SeeBuyFly

Sounds extremely underhanded to me. You wanted to gain an advantage for yourself in exchange for screwing other customers. You deserve the SSSS just for that. Not to mention the fact that the agent would not be authorized to make such a Mafia-type deal.

C17PSGR

I agree it seems unlikely that the Flagship agent could have the SSSS on your boarding pass.

I'm an EXP and Global Entry but unfortunately get the SSSS from time to time. And ... the US Government knows more about me than average.

Gig103

Why wouldn't you have told people about EC261? It doesn't cost you anything!

CPRich

Because if there's anything we've learned over the years on FT, it's that making vague threats to company agents that have absolutely nothing to do with what you're talking about is a great way to have them treat you the way you are hoping.

I guess it's the same thought process as "hey, I won't tell the people I'm travelling with about their options. That'll help me too!"

Interesting routing.

SeeBuyFly

As Michelle Obama didn't exactly say: Travel hardships don't change who you are, they reveal who you are.

JDiver

The thread title has been changed to comply with the FlyerTalk Rules (the appropriate rule can be seen here). The original title can be read as the title post.

/Moderator

pinniped

Yea, that was one of my first thoughts. I wouldn't want to be the OP's traveling companion.

I often travel with friends or colleagues who don't know all of the ins and outs of the process. If we have to recover from IROPS, it's usually me making a call or figuring out options for a group of us. If there's a compensation angle, I'll either make the request for all of us or at least tell everybody what to do.

Anything else would feel incredibly douchey.

Often1

OP was not likely entitled to the free change because the fare bucket availability is unknown. Not suggesting that there are not agents who waive all manner of fare rules. Just not this one.

The OP's conduct is pretty shocking and his having earned "SSSS" is somewhere between an intentional act of the agent to karma to random with the latter being the most likely. As OP ought to know, "SSSS" on itnernational departures to the US is much more prevalent and the carrier is much more involved than on domestic tickets.

Whether the agent did this to OP or not, his conduct both in the past and in the moment is pretty shocking. It was wrong not to provide the EC 261/2004 information to his travel companions on his earlier travel and it was doubly wrong to threaten the agent with what is close enough to extortion, e.g. "if you don't break the rules for me, I will cost your employer money."

Whatever the outcome of OP's request, it never, never, never pays to engage in policy debates with people who don't make policy. Anybody sitting at a counter does not make policy.

apeortdz

SSSS is definitely a random occurrence.

Dave Noble

If there was availability in U class, the call to the reservations number would have been able to get the rebookign done.

If U class was not available, then just take the flight as booked

You got randomly selected for screening - that's life

If same day change is available, that can be done online

I take it that you don't like people that you travel with if you actively avoid letting them know when they may be entitled to compensation and just go and claim your own?

QPProletarian

SSSS has been running as high as 30% of pax when I last flew ex LHR on AA.

Cofyknsult

Good Point. Unfortunately, only ONE agent at Flagship FC check-in (I have no reason to believe that he/she is assigned there for being the brightest or more sympathetic), and long lines at other positions.

What baffles me is that, as per Expertflyer real time availability and given the remaining time before each flight, accepting to move me would have actually INCREASED AA's chances of added revenue. Classic domestic case in DFW, ORD and MIA where pax are turned away from early flights with availability, only to end with massive compensation at the end of the day for overbooking. Anybody with an IQ of 85 understands this.

lightbulbs

FYI I've been told in the past that JFK-LHR SDFC is only available if you're O&D JFK-LHR or vice versa and that itineraries with connections but with a JFK-LHR leg are not eligible for SDFC on the JFK-LHR leg. Of course sometimes you can find an agent who figures a way btbcurious if anyone confirm that this is indeed policy.

Dave Noble

Those with an IQ of 100 probably understands that when wanting to make a change to the booking, that unless there is availability to make the change, that it is quite normal for a change to be not possible

If there was a need identified by AA to make changes due to issues , I expect that it would have been doing so

JonNYC

No, it doesn't work that way.

Never has, never will.