Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Airlines and Mileage Programs > American Airlines | AAdvantage
Reload this Page >

AA ignores oneworld protection when mech causes delay

Community
Wiki Posts
Search

AA ignores oneworld protection when mech causes delay

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Sep 3, 2019, 2:53 pm
  #91  
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: AA Executive Platinum/Million Miler, Marriott Titanium Elite-Lifetime, Hilton Gold
Posts: 3,217
Originally Posted by guv1976
Assuming that there is no "same PNR" requirement, as long as AA agents correctly apply the re-accommodation policy, the amount of stress involved should be no different than if all flights were on a single ticket. Would you require 12-24 hours between flights on a single ticket?
Fair enough. However, one cannot cite a thread on FT to a skeptical agent. I'm hoping those asking get a copy of the actual policy. Based on what I've seen thus far and the stories I'm hearing, this is not a risk I'd want to take only to end up arguing with an agent who won't budge.
Global321 likes this.
USFlyerUS is offline  
Old Sep 3, 2019, 2:54 pm
  #92  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: NYC (LGA, JFK), CT
Programs: Delta Platinum, American Gold, JetBlue Mosaic 4, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond,
Posts: 4,897
Not saying this is the actual policy, but wouldn't it make logical sense that AA would want such tickets to be on the same PNR (so AA can check if the trip makes sense) if they are to be responsible for re-accomodating passengers? Largely to avoid situations like in the OMAAT post where a flier may attempt to make backwards connections (PHX to HNL to DBV) or otherwise risky connections (too little time between flights). It doesn't sound right that fliers can construct any itinerary they want and have the originating airline responsible for the subsequent flights if something goes wrong.
Adelphos is online now  
Old Sep 3, 2019, 2:58 pm
  #93  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,606
Originally Posted by Adelphos
Not saying this is the actual policy, but wouldn't it make logical sense that AA would want such tickets to be on the same PNR (so AA can check if the trip makes sense) if they are to be responsible for re-accomodating passengers? Largely to avoid situations like in the OMAAT post where a flier may attempt to make backwards connections (PHX to HNL to DBV) or otherwise risky connections (too little time between flights). It doesn't sound right that fliers can construct any itinerary they want and have the originating airline responsible for the subsequent flights if something goes wrong.
The problem is that getting tickets issued by two different carriers on the same PNR might be difficult (requiring the services of a travel agent?), and might well be impossible when one or both of the tickets are awards. That's why I think it's a typo. But time will tell.
guv1976 is offline  
Old Sep 3, 2019, 3:47 pm
  #94  
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,624
Originally Posted by guv1976
AA can take over a oneworld carrier's ticket eligible under oneworld's "endorsement waiver program." That's one of the requirements of AA's separate-ticket re-accommodation policy.
And is there a list of which airlines still participate in an "endorsement waiver programme"?

I still cannot see how AA's ticketing policy can apply when there is no ticket sold by AA

In the end it seems that AA did offer to get the passenger to the destination, but the passenger chose not to travel
Dave Noble is offline  
Old Sep 3, 2019, 3:56 pm
  #95  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,606
Originally Posted by Dave Noble
And is there a list of which airlines still participate in an "endorsement waiver programme"?

I still cannot see how AA's ticketing policy can apply when there is no ticket sold by AA

In the end it seems that AA did offer to get the passenger to the destination, but the passenger chose not to travel
It appears that all oneworld carriers participate in the Endorsement Waiver Agreement. I found this language on a PDF concerning Fiji Airways' becoming a oneworld connect partner:

"Does oneworld’s Endorsement Waiver Agreement (EWA) apply to the new connect
partner (FJ)?

Unfortunately, flight delays, cancellations and overbookings do occur, and oneworld
members have agreed that during times of disruptions there is no requirement to endorse
a ticket from one issuing member to the other. This is known as the EWA.

The EWA is designed to allow the airline’s staff to re-book and re-ticket the customer as
quickly and efficiently as possible – avoiding further disruption to the customer’s journey.
Each oneworld connect partner and its sponsor members will apply the principles of the
EWA for customers who have had an involuntary change only – without additional charge
to the passenger."
guv1976 is offline  
Old Sep 3, 2019, 4:14 pm
  #96  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: SJC
Programs: Southwest, Alaska, United, American Airlines
Posts: 994
All of the policy talk and links are cute, but if AA meant to establish a binding obligation for separate tix reaccom (and meant for pax to rely upon said obligation), it would be written into the legally enforceable Contract of Carriage.
Global321, rumboj and freeagent like this.
nerdbirdsjc is offline  
Old Sep 3, 2019, 5:11 pm
  #97  
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: AY+ Plat, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 2,846
Originally Posted by nk15
At least the day before, or, very minimum, he should have had two subsequent direct flights PHX-HNL as buffer (and assuming no checked luggage).
I guess my risk tolerance is higher, but I don't think Mike needed to overnight in HNL, given that it appears he was on the (close to) midnight departure from HNL to LAX. There are two flights a day to HNL from PHX—one around 11am and one around 2:30pm. It appears Mike was on the 2pm flight (AA 694). Although I probably would have chosen the 11am flight (I'm guessing that flight didn't have award space), even with the 2pm flight, there is the possibility of rerouting through LAX on a ~16:30 flight to LAX, connecting to the last flight to HNL from LAX (around 19:30), which would have arrived in HNL with about 40 minutes to turn around (doable at HNL). Unless PHX-LAX-HNL was completely full, it baffles me that Mike couldn't get on that ~16:30 flight to LAX connecting to HNL.

Originally Posted by nk15
Insurance should have covered any pre-booked stuff at DBV, which he said he had losses from. It may have also covered the IB ticket, because this was beyond his control, at least he could have tried.

OMAAT should cover the losses for their bloggers when they miss their flights...and have a cool story to tell. They should probably get annual insurance for travel issues individually.
Unless I'm missing something, there is no trip interruption and cancellation protection offered by credit cards that would have covered this particular circumstance. I don't believe a cancellation leading to a misconnect on a separate PNR falls under any of the "covered reasons" that would trigger such trip interruption/cancellation protection. Those "covered reasons" are generally severe weather or a death in the family, etc.
JMBResona likes this.
flyingeph12 is offline  
Old Sep 3, 2019, 5:43 pm
  #98  
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Texas
Programs: Hyatt Glob (Barely); Marriott Plat Life; AA Up and Down Now Plat; Hilton, UA, BA, HA Peasant
Posts: 2,669
This is about as bad a set of facts as anyone could hypothesize.
I was going to stay away from this thread but I can't help myself any longer. Not when Post 70 contains the perfect plot summary. It has to be applauded.

Sometimes it is just an idea that has no slack and a high chance of getting off the rails. But in the best tradition of Flyer Talk we do have a six-page highly-theoretical thread with, unless I missed it, no direct involvement from the aggrieved party. Going for eight! Oh, I mean great!
jayer is offline  
Old Sep 3, 2019, 6:15 pm
  #99  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: WAS/TYO
Programs: AA PPro, TP Gold, UA Silver, Bonvoy/Hilton Gold, Global Entry
Posts: 296
Originally Posted by Global321
Adding to others...
AA, in my experience, has never followed this policy. Every time I have misconnected on two tickets, starting with AA on the first ticket, connecting to OW on the second ticket, it was 100% on me. Not a single AA agent has ever even tried to help, even when citing this policy. AA agents always said it had to be on the same ticket or same PNR for them to do anything.

The latest for me was in June... ticket one AA MIA-JFK, ticket two CX JFK-HKG. Storms pushed our departure back 4 hours causing a misconnect.
FL said no help, except rebook my ticket to JFK at no charge.
AA EP line said no help, except rebook my ticket to JFK at no charge.
AA desk said no help, except rebook my ticket to JFK at no charge.

None would even call CX to see if they would move my flight. "Can't do it on separate tickets on separate PNR's."

1. It would be great to see this full policy. i.e. Does it only apply when the separate tickets are both purchased on AA stock?
2. If it is really AA policy to get you to the final destination, how is it that it seems every agent - or the vast majority of agents - are completely unaware of it?
3. How does AA/we education AA agents on this policy? Is there a reference point? (e.g. look in the system at section A, subsection 2, paragraph 4)
During my most recent experience, I was actually able to get a EXP agent to change a separate, non-AA ticket over the phone.

So it can be done. Worth noting that that it took 4 tries to get to that point.

A supervisor at CLT (where I was stranded overnight) seemed to believe that AA would rebook me once I physically missed the first flight on ticket #2 , like the flat tire rule. I didn't really want to take that risk, however.

When I complained to AA afterward, I got the boilerplate "It is clear we let you down, you should get better service especially from our Exec Plat desk, here's some miles to 'win back your respect'"

The fact that AA accepted that "we let you down in several ways" almost makes me think that they believe it shouldn't require playing the telephone lottery game to get similar changes done (i.e. agents should be handling these changes) but more likely the guy just skimmed my complaint.

I wonder how much of a hassle it is to make changes on a non-AA stock ticket. If it's a significant PITA, I could definitely see agents deciding to refuse outright to save time.
JMBResona is offline  
Old Sep 3, 2019, 6:26 pm
  #100  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: Top Tier with all 3 alliances
Posts: 11,670
Originally Posted by flyingeph12
I guess my risk tolerance is higher, but I don't think Mike needed to overnight in HNL, given that it appears he was on the (close to) midnight departure from HNL to LAX. ….
Based on the autopsy results of this fiasco, he should have positioned to HNL two days earlier, lol...
nk15 is offline  
Old Sep 3, 2019, 6:55 pm
  #101  
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,372
While individual cases might be complicated, I think this policy is actually a good faith effort on the part of AA to take care of passengers connecting to/from AA/OW partners...The spirit of the policy is that AA will do what it can, within reason, to get passengers to their final destinations in the event of screw-ups by AA or partners or, like, the weather, even if on separate tickets.

It gets dicey when the travel/itinerary is a mileage/status run with a connecting point that the vast vast vast majority of itineraries would not use. AA probably doesn’t account for that in the spirit of the policy. If the passenger had been on, say, AA PHX-PHL, and a separate BA PHL-LHR-DBV ticket, there would be a number of easy and logical options. And it probably could have gotten worked out much sooner.

I’m not trying to excuse the AA agents’ lack of knowledge of the policy, which probably would have helped the passenger out, but it seems like you have a combination of a policy that does not get called upon often, a rolling delay, and an itinerary whose routing and purpose are both not what the policy was designed to protect, all converging into a cluster.
DMPHL is offline  
Old Sep 3, 2019, 7:24 pm
  #102  
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Global
Posts: 5,998
Originally Posted by DMPHL
While individual cases might be complicated, I think this policy is actually a good faith effort on the part of AA to take care of passengers connecting to/from AA/OW partners...The spirit of the policy is that AA will do what it can, within reason, to get passengers to their final destinations in the event of screw-ups by AA or partners or, like, the weather, even if on separate tickets.

It gets dicey when the travel/itinerary is a mileage/status run with a connecting point that the vast vast vast majority of itineraries would not use. AA probably doesn’t account for that in the spirit of the policy. If the passenger had been on, say, AA PHX-PHL, and a separate BA PHL-LHR-DBV ticket, there would be a number of easy and logical options. And it probably could have gotten worked out much sooner.

I’m not trying to excuse the AA agents’ lack of knowledge of the policy, which probably would have helped the passenger out, but it seems like you have a combination of a policy that does not get called upon often, a rolling delay, and an itinerary whose routing and purpose are both not what the policy was designed to protect, all converging into a cluster.
I have to disagree. Going back to my real-life experience in June, MIA-JFK, JFK-HKG, where I was turned away at every point by AA reps. I had 4 hours built-in, much more than needed on D-I, JFK T8 turn. No help. And everyone cited the "two tickets, not our problem" rallying cry. If AA policy is to treat these as one ticket for IRROPS, I would think someone in the FL or the ticketing desk at MIA or the EXP line would have said something. Or, if it is policy to treat as one, this is some pretty terrible training at all levels.
Global321 is offline  
Old Sep 3, 2019, 7:27 pm
  #103  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: Top Tier with all 3 alliances
Posts: 11,670
Sorry I was away for a few hours I was booking two back to back separate tickets, two in OW and two in *A for the return, just to save a few bucks. Sorry I couldn't resist the allure of $20 tickets...Will be back with the sob stories in the future...

Humans, they never learn, sigh....

Last edited by nk15; Sep 3, 2019 at 7:39 pm
nk15 is offline  
Old Sep 3, 2019, 7:56 pm
  #104  
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: AY+ Plat, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 2,846
Originally Posted by nk15
Based on the autopsy results of this fiasco, he should have positioned to HNL two days earlier, lol...
Actually, assuming he traveled on 14 Aug, if he had been on the 11am flight (AA 692), he would have been fine.

Additionally, not to beat a dead horse, but he also would have been fine if, as soon as the mechanical was announced (or shortly thereafter), he had rerouted onto AA 650 (PHX-LAX, 16:50 scheduled departure), connecting to AA 2205 (LAX-HNL, 19:55 scheduled departure)—assuming he was booked on AA 144 (HNL-LAX, 23:22 scheduled departure), which I'm pretty sure he was because he said he had a 10-hr layover in LAX (AA 144 arrives around 07:00 and the IB flight to MAD departs around 17:00).

Ultimately, I don't fault Mike for thinking that AA should have protected him across the separate tickets (even though he probably had more confidence in AA's competence than he probably should have). But I am baffled by the amateurish mistake of actually waiting for AA to cancel the flight (after an endless series of rolling 20-minute delays) before trying to get rebooked. Even if AA had refused to touch a BA award ticket, he could have purchased the flight to HNL through LAX and dealt with AA later.

Last edited by flyingeph12; Sep 3, 2019 at 8:01 pm
flyingeph12 is offline  
Old Sep 3, 2019, 8:03 pm
  #105  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: RDU
Programs: AA EXP / 1MM, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum, IHG Gold
Posts: 198
Originally Posted by C17PSGR
For what its worth, I just booked two different tickets ... one on AA with an AA ticket from the hinterlands to JFK and a separate one on a OW carrier from JFK.

I remain confident that if there is a problem and I show up at the Flagship Lounge or call the EXP line, they will take care of me. And, I saved several thousand on a business class ticket.
I’m doing the same on Friday to HAN (and returning in 2 weeks from NRT) thru LAX. I do this on a majority of my overseas flights because J travel from my originating airport is often significantly more expensive than booking separate tickets. In this case, I saved about $3000.
RunningforMiles likes this.
razzaba is offline  


Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.