profpuff

Facts: I have business in Sydney; my employer purchased my ORD-LAX-SYD ticket. Purchase identical route for husband, but, because we are paying and not employer, have to do it on separate reservation. The routes are economy for ORD-LAX and Premium Economy for LAX to SYD. Ask over and over to have the reservations linked; AA says no way. Legs of flight were always meant to be connecting; 2 hour plus layover at LAX, arriving and departing flights three gates apart, more than enough time to make connection. Here's what went wrong:

Issue 1. Four and 1/2 hours before takeoff, get text from AA: flight from ORD-LAX is departing two hours late and they offer absolutely no reason and no explanation. Weather is perfect in both cities This delay of course nullifies any chance to make LAX-SYD flight. This is my major issue with this whole miserable mess: they offered us no help whatsoever at that point. We had to call. We had to beg. They kept saying that our "fare classes" did not qualify us to get on an earlier ORD-LAX flight---what the heck do the fare classes have to do with anything at this point?!?!?! They are nullifying a chance to make a long haul flight from LAX -SYD and AA thinks it should not have to offer any customer service to us? I need your help on this one: what does AA owe us for so totally and completely dropping the ball at this point.

Issue 2: After calling, being put on hold, then being told about the fare class crap (see above), and not being allowed to switch to an earlier ORD-LAX flight, we are put on an ORD-SAN flight, then SAN-LAX flight. We have 35 minutes to connect in SAN. We kill ourselves, and make it to ORD, check in, surrender our luggage for the ORD-SAN then SAN-LAX, then LAX-SYD flight. Ten minutes after we go through security, we get a text: your ORD-SAN flight is delayed one hour; you will miss your SAN-LAX flight. Again, no reason for the delay: weather perfect, no mention of mechanical. Again, no offer of customer service.

Issue 3: We race to an AA Customer Service desk. While they get us on the earlier ORD-LAX flight that they refused to put us on earlier (see number 2, above). However, in doing so, they obliterate my husband reservation. We learn later, that when they finally figured out how to bring it up again, they had obliterated his Premium Economy status. Even though it was their mistake, and they admit that, they fight us tooth and nail, and, finally, get him back to Premium Economy.

Issue 4: We actually arrive in Sydney as schedule, but, of course, our luggage does not. We go without it for two days.

Issue 5: Every AA person complained because we are on separate reservations. However, I just don't know how one is supposed to make them the same if an employer is paying for one ticket on an employer credit care and you are paying personally for the other.

So, I think AA completely failed us from a customer service perspective. But, I need your wisdom and guidance. What are we due for this debacle?

Thank you.
Profpuff

Erik Strahm

Details:
6/28-6/30
AA232 DFW->KEF

• 90 minutes into a 7-hour flight from DFW to KEF, the pilot alerted us to a "minor" mechanical problem that would require a return to DFW to "check it out."
• Emergency vehicles lined the runway as we landed and escorted our plane to the terminal. There was no explanation for why this "minor" problem that just "needed to be checked out" required this response.
• The flight crew and GAs never announced what was happening or what the next steps would be.
• We were asked to de-plane a while later and entered the complete chaos of AA customer support.
  • AA customer service reps were clumped together creating a mob of passengers asking questions. The uniform response we got was that the flight would be delayed until the next day, but we were offered multiple different times for departure. I was told to call AA to make sure of the time and had to wait for call back for 45 minutes.
  • The customer service reps were handing out hotel vouchers. We had to argue with two different reps to get two vouchers (so we would have beds for all five of us). Note that this was going on throughout the mob. For something that certainly is a regular event, this whole scene was orchestrated poorly.
  • On the hotel shuttle bus, we discovered that the reps had given us vouchers for two different hotels and had NOT given us meal vouchers as the other passengers had been given. We were able to swap vouchers with a fellow passenger. AA phone rep told me to submit receipts for meals to a fax number.
  • Because AA wouldn't return our bags (despite repairing the plane for 15 hours), we had to purchase toiletries for five at the hotel.
• The now "fixed" plane was nearly an hour late getting back to the gate. The gate agents were so frustrated by operations folks not giving them a reasonable response that they were slamming phones down and actively fuming.
• Once the plane got there, catering and cleaning were blamed for further delays.
• We finally got on the plane and got underway, after a 15-hour delay.
• A couple of hours into the flight, the pilot informed us that the "minor" problem that initially diverted and delayed us by 15 hours had NOT been fixed. We would need to divert to JFK this time for a different plane.
• Emergency vehicles AGAIN lined the runway and escorted us to the gate.
• We were told to de-plane and would be able to get right to another plane at gate just across the terminal aisle.
• We waited another 2 hours for problems with catering and cleaning. The gate agents again showed their enormous frustration with AA operations teams.
• We finally did get on this plane and made it to KEF nearly 30 hours after beginning the flight.

I filled out the Customer Relations form and eventually heard back from AA about a week later. The rep apologized for our delayed flight, gave me information on how to recover my baggage (We didn't have any trouble with our bags), offered $200 eVouchers. I'm outraged by this tiny compensation after two emergency landings, more than a day of delays, and generally treating us poorly. Am I out of line in thinking that the compensation should be higher?

desi

Really? EC 216 does not apply? More than 3500km flight, flight into EU, delay over 4 hours, no extraordinary situation exception.
I thought compensation would be 700 USD per person.

pmblinn

Not when it originates in the US.

bse118

For clarity: *Not when it originates in the US on a US carrier. [as in this case]

Flights operated by EU carriers are covered under EC261 even when departing the US.

pmblinn

Correct. Thanks for clarification.

JDiver

The delays could have been for other reasons, but ORD is notorious for ATC ground holds in summer and winter.

PNRs can not be linked, but... see FAQ: TCP, "Linking" / link / merge itineraries / PNR (master thread).

Don’t expect major compo. You should request expenses for any toiletries, etc. you had to purchase until your baggage arrived.

Please refrain from cross posting; it’s not allowed on FlyerTalk.

Moderator

JDiver

The big foulup occurred when the aircraft wasn’t properly repaired and cleared, IMO. Flying is not a 100% trouble free experience, with weather, mechanicals, human factors, etc. You had two unpleasant experiences, but you eventually got to your destination. This is an excellent illustration of why it’s crucial to allow more time than scheduled to get to your destination: if you’d been scheduled to depart on the Star Pride the same day you were scheduled to arrive KEF, you’d have had even more incinvenirnce.

In my estimation, you could ask for meals reimbursement, but I’d not expect much more than the $200 vouchers you were issued. Try, if you will, and good luck, but...

bd24133

• Date - July 26
• AAdvantage Status - I am EXP, son Plt but flying on no status JMB
• Fare class - I (JFK-MXP)
• What happened - Travelling as a family, sons business class seat broken (wouldn't fully recline / go flat).
• Compensation - Wife got 10k miles via tablet from attendant on plane. She didn't tell me so I wrote in asking for voucher compensation (we have no real use for more miles for personal travel) and was given $200 voucher for my son.

profpuff

We received 7500 miles each in compensation, which I believe is fair.
We also are being reimbursed for delay expenses (only about $100).
Will refrain from cross-posting.

Prof Puff

LutherVP

Flying SCL-DFW-XXX last night in premium economy. Flight cancelled for mechanical after we sit on board for 3 hours, usual shenanigans ensue but we end up taken back through immigration and customs, wait for a bus to hotel (the Sheraton - nice!) and they reschedule last night's flight for tonight. (>24 hours later). I called AA and even working through LAN they couldn't get me home less than 24 hours after the scheduled arrival. I understand that mechanicals happen, and all in all the local AA folks handled things reasonably well (though the buses took forever to show up and they could have just given everyone taxi vouchers). But given that I am getting home 24 hours later than scheduled, I would expect some compensation. Any sense of what would be reasonable? I have platinum status in case that matters.

Also, randomly, even though they are bringing out a new plane for us, my seat assignment disappeared overnight and I barely managed to grab the last available aisle seat in premium economy. I don't understand how that happened, but no harm done...

wrp96

Used2LoveUA

Jaimito Cartero

OTD

OP specified business class. I'd take 15K miles for that.