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Terrible Experience at LAX, Unable to Apply Upgrades, Told to Take Another Flight

Terrible Experience at LAX, Unable to Apply Upgrades, Told to Take Another Flight

Old Jun 11, 2019, 1:47 pm
  #31  
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Originally Posted by shd9
I thought EXP flying transon are eligible for Flagship Check-in, which hopefully there is no line?
I believe that's only if you're flying first (not business) or ConciergeKey, but someone please correct me if I'm wrong.
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Old Jun 11, 2019, 2:40 pm
  #32  
 
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Originally Posted by Antarius
It is AA's fault as this should be a simple process and their failure to deliver is not the fault of the OP.

2 hours is more than twice the minimum check in time. What if the OP showed up 3 hours before and this happened? Then should they have showed up 4 hours before?
1. Based on the experiences of another poster above, it's not in fact a simple process. Apparently upgrades with separate PNRs often run into issues.
2. Personally, I think it's debatable that it should be a simple process, especially when you combine the fact of separate PNRs with the fact that the sponsoring account did not have the requisite number of stickers at the time of the upgrade. To me, the latter fact is relevant in determining fault; others can disagree.
3. It is not AA's fault that LAX was a zoo on that particular day. Does that mean OP should have shown up 3 or 4 hours early? No. But I don't think that changes or affects AA's level of fault.
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Old Jun 11, 2019, 3:04 pm
  #33  
 
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I pretty much always go through security at T5 and walk through the tunnel to 4 if need be. Always seems to be way less chaotic IME
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Old Jun 11, 2019, 3:22 pm
  #34  
 
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OP, the issue caused is NOT your fault. You arrived on time (actually much earlier) and had to deal with incompetent agents who did not know what to do, leading to the delay in waiting for a 'supervisor' to handle the issue. I blame this solely on AA for not being able to solve the issue in a timely manner, leading to a bunch of BS that should have never happened in the first place.

In regards to flyingeph12's responses, WHY should the customer be liable for the fact that AA can't get their .... together when it comes to upgrades on a split PNR? Should everyone know split PNR upgrades often run into issues? Why should anyone know about split PNR upgrades causing issues? This should be addressed to AA agents on how to deal with the issue and NOT for the customer to do research and understand.
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Old Jun 11, 2019, 3:25 pm
  #35  
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Originally Posted by flyingeph12
2. Personally, I think it's debatable that it should be a simple process, especially when you combine the fact of separate PNRs with the fact that the sponsoring account did not have the requisite number of stickers at the time of the upgrade. To me, the latter fact is relevant in determining fault; others can disagree.
Yes, they will disagree. It has NEVER been a pre-requisite to have stickers in the account when the upgrade clears in advance. As others have mentioned, the stickers are only deducted at check-in, and thats when they need to be in the account. Now certain purchase methods require advance timing before the stickers show in the account (IIRC its just online purchases and it takes 2 hours), but I dont think that was the issue here.
You *do* have to have stickers to get on the airport standby upgrade list, because those clear between T-30 and T-10m and the GA is not going to process sticker purchases at that point.

​​​​​​​Now, is there some type of BUG in AAs system that screws the process up under the conditions here? Maybe. But I doubt it and theres no evidence.
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Old Jun 11, 2019, 4:28 pm
  #36  
 
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Originally Posted by Gino Troian
In regards to flyingeph12's responses, WHY should the customer be liable for the fact that AA can't get their .... together when it comes to upgrades on a split PNR? Should everyone know split PNR upgrades often run into issues? Why should anyone know about split PNR upgrades causing issues? This should be addressed to AA agents on how to deal with the issue and NOT for the customer to do research and understand.
I guess I disagree that a hiccup in a case like this one (where the PNRs are split and the sponsoring account didn't haven't the requisite number of stickers at the time of upgrade) equates to AA not having their **** together to the extent that OP is due some sort of compensation or refund. Additionally, perhaps it's just me based on unfounded and misguided intuition, but I question how naive or blameless the OP in this case really was, given all the little details sprinkled throughout OP's opening account. I absolutely believe AA agents should be competent at their jobs, and there's no excuse for incompetence. But OP's account makes it seem to me that OP was really much more concerned about the upgrade than making sure that baggage was checked in before the cutoff and that the companion could get on the flight—and I guess I don't have a lot of sympathy for that kind of thinking. It seems strange to me that AA agents and OP couldn't have at least made sure baggage was checked in while supposedly waiting around for a supervisor. Finally, what exactly is OP liable for? At worst, having some extra upgrades to use in the future? Again, to me this was a learning lesson, not a reason to demand compensation.

Originally Posted by ijgordon
Yes, they will disagree. It has NEVER been a pre-requisite to have stickers in the account when the upgrade clears in advance. As others have mentioned, the stickers are only deducted at check-in, and that’s when they need to be in the account. Now certain purchase methods require advance timing before the stickers show in the account (IIRC it’s just online purchases and it takes 2 hours), but I don’t think that was the issue here.
You *do* have to have stickers to get on the airport standby upgrade list, because those clear between T-30 and T-10m and the GA is not going to process sticker purchases at that point.

Now, is there some type of BUG in AA’s system that screws the process up under the conditions here? Maybe. But I doubt it and there’s no evidence.
My understanding is that stickers are actually deducted at the time of travel (i.e., when the flight has departed). In any event, happy that OP has supporters that disagree with me. I think I learned something here; hopefully OP did too.
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Old Jun 11, 2019, 5:29 pm
  #37  
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Originally Posted by flyingeph12
...Again, to me this was a learning lesson, not a reason to demand compensation.
Unless I've missed it, nowhere in this thread has the OP demanded compensation. More of a justified rant than anything else. Once he made it to FL and tried to check his companion in, AA's systems were still misbehaving and saying he needed to buy more stickers, so he did, which is what he's requesting a refund for.
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Old Jun 11, 2019, 6:55 pm
  #38  
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Originally Posted by JJeffrey
Unless I've missed it, nowhere in this thread has the OP demanded compensation. More of a justified rant than anything else. Once he made it to FL and tried to check his companion in, AA's systems were still misbehaving and saying he needed to buy more stickers, so he did, which is what he's requesting a refund for.
Correct, I didn't ask for compensation. I was posting this as a PSA of sorts to make others aware that this type of thing happens.
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Old Jun 11, 2019, 7:02 pm
  #39  
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Originally Posted by flyingeph12
But OP's account makes it seem to me that OP was really much more concerned about the upgrade than making sure that baggage was checked in before the cutoff and that the companion could get on the flightand I guess I don't have a lot of sympathy for that kind of thinking. It seems strange to me that AA agents and OP couldn't have at least made sure baggage was checked in while supposedly waiting around for a supervisor.
So, I went to the counter and told the agent, I have two bags to check and also my companion couldn't check in on the app or a kiosk. I don't think I should have to--or should tell an agent how to do their job or which order to perform those two tasks. I think any reasonable person would have done those two things. Hindsight is 20/20, but I didn't expect to be at the counter for more than an hour, I expected both actions to happen relatively quickly. Are you suggesting that I should have told the agent how to do their job specifically? Although I'm a knowledgeable traveler, I don't know how to use QiK. I didn't know that there was a hard deadline in QiK either.
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Old Jun 11, 2019, 7:31 pm
  #40  
 
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Originally Posted by catcher1
And while I'm here, I also report that our FAs have been outstanding.
How rare

lucky you

OP not so lucky
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Old Jun 11, 2019, 7:34 pm
  #41  
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Originally Posted by boerne
How rare<br /><br />lucky you<br /><br />OP not so lucky
<br />Actually the flight attendants on my flight were great. I actually didn't really want anything alcoholic to drink, but they must have asked me a dozen times if they could get me anything and refilled my sparkling water constantly.
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Old Jun 11, 2019, 8:14 pm
  #42  
 
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Originally Posted by donotblink
So, I went to the counter and told the agent, I have two bags to check and also my companion couldn't check in on the app or a kiosk. I don't think I should have to--or should tell an agent how to do their job or which order to perform those two tasks. I think any reasonable person would have done those two things. Hindsight is 20/20, but I didn't expect to be at the counter for more than an hour, I expected both actions to happen relatively quickly. Are you suggesting that I should have told the agent how to do their job specifically? Although I'm a knowledgeable traveler, I don't know how to use QiK. I didn't know that there was a hard deadline in QiK either.
Certainly you shouldn't have to tell the agent how to do their job. If you were at the counter well within the cutoff time but the agent couldn't fix your problem, had to call over a supervisor, and then turned around and said you had missed the baggage cutoff and your companion arrived too late, then that sounds like good grounds for a complaint to me. I didn't get that from your original post, and if that's my mistake then I apologize.
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Old Jun 11, 2019, 8:14 pm
  #43  
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Originally Posted by flyingeph12
My understanding is that stickers are actually deducted at the time of travel (i.e., when the flight has departed).
Yes, fair point of correction. You cant check in if you dont have the stickers but they arent actually deducted until the flight departs (I imagine when the GAs close the flight, but possibly as early as when you scan your BP to board, not entirely sure of the details there).
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Old Jun 11, 2019, 8:25 pm
  #44  
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Originally Posted by flyingeph12
Certainly you shouldn't have to tell the agent how to do their job. If you were at the counter well within the cutoff time but the agent couldn't fix your problem, had to call over a supervisor, and then turned around and said you had missed the baggage cutoff and your companion arrived too late, then that sounds like good grounds for a complaint to me. I didn't get that from your original post, and if that's my mistake then I apologize.
Perhaps some of the confusion comes around why I said that the supervisor said that my companion arrived too late...although we were both at the counter before the cutoff time, I was already checked in, but my companion was not checked in, and because the supervisor didn't see when we arrived at the counter I guess that's why he made that statement which I disputed with him.
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Old Jun 11, 2019, 10:57 pm
  #45  
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Originally Posted by flyingeph12
1. Based on the experiences of another poster above, it's not in fact a simple process. Apparently upgrades with separate PNRs often run into issues.
2. Personally, I think it's debatable that it should be a simple process, especially when you combine the fact of separate PNRs with the fact that the sponsoring account did not have the requisite number of stickers at the time of the upgrade. To me, the latter fact is relevant in determining fault; others can disagree.
3. It is not AA's fault that LAX was a zoo on that particular day. Does that mean OP should have shown up 3 or 4 hours early? No. But I don't think that changes or affects AA's level of fault.
Prior incompetence does not justify future incompetence. Just because they screwed up a simple task before does not make this complicated or summarily acceptable going forward.

I say this as someone who designs and makes IT systems. Either the software handles it or if rare, you have people or training to deal with the workaround. Not act like this is a unique thing.
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