Why don't displaced passengers call AA rather than stand in a long line
 

DFW was a mess today due to storms. My flight was 3 hours late to Chicago. The plane was at the gate the whole time but the cabin crew and FO/Pilot were sourced from another flight. Anyway, there was a line of people from C33 to C26 waiting to talk to the agents at the customer service desk. Can't all these re-bookings be handled over the phone? Honestly the line was 500 people....

1. Wait times can suck for non elites
2. Many people don't know that they should
3. Some people like to complain to a person

The wait for Exec Plat when Chicago had April snow storm was over 4 hours Exec Plat.

FWIW there was an agent walking down the line of people handing cards with a phone number to call.

Phone agents are horrendous. I was in the air on a delayed flight to DFW and was going to misconnect. I had my wife call in and request I get rerouted from DFW-AAA to DFW-BBB, about an hour's drive away as it was the only flight with seats nearby tonight. Agent 1: "The flight to BBB is also delayed. I cannot put someone on a delayed flight". Agent 2: "That's not how airlines work" and that I basically have to get to DFW and see what options there are to get to AAA on the first available flight. Or pay the change fees to get to BBB.

I get to DFW and the Admirals Club agent didn't hesitate to put me on a flight to any nearby city that I wanted.

I stand in line, call, and DM on Twitter simultaneously

I call and then start to deal with my other options. Since now you get that "callback" option you have a reasonable idea how long it will be to get a phone agent. And now that a headset is standard equipment for traveling it's a little easier too. However, it is true that sometimes the phone agents are frozen in the sense that they won't offer outside-the-box solutions to IRROPS, whereas airport agents will usually agree to any reasonable suggestion to get you where you're going if there are available seats.

Yep, but frequent AA travlers keep the number in their phonebook :)

This is true. I have had GA and club agents protect me on 3 different flights with different routings before. many phone agents are like ... and it takes a lot of time to explain it.

This

AA really needs to reliably get better in app and on kiosk self service options. They should just let the agents help people that don't have minor issues. I've only been offered self service recommendation on a few of my IRROPS/OSO flights.

From my experience, app rebooking is only dependable when you have a nonstop flight that has been cancelled... Very bad with delays/misconnects/etc...

Also bad when you’re connecting from somewhere and the last leg of your trip gets cancelled.

For example, I was on AA65 DFW-BOS last week which was canceled on the tarmac. I immediately was able to rebook on the first flight the next day... My seat mate was on a GDL-DFW-BOS routing and the app didn’t offer him options despite the fact that he was in DFW and his final destination was BOS.

The number for the Barclays apply-by-phone call center? :p

Why do people stand in line for a paper boarding pass? Why do people seated in Group 9 rush the boarding gate when CK is called? Why do people stand in the aisle looking for god knows what while 200+ paxs are waiting to board. Why do people bring a crying baby on a redeye flight (seated in F/J no less)? Answer. If you want to know how stupid human beings can be just go to any airport and take a good look around.