Used 500-mile upgrades. Advertised meal not served. Fun response.
Nov 14, 2018, 3:53 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2005
Location: TUS
Programs: AA Plat, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 552
Used 500-mile upgrades. Advertised meal not served. Fun response.
Flew AA 5345 OKC-CLT today. This flight clearly advertises a lunch service in F on aa.com (and in fact I’ve “enjoyed” it many times).
Used two 500-mile upgrade chits and was successfully upgraded at T-minus 30 or so.
Onboard, no lunch was served. No light lunch either. Just a (single) pass of the snack basket by an atrocious FA. No explanation provided for the absence of the advertised lunch service.
After the flight, I DM’d AA Twitter asking for my two 500-mile chits to be credited back to my account, since no lunch was served. Here was the response:
“We must respectfully decline your request for the 500-mile upgrades to be refunded. We know you didn’t get the full service you expected, but you did get some of the extras that come along in being upgraded.”
Bad timing being patronized like this, coming on the heels of a delightful DL experience last week.
Used two 500-mile upgrade chits and was successfully upgraded at T-minus 30 or so.
Onboard, no lunch was served. No light lunch either. Just a (single) pass of the snack basket by an atrocious FA. No explanation provided for the absence of the advertised lunch service.
After the flight, I DM’d AA Twitter asking for my two 500-mile chits to be credited back to my account, since no lunch was served. Here was the response:
“We must respectfully decline your request for the 500-mile upgrades to be refunded. We know you didn’t get the full service you expected, but you did get some of the extras that come along in being upgraded.”
Bad timing being patronized like this, coming on the heels of a delightful DL experience last week.
Nov 14, 2018, 4:38 pm
#2
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: The FT AA forum, until it no longer wants me.
Programs: CK or bust
Posts: 1,913
Flew AA 5345 OKC-CLT today. This flight clearly advertises a lunch service in F on aa.com (and in fact I’ve “enjoyed” it many times).
Used two 500-mile upgrade chits and was successfully upgraded at T-minus 30 or so.
Onboard, no lunch was served. No light lunch either. Just a (single) pass of the snack basket by an atrocious FA. No explanation provided for the absence of the advertised lunch service.
After the flight, I DM’d AA Twitter asking for my two 500-mile chits to be credited back to my account, since no lunch was served. Here was the response:
“We must respectfully decline your request for the 500-mile upgrades to be refunded. We know you didn’t get the full service you expected, but you did get some of the extras that come along in being upgraded.”
Bad timing being patronized like this, coming on the heels of a delightful DL experience last week.
Used two 500-mile upgrade chits and was successfully upgraded at T-minus 30 or so.
Onboard, no lunch was served. No light lunch either. Just a (single) pass of the snack basket by an atrocious FA. No explanation provided for the absence of the advertised lunch service.
After the flight, I DM’d AA Twitter asking for my two 500-mile chits to be credited back to my account, since no lunch was served. Here was the response:
“We must respectfully decline your request for the 500-mile upgrades to be refunded. We know you didn’t get the full service you expected, but you did get some of the extras that come along in being upgraded.”
Bad timing being patronized like this, coming on the heels of a delightful DL experience last week.
- Full meals are served on departures between 5 a.m. -1:30 p.m. and 4:01 p.m. – 8 p.m.
- Warmed mixed nuts and Lite Bites are served on departures between 1:31 p.m. – 4 p.m. and after 8:01 p.m.
You mean, atrocious service by an FA? Regrettably that happens too on any airline or in any class of service, flying mainline and regionals alike.
Hopefully you enjoyed a nicer seat!
Nov 14, 2018, 5:10 pm
#3
Join Date: Mar 2016
Programs: AA-EXP
Posts: 616
I have done the CLT-OKC-CLT trip a few times in the last 6 months, and since it is all regional the service has been hit and miss.
As exp i dont have to spend any certs, but still much prefer the F seats in these sardine cans.
As exp i dont have to spend any certs, but still much prefer the F seats in these sardine cans.
Nov 14, 2018, 5:53 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2005
Location: TUS
Programs: AA Plat, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 552
Everyone needs a good reason to event but in this case it may not be palatable for you (pun intended): American was right.
- Full meals are served on departures between 5 a.m. -1:30 p.m. and 4:01 p.m. – 8 p.m.
- Warmed mixed nuts and Lite Bites are served on departures between 1:31 p.m. – 4 p.m. and after 8:01 p.m..
Nov 14, 2018, 6:37 pm
#6
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: The FT AA forum, until it no longer wants me.
Programs: CK or bust
Posts: 1,913
I see exactly what you mean. This sounds like an IT glitch as both the FA and the response were technically correct. The website is not.
Nov 14, 2018, 6:38 pm
#7
Moderator: American AAdvantage, Travel Safety/Security & Texas, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: AUS / GRK
Programs: AA, HHonors, Hertz
Posts: 13,485
When the agent was upgrading you, did you ask if there was a meal? Heck, I usually ask when I check in so I know whether or not to get something in the airport. I don't trust what is on the AA site.
Nov 15, 2018, 1:10 am
#8
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 255
Perhaps send an email in to customer service about the situation. When you get their response, reply with your screenshot. That might entice them to give you something considering there is indeed, at the very least, a misrepresentation here...IT glitch or not.
Nov 15, 2018, 6:44 am
#9
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: DL PM
Posts: 700
Also, I’m not sure if this changes anything and I don’t even see why it would be relevant, but regional flights do have different meal policies.
Why do so many customers on here cheer anti-customer moves? Sometimes I think Dougie is paying people to post here disguised as customers.
Nov 15, 2018, 6:50 am
#11
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,406
Are you saying that the customer is supposed to hunt for the official meal policy, parse its words, and then figure out that when AA states that a meal will be served on the flight, AA is wrong about its own service?
Nov 15, 2018, 7:18 am
#12
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: RDU
Posts: 2,263
A true customer-first company would realize this as a company error and recognize there's a VERY simple way to delight a Platinum customer. Even a happy medium of 'totally understand your frustration, and we will return one of the 500-mile upgrades to your account' would have been a fair and equitable response.
Nov 15, 2018, 8:05 am
#13
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AAdvantage PP
Posts: 13,913
A true customer-first company would realize this as a company error and recognize there's a VERY simple way to delight a Platinum customer. Even a happy medium of 'totally understand your frustration, and we will return one of the 500-mile upgrades to your account' would have been a fair and equitable response.
Nov 15, 2018, 8:09 am
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
The mistake by the OP was in asking for a refund*. Ask for a refund of $/miles/ecerts or SWUs and AA will dig in its heels. Express disappointment and likely some miles would have been thrown his way.
* and not searching for the big Compensation thread in this forum
* and not searching for the big Compensation thread in this forum
Nov 15, 2018, 8:21 am
#15
Moderator: American AAdvantage, Travel Safety/Security & Texas, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: AUS / GRK
Programs: AA, HHonors, Hertz
Posts: 13,485
When I was an AA Plat, I just always requested upgrades, since I had so many stickers (and still have over 45 in my account), and it was such a rare occurance to get upgraded. I was thankful just for the better seat.