Mar 14, 2017, 11:45 am
Last edit by: MaineFlyer16
Error Rebooking Into Basic Economy
Members and others are reporting erroneous rebooking - mostly under OSO / IROPS conditions - from some form of Main Cabin / Economy (but also domestic First) into "B" Basic Economy. This inhibits the possibility of upgrading, better seat selection and even may bar one from boarding with carryon baggage.
Agents can avoid this, and they can remedy it - but many do not know how at this time, and attribute the issue to "weird computer problems".
Reports in View From the Wing: "UH OH: American Airlines Customers Are Getting Stuck in Basic Economy Even When They Buy More Expensive Tickets" by Gary Leff on March 14, 2017. Link.
Ive now heard from readers, seen in my Facebook feed, and read a Flyertalk thread all reporting the same problem with American Airlines Basic Economy: agents are rebooking customers who did not buy Basic Economy tickets into Basic Economy fares when changing their flights as a result of cancellations, such as because of the bad weather going on in the Northeast right now.
AA Errors Reticketing into Basic Economy Fare
Mar 14, 2017 | 5:41 pm
#31
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: FL
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Plat, IC Plat Amb, HH Diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 1,299
If you read my post you will see that I was booked in Business transcon too and was downgraded to basic economy without seats and no possible "upgrade". I was given the same compensation as OP. 10k miles. A joke. AA is a joke anyways. If they didnt control most of MIA I would travel with United or Delta
Mar 14, 2017 | 6:12 pm
#32
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: SoCal (ONT), PVD/BOS, JAX, RSW
Programs: AA/US PlatPro & 1.05MM, DL Plat (challenge), UA dirt
Posts: 3,190
If you read my post you will see that I was booked in Business transcon too and was downgraded to basic economy without seats and no possible "upgrade". I was given the same compensation as OP. 10k miles. A joke. AA is a joke anyways. If they didnt control most of MIA I would travel with United or Delta
Update: I got 7,500 miles and a form letter for my troubles. I can only imagine what one gets when they are on an Economy fare.
Last edited by fgirard; Mar 15, 2017 at 3:51 pm Reason: Update
Mar 16, 2017 | 3:41 pm
#33
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: US
Programs: AAdvantage
Posts: 1,752
Dammit, AA made it very clear to their agents that they were not to use B inventory when rebooking non-basic economy passengers. My guess is that the inadvertent booking into B was the product of previous training to rebook into the lowest available inventory.
On an otherwise full flight with availability Y1 H0 S0 N0 Q0 O0 B1, I'd wager that most agents would instinctively choose B over Y, even more so if they're not fully versed in the basic economy product. I doubt many agents have even seen a passenger traveling on such a fare yet, and agents at stations that aren't BE markets wouldn't have had much of a reason to pay attention. The B inventory in markets where BE is not offered may be "phantom" and automatically tied to availability in higher inventories.
AA discourages rebooking into Y if a lower inventory is available, in part because of the "unearned" extra perks like Priority and additional EQMs.
On an otherwise full flight with availability Y1 H0 S0 N0 Q0 O0 B1, I'd wager that most agents would instinctively choose B over Y, even more so if they're not fully versed in the basic economy product. I doubt many agents have even seen a passenger traveling on such a fare yet, and agents at stations that aren't BE markets wouldn't have had much of a reason to pay attention. The B inventory in markets where BE is not offered may be "phantom" and automatically tied to availability in higher inventories.
Why not just rebook in full Y like they sometimes do? I find the IRROPS rebooking in Y does two things, it gives the tickets max flexibility and the extra EQMs can do a good job at getting most pax to shut up and not come back asking for more. If crediting to a different program, the extra miles gained from full Y can also do a good job at getting those pax to not complain.
Last edited by ThreeJulietTango; Mar 16, 2017 at 3:52 pm
Mar 16, 2017 | 7:55 pm
#36
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio
Programs: DL DM, Former AA EXP now AY Plat, AC 75K, NW Plat, Former CO Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 28,002
Agree. At least with DL when they moved to their version of QIK left access to the normal system. Thus way agents could fix things. At AA it's sorry we need to call someone or my favorite borrowed from KLM, "that is not possible."
Mar 17, 2017 | 5:50 pm
#37
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: US
Programs: AAdvantage
Posts: 1,752
Hopefully continued negative feedback from employees and customers alike will cause them to roll back some of the restrictions. From what I understand rebooking during IROPS took much longer this winter season because there are (legacy AA) agents working in a much more limited system that they are relatively unfamiliar with. And of course the culture among legacy US agents was already "computer says no", so they weren't of much help either.
Mar 19, 2017 | 8:44 pm
#38
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 210
Often1 very sensibly suggests a DOT complaint in order to increase the likelihood sure that the right people at AA are alerted, and that the problem is fixed in full. That rings true to me. Note that the best way to escalate in this way is via a "formal" DOT complaint, procedure at http://www.benedelman.org/dot-complaints/ , not the informal process at https://airconsumer.dot.gov/escompla...nsumerForm.cfm . The formal complaint goes straight to AA lawyers, not customer service staff, and AA will be required to respond to the entire interested public and officially and on the record. Much more accountability this way.
Mar 19, 2017 | 10:48 pm
#39
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: RBKC
Programs: AA EXP and Eurostar Carte Blanche
Posts: 4,130
A colleague just changed the dates of her flights (CX, paid J, booked through AA) and received an email confirmation from AA warning that she was in Basic Economy, with seats in CX J 
Definitely some weird stuff going on with regards to Basic Economy these days.
Definitely some weird stuff going on with regards to Basic Economy these days.
Mar 19, 2017 | 10:55 pm
#40
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio
Programs: DL DM, Former AA EXP now AY Plat, AC 75K, NW Plat, Former CO Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 28,002
If it sees the code that AA uses for BE fare class it can get confused.