Account Frozen/Audit - No Way to Respond?
Feb 16, 2020, 9:35 pm
#301
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: AA (EP), Hilton (Diamond), Marriott Bonvoy (Titanium)
Posts: 8,937
Look, just because everyone cant find sweetspots for redemption on AA flights, doesnt mean that there are none. AA has several partners with award availability. Additionally, there is some sAAver and web special award availability that some might find appealing. As I often check routes for fun, I would say there is more AA availability this year than the same time last year. As an aside, alarmingly, in checking expert flyer, I even see C space just out there...up to C7 on some flights yet so many say they cant find any. One just has to be willing to look and accept that there might not be availability on flights or routes that one is most desirous of.
Feb 16, 2020, 9:39 pm
#302
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: AA (EP), Hilton (Diamond), Marriott Bonvoy (Titanium)
Posts: 8,937
I refer you to the many posts upthread noting that Amazon (and indeed virtually all merchants, including many if not most airlines) process a credit card authorization at the time of purchase, and then an actual charge at the time of shipment (or ticket issuance or whatever is being purchased).
Feb 16, 2020, 9:46 pm
#303
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: AA (EP), Hilton (Diamond), Marriott Bonvoy (Titanium)
Posts: 8,937
There are many on this thread who have conflated money damages from a contractual obligation. The damages here may be close to nothing, but that does not change the fact that the passenger entered a contract to pay $x as consideration for a ticket and failed to pay that consideration. Thus, he owes $x.
While this is not a lawsuit, that is what a lawsuit would look like if AA really did sue for the fraud.
While this is not a lawsuit, that is what a lawsuit would look like if AA really did sue for the fraud.
Feb 16, 2020, 9:50 pm
#304
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: AA (EP), Hilton (Diamond), Marriott Bonvoy (Titanium)
Posts: 8,937
It costs AA a lot to handle a lawsuit. Aside from court fees, process service fees, and deposition costs, their staff lawyers don't work for free. It could easily cost them multiples of what they offered the OP to pay, before a single day in court.
Feb 16, 2020, 9:59 pm
#305
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: AA (EP), Hilton (Diamond), Marriott Bonvoy (Titanium)
Posts: 8,937
I refer you the numerous posts before yours that point out that the vast majority of cases where the card is declined are honest situations where a passenger forgot to update the credit card in their profile, or a card issuer declined an unusually large purchase, etc. Your nice and simple solution would lose you business and customers. Why you'd prefer that to performing a pre-authorization check is beyond me.
Feb 16, 2020, 10:02 pm
#306
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: AA (EP), Hilton (Diamond), Marriott Bonvoy (Titanium)
Posts: 8,937
AA and other airlines or hotels etc. can do a "Fare Lock" and get rid of holds all together. So for the FareLocks that are nonrefundable or applied to a new Ticket AA would have Made $3, 150 on the OP's tickets at $50 a piece which is reasonable but not the absurd $33,000. To take it a step further if AA wanted to monopolize on Basic Econ Tickets ( perhaps including a $10 off Bag Check and $10 off Seat Assignments for selecting them at time of ticketing)those Fare Locks would be $100. If you are not sure about the flight you want pay a nonrefundable $50 and when you book it the $50 gets applied to your reservation. In the end you would essentially have a week to confirm a ticket. I would much rather lose $50 than lose a $1000 nonrefundable ticket per ticket. Yes its a small price to pay but this would avoid these free holds to tie up inventory.