Compensation for spilt coffee (burn and shirt)
Jan 7, 2019, 7:41 pm
#32
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
I think it's ridiculous that they offer you an order of magnitude more to take a flight a few hours later than they do for injuring you.
I think that the bottom line here is, if you think that they are liable and you have damages then you should sue them. If not then any "customer service gesture" is better than nothing.
If you are hoping that they will do the right thing, it's become clear that that will not happen.
I think that the bottom line here is, if you think that they are liable and you have damages then you should sue them. If not then any "customer service gesture" is better than nothing.
If you are hoping that they will do the right thing, it's become clear that that will not happen.
Jan 7, 2019, 8:05 pm
#33
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: ORD (formerly SAN)
Programs: Hilton Diamond; IHG Platinum; Bonvoy Gold; AA Platinum Pro and United Premier Silver (DH = AA EXP)
Posts: 1,927
I don't think the OP is asking whether they are "liable" in the legal sense. I would have asked to make an incident report, but since the OP doesn't have a time machine, that's neither here nor there. I think the prudent thing here is to just explain to the CR rep that the behavior of the FA was appalling, so OP doesn't want to see it happen to others, and hopefully they can be "retrained". As for the $50 and dry cleaning - that seems fair without the incident report.
Jan 7, 2019, 8:23 pm
#34
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: Rapid Rewards, AAdvantage, SkyMiles
Posts: 2,931
LMAO, $50 is such a low customer service gesture. I got $50 from B6 once because I told them (more of informing them, not complaining) that their contest they were running once crashed every-time I tried to enter. AA can/should give you at least $100 if not above that amount.
Jan 7, 2019, 10:01 pm
#35
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: PVD, BOS
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,664
I really don't understand the rationale AA employs in these situations. They offer 1,500 miles and $50 to make OP go away. In contrast, I've received 10k and 15k miles for broken seats (E140 and B788, respectively). While a broken seat is annoying, a scald, ruined shirt and stinking like cheap crappy coffee is a far bigger inconvenience.
Then again, I'm not a lawyer, and we all know that common sense has little relationship to the law.
NB: The lack of apology makes the whole episode 10x worse. How hard is it to apologize? Frankly, the lack of an apology will make someone more likely to pursue the issue.
Then again, I'm not a lawyer, and we all know that common sense has little relationship to the law.
NB: The lack of apology makes the whole episode 10x worse. How hard is it to apologize? Frankly, the lack of an apology will make someone more likely to pursue the issue.
Jan 8, 2019, 2:28 am
#36
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC GGL/GFl, HH Diamond, BW Diamond, Virgin Voyages Deep Blue Extra, Blue Peter Badge Holder
Posts: 3,937
Thank you further contributors, I agree it does seam to lack common sense.
i have replied back to CS, have declined the $50 on principle and have request instead that they use that $50 dollars to buy that flight attendant a button safe coffee pot (tongue and cheek comment rather than any real expectation that they will).
I will reduce my soend with AA, not that it will matter much to them, but it will protect me from further disappointment from poor customer relations.
Thanks once again all for taking the time to give me your thoughts
i have replied back to CS, have declined the $50 on principle and have request instead that they use that $50 dollars to buy that flight attendant a button safe coffee pot (tongue and cheek comment rather than any real expectation that they will).
I will reduce my soend with AA, not that it will matter much to them, but it will protect me from further disappointment from poor customer relations.
Thanks once again all for taking the time to give me your thoughts
Jan 8, 2019, 5:50 am
#37
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX (elite) and a few others (non-elite)
Posts: 687
The most extraordinary and impressive thing about this whole situation is that OP, on suffering scalding severe enough to leave red marking on his skin some days later, didn't scream his head off, particularly since he was jolted awake by the experience. Kudos! I can't help thinking that most people would have cried out in that situation.
Jan 8, 2019, 6:19 am
#38
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC GGL/GFl, HH Diamond, BW Diamond, Virgin Voyages Deep Blue Extra, Blue Peter Badge Holder
Posts: 3,937
The most extraordinary and impressive thing about this whole situation is that OP, on suffering scalding severe enough to leave red marking on his skin some days later, didn't scream his head off, particularly since he was jolted awake by the experience. Kudos! I can't help thinking that most people would have cried out in that situation.
My motivation here is that there is cheap technology readily available that would reduce the risk of this happening, sadly it seams AA would rather run the risk of litigation and upset pax .
Jan 8, 2019, 7:34 am
#39
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: bay area, ca
Programs: UA plat, , aa plat, marriott LT titanium
Posts: 4,833
Jan 8, 2019, 7:42 am
#40
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: Hilton (Diamond), Hyatt (Platinum)
Posts: 47
The compensation offer you got is a joke. I was offered at least 5-10k miles for simply not being escorted when there was a sight impairment indicated on my ticket.
Jan 8, 2019, 9:00 am
#41
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
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Posts: 38,622
Not to mention that AA is a singular entity, and not a person (well, unless making campaign contributions according to the US Supreme Court), and therefore, it properly should be "...its level of care."
Jan 8, 2019, 10:14 am
#42
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP - Marriott LT Platinum - National Exec Elite
Posts: 1,112
Thank you further contributors, I agree it does seam to lack common sense.
i have replied back to CS, have declined the $50 on principle and have request instead that they use that $50 dollars to buy that flight attendant a button safe coffee pot (tongue and cheek comment rather than any real expectation that they will).
I will reduce my soend with AA, not that it will matter much to them, but it will protect me from further disappointment from poor customer relations.
Thanks once again all for taking the time to give me your thoughts
i have replied back to CS, have declined the $50 on principle and have request instead that they use that $50 dollars to buy that flight attendant a button safe coffee pot (tongue and cheek comment rather than any real expectation that they will).
I will reduce my soend with AA, not that it will matter much to them, but it will protect me from further disappointment from poor customer relations.
Thanks once again all for taking the time to give me your thoughts
You haven't shared that with us and I'd bet you haven't shared that with them.
When I have a problem with AA, I write a concise, easy to understand note. In that note, I tell them specifically what I want in return.
In most cases, I get what I ask for and everyone goes away happy. If you haven't done this, no wonder AA hasn't reacted the way you want.
Jan 8, 2019, 10:28 am
#43
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: The FT AA forum, until it no longer wants me.
Programs: CK or bust
Posts: 1,913
I get offered 60,000 miles and 'preferred boarding' each time I board a flight.
Nobody else receives that? It must be part of this super CK business
Nobody else receives that? It must be part of this super CK business
Jan 8, 2019, 11:22 am
#44
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 4
This happened to the guy in front of me on a UA flight to FRA from IAD. FA came around after beverage service and offered a $200 ETC or equivalent in miles on the spot plus a spare pajama shirt to change into. Maybe he got lucky but $50 seems ludicrous for what seems like more than a trivial service issue to me.
Jan 8, 2019, 11:27 am
#45
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 3,698
Even if you change the scenario to "an FA spilled wine on me and no one even apologized", both the initial and follow-up customer service gestures are pretty pathetic, so any speculation about how injured OP was or whether an incident report needed to be filed seems besides the point.
Having said that, what's there to do other than better manage your expectations about AA's commitment to customer service going forward? I agree with the suggestion to considering the Tweet approach. AA seems a bit susceptible to public shaming there, if not in a forum like this where some of their most frequent and profitable passengers converge.
Having said that, what's there to do other than better manage your expectations about AA's commitment to customer service going forward? I agree with the suggestion to considering the Tweet approach. AA seems a bit susceptible to public shaming there, if not in a forum like this where some of their most frequent and profitable passengers converge.