Community
Wiki Posts
Search

Award Canceled After Midnight

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old May 28, 2022, 11:08 pm
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: PHL
Programs: UA Plat, 2MM
Posts: 1,860
Award Canceled After Midnight

I had booked an Award ticket International at 9:30 PM which required me to call AA to be issued (not sure why). I had until midnight. I called ASAP and had to get a call back which came 3 hours later and thus after midnight, and the ticket canceled. The agent said that they could not get the flights again. I am on hold for another 45 minutes while they try to get the International agent. If they require you to call to issue the ticket with a deadline after which it cancels, then answer the phone !!!! If nit, don't cancel it at midnight, at least give it 24 hours. Pathetic service. Get more phone agents.
TonyBurr is offline  
Old May 28, 2022, 11:23 pm
  #2  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,588
Originally Posted by TonyBurr
I had booked an Award ticket International at 9:30 PM which required me to call AA to be issued (not sure why). I had until midnight. I called ASAP and had to get a call back which came 3 hours later and thus after midnight, and the ticket canceled. The agent said that they could not get the flights again. I am on hold for another 45 minutes while they try to get the International agent. If they require you to call to issue the ticket with a deadline after which it cancels, then answer the phone !!!! If nit, don't cancel it at midnight, at least give it 24 hours. Pathetic service. Get more phone agents.
What was the date of travel? Did you have the option to put the itinerary on a complimentary hold? Was all travel on AA, or was a partner carrier involved?
guv1976 is offline  
Old May 29, 2022, 6:11 am
  #3  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: PHL
Programs: UA Plat, 2MM
Posts: 1,860
Originally Posted by guv1976
What was the date of travel? Did you have the option to put the itinerary on a complimentary hold? Was all travel on AA, or was a partner carrier involved?
The travel was March 11 and included Japan Airlines. It did not give me the option to put on hold, it did it automatically and said to issue it I had to call AA Res. I made the res around 9:00 PM and I had until midnight to get it issued, and I called ASAP but no one called back until after midnight so it canceled and the agent said he could not recreate it. They should give at least 24 hours to get it issued if they do not have agents to answer the phone.
TonyBurr is offline  
Old May 29, 2022, 11:18 am
  #4  
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Utqiagvik (Barrow) Alaska and Ann Arbor, Michigan
Programs: Charter Member Delta Diamond Medallion, Lifetime AA Platinum, IHG Diamond, Hilton & Marriott Gold
Posts: 630
Originally Posted by TonyBurr
The travel was March 11 and included Japan Airlines. It did not give me the option to put on hold, it did it automatically and said to issue it I had to call AA Res. I made the res around 9:00 PM, and I had until midnight to get it issued, and I called ASAP but no one called back until after midnight so it canceled and the agent said he could not recreate it. They should give at least 24 hours to get it issued if they do not have agents to answer the phone.
This American Airlines reservation problem is why you want to make reservations after 12:01 AM local time. That way, American Airlines has at least 23 hours to answer your phone call before your international reservation invokes an auto-destruct sequence at midnight.
jjbiv likes this.
ceieoc is offline  
Old May 29, 2022, 11:30 am
  #5  
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: STL/ORD/MCI/SAN
Programs: AA CK MM, AC SE100K, BA Gold, UA 1K, DL Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 1,989
Originally Posted by TonyBurr
The travel was March 11 and included Japan Airlines. It did not give me the option to put on hold, it did it automatically and said to issue it I had to call AA Res. I made the res around 9:00 PM and I had until midnight to get it issued, and I called ASAP but no one called back until after midnight so it canceled and the agent said he could not recreate it. They should give at least 24 hours to get it issued if they do not have agents to answer the phone.
March 11, 2023?

Have you tried simply rebooking it? Someone else got the last award space between midnight and now?

Unless I'm misunderstanding something, the perceived level of anger from the OP seems out of proportion to what actually happened.
jjbiv likes this.
metallo is online now  
Old May 29, 2022, 11:44 am
  #6  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
Originally Posted by ceieoc
This American Airlines reservation problem is why you want to make reservations after 12:01 AM local time. That way, American Airlines has at least 23 hours to answer your phone call before your international reservation invokes an auto-destruct sequence at midnight.
Is this a common issue? I've never seen it. Are there some partners you have to call in for?
VegasGambler is offline  
Old May 29, 2022, 12:51 pm
  #7  
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: WAS/TYO
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP (3MM), DL PM, BONVOY TITANIUM, HYATT GLOBALIST, HILTON DIAMOND, IHG DIAMOND AMB, et al
Posts: 5,913
Originally Posted by metallo
Have you tried simply rebooking it? Someone else got the last award space between midnight and now?
In my experience, it's common for JL award space to not go back into award inventory once it's held/booked and then cancelled.

-FlyerBeek
metallo, Abidjan and _kurt like this.
FlyerBeek is offline  
Old May 29, 2022, 3:41 pm
  #8  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Bye Delta
Programs: AA EXP, HH Diamond, IHG Plat, Hyatt Plat, Marriott Plat, Nat'l Exec Elite, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 16,273
Originally Posted by metallo
March 11, 2023?

Have you tried simply rebooking it? Someone else got the last award space between midnight and now
OP has already stated twice, both in the original post and the comment you quoted. The space is gone and the itinerary could not be resurrected or rebooked from current availability.

A 2.5 hour window to resolve a ticketing issue when AA hold times exceed three hours is certainly unreasonable.
javabytes is offline  
Old May 29, 2022, 3:53 pm
  #9  
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: STL/ORD/MCI/SAN
Programs: AA CK MM, AC SE100K, BA Gold, UA 1K, DL Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 1,989
Originally Posted by javabytes
OP has already stated twice, both in the original post and the comment you quoted. The space is gone and the itinerary could not be resurrected or rebooked from current availability.
Bummer.

Originally Posted by javabytes
A 2.5 hour window to resolve a ticketing issue when AA hold times exceed three hours is certainly unreasonable.
So, by that logic, if the OP had booked at 11:45pm, and the phone hold time was 20 minutes, it would also be unreasonable? Perhaps the midnight hold expiration policy itself is unreasonable, but the hold times are just a function of the current state of affairs at most airlines.

It's going to be a tough summer for travel. People will need to be more flexible than usual when it comes to agent hold times, booking/re-booking issues, etc. AA isn't the only airline with these issues, and frankly, it seems AA is doing much better than some of their domestic competition at weathering the storm. I'll stick with what I wrote about the OP's apparent anger level being out of proportion to what actually happened.
jjbiv likes this.
metallo is online now  


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.