TrampledByAA

Sorry. Looked around and couldn't find an appropriate place to post this.



I book my flights 10 months in advance as 30 hours is about the maximum my cooler keeps my medication cool(it has to be injected within 45 mins of reaching room temperature) and I need an aisle seat as I need to get up frequently due to musculo-skeletal disease which requires me to take opiates for pain management, more so when I travel.


Dec 15, 2016

1. American Airlines flight departing Halifax to Philadelphia delayed due to mechanical issues.
2. Was concerned about making my connection to Doha.
3. American Airlines agent advised (and gave me printout) that I was to return to the airport Dec 16 to catch an Air Canada flight 860Y.
4. I advised agent that I needed an aisle seat on the Air Canada flight 860Y and was advised to call Air Canada directly to secure the aisle seat.
5. When I returned home, I called Air Canada. Air Canada said I needed a confirmation number from American Airlines.
6. I was then on the phone for over an hour with American Airlines. They said that the Air Canada 860Y flight was full and the only option available was to fly out to Toronto the next day on Westjet to catch British Airways to London and make the connection there. It was all over the news about the impending bad weather in Toronto.

Dec 16, 2016

1. Westjet flight to Toronto was delayed due to bad weather.
2. Westjet agent was great. He took my meds and put it in their staff fridge with the ice-packs in the freezer. He was genuinely concerned and I am grateful to to him for his concern.
3. Westjet and Air Canada confirmed that information provided by American Airlines Dec 15 was false. Air Canada flight 860Y to London was not full.
4. Westjet agent advised that I was not going to make my connection in Toronto.
5. American Airlines advised Westjet agent to get me to Toronto and they would get me on the British Airways flight to London.
6. Upon arrival in Toronto, I ran to the British Airways counter. I was advised that the gate was closed and that American Airlines did not secure my seat on that flight till 10 mins prior to me arriving at the counter. I was referred back to American Airlines.
7. At the American Airlines counter in Toronto I was very particular about my injections being kept cool.
8. I was told to return to the airport the next evening to catch a British Airways flight to London.
9. I was provided accommodation but when I asked that it be extended another half day so I can keep my ice-packs frozen, it was denied. I was told that I could wait in the hotel lounge from checkout till 7.00 pm when I needed to get back to the airport. I should not have accepted this but I was in pain and was not thinking clearly.
10. When I got to London, despite assurances from American Airlines that that British Airways would keep my medication refrigerated, I was not accommodated.
11. When I boarded British Airways in London and asked to have my injections refrigerated, they first took it and about 10 minutes later returned it to me advising that they could not help me.
12. I injected myself with an immunosuppressent one week before I was due to take it which led to complications. My option was to dispose of a CAD$800 injection and not have access to it till January 9, 2017. I took the injection as I needed it and could not afford to throw it away.

I think at the very least, I deserve an explanation from American Airlines as to why I was told that the Air Canada 860Y flight was full when it was not, culminating in a 62 hour experience that was not favourable to me. I have asked American Airlines for it and have been brushed off.


I think what is important is that I was not heard. It is very dehumanizing and not deserved.


Thanks for listening.

beckoa

Welcome to Flyertalk TrampledByAA.

I'm sorry that things didn't work out well this time for your travels.

As AA was the initial operating carrier, we'll move your thread to the AA forum for now. However as multiple airlines are involved, additional shuffling may occur.

~beckoa, co-moderator Information Desk

reeg2

My wife also takes a refrigerated injectable. When we travel, we dump the ice before security and then re-ice after security. Never had a problem.

On board, we've also received ice from FA's in all classes of service without question on many different airlines.

Were you not able to get ice anywhere? I guess I'm not understanding the problem as we've never had an issue with our situation.

3Cforme

The AA agent - if you didn't ask to wait for AA the next day - was responsible for reticketing you on other carriers with confirmed space and 'pushing' the ticket to them. With that, AA is done: no seat assignments, no ice, no refrigeration, no responsibility for subsequent delays, no processing of delayed baggage claims. Done.

flyerCO

Note ice can be taken through security. Frozen liquids are fine.