Last edit by: JDiver
The 2019 compensation master thread is here.
Questions about, guide to, and listing of, compensation (2018, master thread)
Welcome to the "2018 Guide to, and listing of, compensation" thread!
NOTE: If compensation is not generated automatically (occasionally, it will), you will want to contact American Airlines Customer Relations. See Contacting American Airlines Customer Relations & Complaint, Issues (master thread).
In keeping with tradition, we'd like to ask members to report their compensation in the following format:
- Date
- AAdvantage Status
- Fare class
- What happened
- Compensation
- Comments
• JGR01 has created a spreadsheet parsing posts in this thread from 2003-2007, available for download here
• AA's official policy regarding compensation for delays, cancellations, and diversions is as follows (thanks to tom911 for posting):
DELAYS, CANCELLATIONS AND DIVERSIONS
American Airlines will provide customers at the airport and onboard an affected aircraft with timely and frequent updates regarding known delays, cancellations and diversions and will strive to provide the best available information concerning the duration of delays and to the extent available, the flight's anticipated departure time.
We are not responsible for any special, incidental or consequential damages if we do not meet this commitment.
When cancellations and major delays are experienced, you will be rerouted on our next flight with available seats. If the delay or cancellation was caused by events within our control and we do not get you to your final destination on the expected arrival day, we will provide reasonable overnight accommodations, subject to availability.
In extreme circumstances, it is possible that a flight will cancel while on the ground in the city to which it was diverted. When this happens you will be rerouted on the next American flight with available seats, or in some circumstances on another airline or some other alternative means of transportation. If we are unable to reroute you, reasonable overnight accommodations will be provided by American, subject to availability.
American will provide amenities for delayed passengers, necessary to maintain the safety and/or welfare of certain passengers such as customers with disabilities, unaccompanied children, the elderly or others to whom such amenities will be furnished consistent with special needs and/or circumstances.
American Airlines will provide customers at the airport and onboard an affected aircraft with timely and frequent updates regarding known delays, cancellations and diversions and will strive to provide the best available information concerning the duration of delays and to the extent available, the flight's anticipated departure time.
We are not responsible for any special, incidental or consequential damages if we do not meet this commitment.
When cancellations and major delays are experienced, you will be rerouted on our next flight with available seats. If the delay or cancellation was caused by events within our control and we do not get you to your final destination on the expected arrival day, we will provide reasonable overnight accommodations, subject to availability.
In extreme circumstances, it is possible that a flight will cancel while on the ground in the city to which it was diverted. When this happens you will be rerouted on the next American flight with available seats, or in some circumstances on another airline or some other alternative means of transportation. If we are unable to reroute you, reasonable overnight accommodations will be provided by American, subject to availability.
American will provide amenities for delayed passengers, necessary to maintain the safety and/or welfare of certain passengers such as customers with disabilities, unaccompanied children, the elderly or others to whom such amenities will be furnished consistent with special needs and/or circumstances.
Contrary to the belief of some, airlines are not required to compensate passengers for “damages” when flights are delayed or canceled. Compensation is required by law only when you are “bumped” from a flight that is oversold. Airlines almost always refuse to pay passengers for financial losses resulting from a delayed flight. If the purpose of your trip is to close a potentially lucrative business deal, to give a speech or lecture, to attend a family function, or to be present at any time-sensitive event, you might want to allow a little extra time and take an earlier flight. In other words, airline delays and cancellations are not unusual, and defensive planning is a good idea when time is your most important consideration.
Also see (FT) EC261 / EC 261/2004 complaints, compensation and AA (master thread)
(The other compensation threads are archived and closed, but can easily be accessed for reading here:
2017 Questions about, guide to, and listing of, compensation (consolidated)
2016 Questions about, guide to, and listing of, compensation (consolidated)
2015 Questions about, guide to, listing of, compensation (consolidated - archived)
2014 Questions about, guide to, listing of, compensation (consolidated - archived)
2013 Questions about, guide to, and listing of compensation (archived)
Guide to, and listing of, compensation (2012 - archived)
Guide to, and listing of, compensation (2003 - 2011 archived)
AA Forum Moderator Team
ARCHIVE: Questions for 2018 about, guide to, listing of, compensation
#106
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Hermosa Beach, CA
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 67
@Often1 - thx for the great suggestion re: travel insurance. I have never made a claim for travel delays but it turns out that Aviator Silver MC (which I used to purchase tix) comps for delays over 6 hrs. And thx for everyone's input. Sounds like I'm doing ok w/what they offered me so will stand down now.
#107
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 142
pre-US Air merger I would usually get miles versus vouchers when I would complain about flight delays, but now that I'm just gold, most of the time I don't get anything. I was impacted by the PSA issue in Charlotte a few weeks ago and got nothing while a co-worker that's platinum got 15k miles.
#108
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,314
If in Y, that’s a good offer. They will never give you more than you paid for the ticket (it that’s what they say)
If paid F, that flight is roughly $1k one way. I’d resort to twitter shaming in that case.
If paid F, that flight is roughly $1k one way. I’d resort to twitter shaming in that case.
#109
Join Date: Oct 2015
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 89
@Often1 - thx for the great suggestion re: travel insurance. I have never made a claim for travel delays but it turns out that Aviator Silver MC (which I used to purchase tix) comps for delays over 6 hrs. And thx for everyone's input. Sounds like I'm doing ok w/what they offered me so will stand down now.
#110
Join Date: Feb 2009
Programs: AA 1MM, Hyatt GP Platinum, *wood Gold
Posts: 173
- Date: 12 June 2018
- AAdvantage Status: Platinum (1MM)
- Fare class: Economy fare, ORD-LGA
- What happened: IFE console was defective, could not access IFE using AA app on own device, despite otherwise functional app and on-board wifi
- Compensation: 7500 miles
- Comments: Miles posted within 24 hours of filing complaint. Felt comp was on the low side, given the results of previous complaints about defective IFE systems on board planes, but did not press the issue for fear of ending up like the plaintiff in the NWA case
#111
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Hermosa Beach, CA
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 67
#112
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: PHL
Programs: AA EXP, HH Diamond, Owner of 2,000 TWA shares
Posts: 812
@Often1 - thx for the great suggestion re: travel insurance. I have never made a claim for travel delays but it turns out that Aviator Silver MC (which I used to purchase tix) comps for delays over 6 hrs. And thx for everyone's input. Sounds like I'm doing ok w/what they offered me so will stand down now.
#113
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: coastal Croatia
Programs: BAEC Gold, M&M Senator
Posts: 2,181
Biz class, OWE (BA). 7500 AA miles for a 3 hour delay into London Heathrow that resulted in a missed connection. arrived at my final destination six hours late after a bus ride to Gatwick to (just barely) catch the substitute onward flight, no luggage for two days. absolute refusal by customer service to increase compensation after I indicated that this was absurdly low since the same delay on the reverse routing would have been 600 Euros. Also miffed that I was unable to use the arrivals lounge at LHR due to the fact that I had to leave immediately for Gatwick. This will make me rethink using AA for eastbound transatlantic.
#114
Join Date: Dec 2012
Programs: AY Plat, AA ExP, NH Gold, AMEX PLAT
Posts: 312
AA compensation for over a 6 hour delay?
Hello. I flew AA 153 as per link and we left 3 hours late and mid-air we had to turn back to Chicago as the windshield broke.
All in all it was over 6 hour delay. Doesn't AA have to compensate some how?
I did receive a one page letter stating the delay and times from the gate agent.
Is there supposed to be any compensation?
https://liveandletsfly.boardingarea....eld-explained/
All in all it was over 6 hour delay. Doesn't AA have to compensate some how?
I did receive a one page letter stating the delay and times from the gate agent.
Is there supposed to be any compensation?
https://liveandletsfly.boardingarea....eld-explained/
#115
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: SYR
Programs: US/AA-Platinum, Hilton-Diamond, Marriott-Gold, AVIS-Presidents Club, National-Executive Elite
Posts: 2,755
You might be thinking of EU Regulations dealing with flights to/from the EU:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight...ation_261/2004
#116
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 145
3 hour tarmac delay
family of 4 (3 kids, 1 adult) stuck on tarmac MIA-DCA for just under 3 hours
needless to say, awful
issue was mechanical
Is compensation owed?
needless to say, awful
issue was mechanical
Is compensation owed?
#117
Join Date: May 2002
Location: St Louis, MO
Programs: AA L.T. PLT
Posts: 3,281
HNL - DFW in F
IFE audio did not work.
I e-mailed AA about it almost a week ago and received the auto reply that "we got your message" And that's been it so far.
How long before you think I need wait before I contact them again? Or is there something else I should be doing?
Thanks
UPDATED - and here's a timing coincidence.
I posted this at 9:44 and at 11:23 I received an e-mail from AA about my issue.
"As a gesture of goodwill, we've credited your AAdvantage® account with 15,000 bonus miles"
I'll take that.
Thank you very much.
IFE audio did not work.
I e-mailed AA about it almost a week ago and received the auto reply that "we got your message" And that's been it so far.
How long before you think I need wait before I contact them again? Or is there something else I should be doing?
Thanks
UPDATED - and here's a timing coincidence.
I posted this at 9:44 and at 11:23 I received an e-mail from AA about my issue.
"As a gesture of goodwill, we've credited your AAdvantage® account with 15,000 bonus miles"
I'll take that.
Thank you very much.
Last edited by pkerr; Jul 12, 2018 at 10:27 am
#118
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 474
Date: 28 June 2018
AAdvantage status: Executive Platinum
Itinerary: LHR -> DFW
Fare class: Economy, upgraded to Business via SWU
What happened: The second meal service (listed on aa.com as brunch or snack) was not served. The flight attendants did not make an announcement either, nor suggest passengers go to self-service bar for food before they packed it up.
Compensation: 5000 miles
Comments: I had to go back and forth with CS before they did anything, as they seemed to think there was not supposed to be a second meal service. 5k miles seems very paltry for a big service miss.
AAdvantage status: Executive Platinum
Itinerary: LHR -> DFW
Fare class: Economy, upgraded to Business via SWU
What happened: The second meal service (listed on aa.com as brunch or snack) was not served. The flight attendants did not make an announcement either, nor suggest passengers go to self-service bar for food before they packed it up.
Compensation: 5000 miles
Comments: I had to go back and forth with CS before they did anything, as they seemed to think there was not supposed to be a second meal service. 5k miles seems very paltry for a big service miss.
#119
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Hoboken, NJ
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 194
Status: Platinum
Route: BOS-DFW turned into BOS-LGA-DFW turned into BOS-DCA-DFW
Compensation: 7500 miles
Issue: Original flight’s incoming aircraft didn’t come in evening prior due to weather at DFW. Rebooked through LGA. BOS-LGA has mx issues. Rebooked through DCA. I arrived about 5 hours after my scheduled time.
Route: BOS-DFW turned into BOS-LGA-DFW turned into BOS-DCA-DFW
Compensation: 7500 miles
Issue: Original flight’s incoming aircraft didn’t come in evening prior due to weather at DFW. Rebooked through LGA. BOS-LGA has mx issues. Rebooked through DCA. I arrived about 5 hours after my scheduled time.
#120
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Manhattan Beach, California
Programs: BMI Diamond Club Gold forever
Posts: 6,367
My BWI-DFW-SEA flight was diverted to OKC due to DFW weather closure. AA was unable to get me to SEA the following day so I bought a DL ticket and asked AA to refund DFW-SEA. The refund came through this week and i actually got $280 of $380 refunded. Actually pretty fair outcome in the end. I think this may have been an overly generous refund to reflect that I had asked them to cover my DL ticket since they couldnt actually get me home the next day.