Do I have any other recourse? (kind of long story) (upgrade charge problems)
#31
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If your Amex bill is regularly over $50k a month and you buy $3900 shoes, it's probably not worth wasting time in small claims court over this particular pack of airline "peanuts."
#32
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#33
Join Date: Jun 2002
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The issue isn't whether you flew in J or not, but rather whether you authorized the charge to your Amex account. AA needs to provide proof you authorized the charge (over and above what you already paid for the Y fare). If they cannot, you should win the dispute. Keep pushing on Amex at this point.
#34
Join Date: Jul 2009
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Scheduled flights: outbound: 4/22/17 LAX-JFK; return: 4/29 17 JFK-LAX, PNR ABCDE, 2 PAX on PNR.
On April 21, 2017, I called the American Airlines Platinum Pro line to upgrade one of the passengers (my sister) to First Class (from MCE). In order to do that, the agent had to split the record. When the agent split the record, she informed me that there was one seat in Business and that my complimentary upgrade had cleared. The airfare difference of ~$3,800 to upgrade her to first class was charged to her American Express account and is not in dispute. I gave the Am Ex card number once.
On April 26, while we were in New York, my sister checked her Am Ex accounts and saw there was also a charge of ~$2,700 for the upgrade for my ticket. We immediately called the American Airlines Platinum Pro line and explained the situation, we was on the phone with the agent for over 35 minutes, as she tried to get the money refunded. The agent said she had talked to her supervisors and that there was nothing that they could do at that point. She said that she would note all of this in my record and to just dispute the charge with Am Ex, then American Airlines would see the note re: this incident and refund the charge to my Am Ex.
Our many attempts to get the ~$2,900 refunded was in vain, as American Airlines response is simply, “that I traveled”, so nothing can be done. I am not disputing the fact that I was on the flight, just the unauthorized CC charge.
Do we have any other recourse?
On April 21, 2017, I called the American Airlines Platinum Pro line to upgrade one of the passengers (my sister) to First Class (from MCE). In order to do that, the agent had to split the record. When the agent split the record, she informed me that there was one seat in Business and that my complimentary upgrade had cleared. The airfare difference of ~$3,800 to upgrade her to first class was charged to her American Express account and is not in dispute. I gave the Am Ex card number once.
On April 26, while we were in New York, my sister checked her Am Ex accounts and saw there was also a charge of ~$2,700 for the upgrade for my ticket. We immediately called the American Airlines Platinum Pro line and explained the situation, we was on the phone with the agent for over 35 minutes, as she tried to get the money refunded. The agent said she had talked to her supervisors and that there was nothing that they could do at that point. She said that she would note all of this in my record and to just dispute the charge with Am Ex, then American Airlines would see the note re: this incident and refund the charge to my Am Ex.
Our many attempts to get the ~$2,900 refunded was in vain, as American Airlines response is simply, “that I traveled”, so nothing can be done. I am not disputing the fact that I was on the flight, just the unauthorized CC charge.
Do we have any other recourse?
I suspect that the AA ticket agents do not have the power to issue the refund, but their billing department certainly will. There is absolutely no way AA can prove you/your sister authorized the charge, so the CC dispute will work.
Amex will take care of you.
#35
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#36
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I don't understand why this is even a question. Dispute the charge with Amex, say it was unauthorized, you authorized a $3800 charge to upgrade one passenger, and AA told you on the phone that you would receive a complimentary upgrade due to your status.
I suspect that the AA ticket agents do not have the power to issue the refund, but their billing department certainly will. There is absolutely no way AA can prove you/your sister authorized the charge, so the CC dispute will work.
Amex will take care of you.
I suspect that the AA ticket agents do not have the power to issue the refund, but their billing department certainly will. There is absolutely no way AA can prove you/your sister authorized the charge, so the CC dispute will work.
Amex will take care of you.
#37
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 3,904
Don't assume it's so easy to get the credit card to decide in your favor. I just went round and round with Hyatt and Chase Sapphire Reserve about a credit they promised but messed up. It took months and Chase wouldn't budge without Hyatt's approval.
#38
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#39
Join Date: Feb 2003
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Scheduled flights: outbound: 4/22/17 LAX-JFK; return: 4/29 17 JFK-LAX, PNR ABCDE, 2 PAX on PNR.
On April 21, 2017, I called the American Airlines Platinum Pro line to upgrade one of the passengers (my sister) to First Class (from MCE). In order to do that, the agent had to split the record. When the agent split the record, she informed me that there was one seat in Business and that my complimentary upgrade had cleared.
On April 21, 2017, I called the American Airlines Platinum Pro line to upgrade one of the passengers (my sister) to First Class (from MCE). In order to do that, the agent had to split the record. When the agent split the record, she informed me that there was one seat in Business and that my complimentary upgrade had cleared.
Customer believed Business Class upgrade was complimentary for a Platinum Pro.
Airline believes Business Class upgrade was a paid upfare.
Is the customer's understanding correct? I'm leaning towards "no". Here's why: AAgent reported one seat remaining in Biz. It's reasonable for that one seat to be held until the last minute. Let's get real. How many times have you cleared, six hours in advance, into a J1 inventory situation? I can't think of a single occasion. Airlines hold that last seat (sometimes the last 3 to 6 seats) for possible last-minute sale at big bux. If (and only if) the last seat isn't sold before the 30-minute mark, they assign it to the highest entry on the airport waitlist.
In my imagination, the exact words the AAgent used were: "There is one seat left in Business. You have a complimentary upgrade.".
What was implied but NOT spoken: "But you'll never clear because the waitlist is a mile long.".
Continuing the conversation: "Shall I put you into that one remaining Business Class seat?".
What was implied, not spoken, yet performed: "At the super-special last-minute high-roller price?"
Misunderstandings are unfortunate, especially when they're expensive.
Do we have any other recourse?
#40
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#41
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#42
Join Date: Aug 2006
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Disagree big time. My Amex bill is much more than $50k at times but I would certainly take this all the way. I am shocked though if Amex doesn't help here, I've had nothing but excellent service from them (and I've been in the other end as a merchant also where Amex blindly believes a lying customer)
#44
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 279
Because you can.
OPs sister' credit card was intended only to pay for the OP's sister's upgraded ticket to F.
Of course as I think perhaps you're really pointing out - why/how did AA use that CC for the apparent upgrade on the OPs ticket? And I guess the answer is that AA doesn't require the cardholder name to match the passenger name. If they did it would be a big inconvenience. People *do* legitimately buy tickets for others.
OPs sister' credit card was intended only to pay for the OP's sister's upgraded ticket to F.
Of course as I think perhaps you're really pointing out - why/how did AA use that CC for the apparent upgrade on the OPs ticket? And I guess the answer is that AA doesn't require the cardholder name to match the passenger name. If they did it would be a big inconvenience. People *do* legitimately buy tickets for others.
#45
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But I don't know if they will just use the card on file (i.e., used to pay for the original ticket) to also pay for changes. I'm think you usually have to give a new credit card, no? Maybe there's a dollar threshold? I do seem to recall when changing award tickets any change in taxes would just flow through to the card (either as a charge or refund, depending) but the amounts were usually pocket change. But when you call in for a mileage upgrade you have to give a new CC for the co-pay. And the OP in this case gave her sister's CC to up-fare her sister's ticket, whereas I understand the original tickets were purchased jointly on the OP's own CC.
Regardless, you can't call in and make changes that would benefit yourself on someone else's credit card, unless, of course, you have the credit card number.