FrankMorris

I've had 2 flights canceled today coming back from GDL. There is a flight available to book online tomorrow, but reservations won't change me to that flight "because it's not available" with there being "multiple factors contributing to lack of availability." To me, the most obvious reason seems that they're trying to sell this seat for $2,000+. The next available flight after is not until Monday. This seems immensely unethical - that my flight would be canceled and I'd be delayed another day so that American can keep the seat open for a potential price gouged sale.

Am I reading into this correctly? Is there something I'm missing here? Other factors that would help me understand this situation? I'm wanting to write into corporate and follow up with this issue as far as I can take it, but I want to understand the situation first in case there's something I'm missing.

Thanks all.

js1993

What's the route? I saw your comments in the weather thread, but I'm not seeing anything GDL-DFW or GDL-PHX for tomorrow. I've also never seen AA try to "price gouge" during IRROPS. If anything, it's the opposite, with all sorts of rules going out the window to get people where they need to go.

Multiple weather events + staff shortages + Covid = rough times, unfortunately.

FrankMorris

They might have just yanked it. Here's a screenshot of the chat session, and a screenshot of the available flight. Looks like I was way off on price - they were holding out to get $3,224 instead of putting me in the seat (or an economy seat and upgrading an elite). In short, because of a "marketing issue" or some other issue, I was denied flight back to the US for another day.

js1993

I know you're frustrated, but there's no conspiracy here. It's routine for airlines to oversell flights online, but they're not going to deliberately overbook a flight via rebooking during IRROPS. That seat you saw online likely didn't exist.

thunderdeacon

It only exists for someone willing to pay $3000 to bump someone else off.

FrankMorris

Ah thanks folks - hadn't thought of the overbooked situation, and yes - was posting another comment as I saw yours come in about the option to bump someone for $3,000. Still questionably ethical, but more understandable that I couldn't hop on that flight if it's already oversold.

js1993

Hope you enjoy the extra time in GDL. I'm currently in New York, with a "feels like" of 2 degrees.

Good luck on Monday.

FrankMorris

Thanks! Certainly worse (and colder) places to be stuck.

js1993

Not sure if you saw my edit, but there sure are.

thunderdeacon

It's a relatively cheap paradise in which to be stuck. I can't imagine what hotel prices have been in all the snowed-in mega hubs.

FrankMorris

I sure did! Fully agreed...

Stripe

If a flight is F1 Y0 there should be no issue grabbing that for the OP. Yes, the flight may be overbooked but I have never heard of or experienced being denied the seat in this situation. I would assume it was a "there one minute, gone the next situation", which is completely plausible. I have clicked on a flight on AA.com but in the next step been told "sorry that flight is no longer available". I don't know why the agent could not simply have said that, instead of the "marketing issue" garbage.

This assumes that the OP had an F ticket to begin with. If you're ticketed in Y there is no way AA will stick you in F just to accommodate you. That sometimes happened before, when agents had more discretion, but those days are long gone.

FrankMorris

I certainly don't know the policy or what's customary, but I can say it's absolutely ridiculous that they'd hold me back and not let someone sit in that F seat. No, I didn't have that class booked, but when you're stranding people abroad for multiple days, leaving more behind because you don't want them to sit in an F seat is ridiculously terrible. Again, find an elite and upgrade them. I don't need to sit in F. But if I'm sitting behind in Mexico while an empty seat takes off because I didn't pay for that class of service, there's no way of interpreting that as okay.

js1993

I agree, but I can essentially guarantee you that's not what happened.

audio-nut

This response is not grounded in truth. If inventory is available then they can use it in an IROP.