percysmith

Name/DOB match
That's not hard
Asia Miles has done this (we were trying to evade redemption list change fees back then)

wiivile

if AA wants to fight me i will fight them.

i am already disgusted by their scorched earth decision to ban people from their program who tried to take too much advantage of good deals. if they want to continue to be pissy by banning people who try to make a fresh start i will be pissy back.

i am also disgusted by the ADA and think the opposite of deregulation is necessary; airlines have become almost as necessary as utilities, and they have similar regional monopolies so they require as much regulation as utility companies.

Dave Noble

Banning someone means that that person is banned - not that they are allowed to open a new account to make a 'fresh start'

percysmith

Hard with airlines where possession is nine-tenths of the law; unless you can exploit system errors like error fares of Fly Now, Pay Later cards to hit back at them.

wiivile

AA’s actions over the past month are just as despicable as those who got a dozen credit cards in the names of their pets. They should be ashamed of themselves. I’ve really never seen such consumer hostile actions from a corporation before. It’s like they’re trying to pick a fight with consumers because their hubris has gotten so big thanks to the ADA and regional monopolies that they think themselves invincible.

tom911

This is a new development. All the posts I've read so far have involved applicants using their real names and real social security numbers for the actual credit card application. Maybe you're confusing credit cards with frequent flyer accounts?

wiivile

a dozen credit cards from offers in the names
of their pets, sorry.

cheaptom

If someone obtains a coupon code that does NOT say “usable by addressee only” and applies for a card that does NOT say “only one SUB per 24 months,” then they are smartly taking advantage of AA/Citi’s carelessness with the fine print.
Seems like churners correctly targeted certain cards where Citi continually didn’t use the 24-month clause. AA discovers this and starts banning people who found the loophole. Actually, loophole involves some sort of sneaky manipulation. This is not. This is plain and simple applying for a card that does not have and 24-month language.

Also remember, the miles don’t come just because you apply. AA gave nobody a gift. They were earned miles in exchange for spending $4,000 AA at a time to earn a reward.

I imagine someday if someone fights AA in court, AA will have to do better than “We have the right to close anyone’s account, period.” They can say that to a customer while terminating their account, but it won’t be as easy as that if someone’s lawyer grills them in court.

”You banned John Smith because he got three bonuses in one year? Please show me the fine print where that is prohibited”. Crickets

wiivile

I agree with you, but even if what churners were doing was more nefarious, the way this has been handled shows a reckless disregard for customers (who are still customers whether they like it or not) by stranding them or cancelling plans at the last minute on the mere suspicion of potentially having taken advantage of overly generous bonus offers. It is awful corporate citizenship and AA needs to be called out and pay the price for it.

Often1

There are some number of people who might take issue with your criticism of the ADA. Air tickets are cheaper today than they were when the ADA was enacted (adjusted for inflation).

For those of us who care more about good pricing from the highly competetive US domestic market, I'm not sure I want a federal regulator back in the mix so that people can sign up their blenders and toasters.

The issue of who is going to sue whom has been beaten to death in this thread. When you are asked to front the money for a lawsuit, you may think a second time.

percysmith

Think we need a new FT term if it does not exist already: keyboard litigiousness.

We have it for error fares, and we have it for credit card and FFP shutdowns.

Frankly keyboard litigiousness constitute unnecessary carbon emissions except in the rare cases where it is followed through - e.g. for Citi TYP 5X, the Telford County Court case against LH or even HK's Siemen Tsoi .

I remember a dare was made in the Citi TYP case - if you would sue and get a confirmed hearing date from a court clerk, we'll fly over to watch.

I dare anyone to sue for these shutdowns - and I will apply even apply for ETSA , suffer your CBP without GE and fly 10-abreast in order to do so if someone screencaps their confirmed hearing date.

VegasGambler

Filing a SCC case costs.... basically nothing. Do you really want to make this deal?

percysmith

Well, it involves the keyboard litigants actually getting into a courthouse and filing a claim https://www.dca.ca.gov/publications/...ims/file.shtml

So yes, if they're willing to do that, I'm willing to fly over.

Air Houston

I paid for my third-ever flight with a personal check. It was $180 for DSM-STL-MIA and the return. I was in college and that was a lot of money. We got to fly the L1011 on the return MIA-STL leg, which I thought was super cool. I still remember my TWA Aviators number.

Over the years I have had a bunch of different airline credit cards. But thankfully I have never had my account closed or flights cancelled.

VegasGambler

If my account gets locked and a DOT complaint doesn't result in a satisfactory outcome, I'll see you in California!

Please bring proof that you flew economy in a 10-across config, for my entertainment.