that it is UA, and not AA, which is liable here (although AA customer service is more likely to be sympathetic).

AA apparently properly transferred the customer to UA.

(Since it has never happened to me, can someone please tell me a story about AA (or UA) issuing a boarding pass (in the last year - not when we had paper tickets) without an underlying payment instrument? In other words, once you have a boarding pass, it is my experience that you have a valid right to travel, short of IDB, odd security issue, etc. but NOT failure to purchase a ticket).

Now, a UA agent, due to incompetence or laziness or UA computer error refuses to honor the boarding pass. I know that AA is originating carrier, but is that really AA's problem? What if the UA agent kicked the customer? Is AA responsible as the originating carrier?

flyalways

Hi there,

A similar situation happened to me but with BA. I was re-booked on
a BA flight by AA. Tried to do web check-in at BA website. It would
allow me to pick a seat but not print boarding pass. (please collect at
airport was the message)

At airport, the BA agent said that AA has not processed the ticket and
I should call them. Called EXP line and handed the phone to BA agent.
They both figured it out and were able to release the BP.

But the fault seemed to be with AA in not processing the ticket
transfer to BA..

F.A.

Often1

The sole question is whether AA properly reissued the ticket for the UA flight. No cash really changes hands between AA & US. But, you do need a valid ticket. This was easy once upon a time because you had a paper coupon on which AA wrote "Rule 240 to UA" and you schlepped over to UA with it and UA gave you a BP.

Rather than trying to play detective in a space where you will never get it figured out:

1. Claim for the hotel to AA. Either way, they cancelled due to MX and you didn't get out of LAX.

2. Make an IDB claim to UA (and do a webform compalitn to DOT). If you were properly ticketed and with a reservation and at the gate by T-15, but were denied, UA owes you for that. DOT will require UA to document the situation and, if AA is telling the truth, UA will have a valid ticket. If AA did not properly reissue the ticket to UA, there is no IDB on UA and no violation by AA (but nonetheless worth reporting to DOT as this is a simple and routine transaction).

While it's a PITA these days and busy agents hate it, one way to avoid this because it does happen is to ask the AA agent doing the rebooking to issue a paper coupon. You then schlep over to UA with it as in days of yore.

Alex_I

- If the ticket starts with 001 it is AA, 016 - UA. If the ticket was issued on UA stock (i.e., it starts with 016) than it is an unexplainable failure by UA agent. If you have the ticket number it means that it was issued and there is a trace of payment information. Of course, issued ticket never guarantees the seat but than you were denied boarding by UA for a ticketed reservation.

A somewhat similar thing happened to my wife (EXP) who was flying to LAX and then to MRY on AA. Her flight was delayed and while she was in the air I have called EXP desk and asked to rebook her on UA because she would miss her last AA flight to MRY. EXP agent did that and I insisted by getting the ticket number for her UA rebooking. When landed in LAX, she did receive her boarding pass but was not allowed to board by UA "because AA did not pay for the ticket". Sounds familiar? She called me and I simply gave the gate agent her UA ticket number. She was allowed to board then and arrived to MRY with 1 hr delay of her initial schedule.

cynicAAl

did any of you 5 have checked bags on UA ? and if so, did the bags fly without you, or were they pulled when you were denied boarding ?

MSPeconomist

Unless the flight was overbooked, it's not officially IDB?????

tom911

You might want to take a look at this UA thread where the passenger had similar issues when moved from UA to AA:
United rebooked on AA paper ticket, denied boarding

doug68

you must be a hit at the office holiday party

airplanegod

Sounds like United dropped the ball on this one, especially with that stellar customer service on their part

Dave Noble

and what have office parties got at all to do with a forum on AA travel?

nrr

Several years ago (long before USAir, AA merger), my flight from LAX to LAS on AA was cancelled. The agent at the AC in LAX, found availabiliy on USAir, LAX to LAS, BUT she could not make the proper arrangements; I had to call USAir and reserve a seat; the AC agent gave me (on 001 ticket stock) a breakdown of my ticket on AA. When I got to USAir check-in I gave the agent my locator and the "ticket" from AA, she printed my bp and I flew^
I'm not sure why any of that worked--but it DID--couldn't OP have DONE what I did?

Exec_Plat

I agree with this advice. Let them figure it out.