Help with AA and JAL fiasco
Sep 27, 2022, 11:02 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 10
Help with AA and JAL fiasco
Sorry this is so long.
I booked a ticket last year through AA. They permanently cancelled the flight, but rebooked me on Hawaiian.
Hawaiian cancelled that flight and AA rebooked me on JAL.
I checked the JAL confirmation number on line and by phone and JAL has no record.
I called back to AA and was told I had to go through JAL. I called JAL again and they assured me the record is not there. I also checked my JAL account and there were no reservations for me.
Back to AA and the agent was able to somehow come up with seat assignments for the two JAL one hour flights, but could not get a seat assignment for the 11 hour flight.
It was escalated to a supervisor at my request and he was not one of your usual friendly agents, but I explained the situation. He told me that I have a contract that states I cannot get a seat assignment until I get to the airport, nor can I get confirmation until then. That was not the original agreement I reserved. I was able to have seat assignment and able to upgrade.
I have never heard of not receiving a confirmation of a flight before getting to the airport.
He looked on the One World website “just to prove you wrong” and could not see the reservations either.
The flight was refundable, and upgradable. I also paid to upgrade to Main Cabin Extra which AA said was refunded but it has not.
What do I do now?
I booked a ticket last year through AA. They permanently cancelled the flight, but rebooked me on Hawaiian.
Hawaiian cancelled that flight and AA rebooked me on JAL.
I checked the JAL confirmation number on line and by phone and JAL has no record.
I called back to AA and was told I had to go through JAL. I called JAL again and they assured me the record is not there. I also checked my JAL account and there were no reservations for me.
Back to AA and the agent was able to somehow come up with seat assignments for the two JAL one hour flights, but could not get a seat assignment for the 11 hour flight.
It was escalated to a supervisor at my request and he was not one of your usual friendly agents, but I explained the situation. He told me that I have a contract that states I cannot get a seat assignment until I get to the airport, nor can I get confirmation until then. That was not the original agreement I reserved. I was able to have seat assignment and able to upgrade.
I have never heard of not receiving a confirmation of a flight before getting to the airport.
He looked on the One World website “just to prove you wrong” and could not see the reservations either.
The flight was refundable, and upgradable. I also paid to upgrade to Main Cabin Extra which AA said was refunded but it has not.
What do I do now?
Sep 27, 2022, 1:07 pm
#2
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: TPE / HSZ
Programs: CX GO (=SPH), IHG Diamond Amb, Hertz 5*, Accor, Hilton, National
Posts: 6,437
Sorry this is so long.
I booked a ticket last year through AA. They permanently cancelled the flight, but rebooked me on Hawaiian.
Hawaiian cancelled that flight and AA rebooked me on JAL.
I checked the JAL confirmation number on line and by phone and JAL has no record.
I called back to AA and was told I had to go through JAL. I called JAL again and they assured me the record is not there. I also checked my JAL account and there were no reservations for me.
Back to AA and the agent was able to somehow come up with seat assignments for the two JAL one hour flights, but could not get a seat assignment for the 11 hour flight.
It was escalated to a supervisor at my request and he was not one of your usual friendly agents, but I explained the situation. He told me that I have a contract that states I cannot get a seat assignment until I get to the airport, nor can I get confirmation until then. That was not the original agreement I reserved. I was able to have seat assignment and able to upgrade.
I have never heard of not receiving a confirmation of a flight before getting to the airport.
He looked on the One World website “just to prove you wrong” and could not see the reservations either.
The flight was refundable, and upgradable. I also paid to upgrade to Main Cabin Extra which AA said was refunded but it has not.
What do I do now?
I booked a ticket last year through AA. They permanently cancelled the flight, but rebooked me on Hawaiian.
Hawaiian cancelled that flight and AA rebooked me on JAL.
I checked the JAL confirmation number on line and by phone and JAL has no record.
I called back to AA and was told I had to go through JAL. I called JAL again and they assured me the record is not there. I also checked my JAL account and there were no reservations for me.
Back to AA and the agent was able to somehow come up with seat assignments for the two JAL one hour flights, but could not get a seat assignment for the 11 hour flight.
It was escalated to a supervisor at my request and he was not one of your usual friendly agents, but I explained the situation. He told me that I have a contract that states I cannot get a seat assignment until I get to the airport, nor can I get confirmation until then. That was not the original agreement I reserved. I was able to have seat assignment and able to upgrade.
I have never heard of not receiving a confirmation of a flight before getting to the airport.
He looked on the One World website “just to prove you wrong” and could not see the reservations either.
The flight was refundable, and upgradable. I also paid to upgrade to Main Cabin Extra which AA said was refunded but it has not.
What do I do now?
Otherwise, it sounds like a non-synchronised issue between AA (Sabre) and JL (Amadeus). You will have to HUACA and find the right agent to liaise with the oneworld team (difficult, I know). Probably start with AA, since they are the owner of the PNR, but you can also try to see if JL has any luck pulling up your reservation using the ticket number instead.
On code-share flights that operate on a space block basis, record locator on the operating airline sometimes are not generated until the flight is ready for check-in, but this is obviously not the arrangement between JL and AA and not your case here.
Sep 27, 2022, 5:32 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 10
Thank you for explaining what is happening and what to do. JAL was not able to pull up the flight by the ticket number that was given to me by AA.
I did go to checkmyflights and was able to pull up 2 JAL flights (HND to FUK and FUK to HND) but the longest flight (LAX to HND) is not confirmed and the AA flight return from HND to LAX is not there under AA or under JAL confirmations. (2 different flight confirmations).
I am going to try AA again and see if I get a more sympathetic agent to help me. if not, I will HUACA.
I did go to checkmyflights and was able to pull up 2 JAL flights (HND to FUK and FUK to HND) but the longest flight (LAX to HND) is not confirmed and the AA flight return from HND to LAX is not there under AA or under JAL confirmations. (2 different flight confirmations).
I am going to try AA again and see if I get a more sympathetic agent to help me. if not, I will HUACA.
Sep 28, 2022, 4:05 am
#5
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: APAC
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist, JL JGC
Posts: 143
JAL's IT system is horrendously bad/difficult to use IME. At least using their website, I have to put in my full name, flight dates & number, and confirmation code. It also doesn't help that they have 3 different systems to look up confirmation codes (as wholly domestic itineraries use one of two different systems).
If you're booked on JAL via an AA codeshare, as far as I know there is no way to select your seats in advance.
Also, note that when looking up your itinerary on JAL, they will drop your middle name (if any), even if it's on your AA ticket.
Edit: As for
sounds like a HUCA situation.
If you're booked on JAL via an AA codeshare, as far as I know there is no way to select your seats in advance.
Also, note that when looking up your itinerary on JAL, they will drop your middle name (if any), even if it's on your AA ticket.
Edit: As for
It was escalated to a supervisor at my request and he was not one of your usual friendly agents, but I explained the situation. He told me that I have a contract that states I cannot get a seat assignment until I get to the airport, nor can I get confirmation until then. That was not the original agreement I reserved. I was able to have seat assignment and able to upgrade.
Sep 28, 2022, 9:00 am
#8
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Denver
Programs: AS, AA, UA, Hilton, Marriott, Caesars DE
Posts: 2,070
Depending on fare class, you can call AA and they can assign you a seat. But check the JAL forum as it is very dependent on fare class and JL only releases certain seats. I had a similar issue as a OWE on a codeshare this year.
Oct 1, 2022, 10:46 am
#9
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: TPE / HSZ
Programs: CX GO (=SPH), IHG Diamond Amb, Hertz 5*, Accor, Hilton, National
Posts: 6,437
Thank you for explaining what is happening and what to do. JAL was not able to pull up the flight by the ticket number that was given to me by AA.
I did go to checkmyflights and was able to pull up 2 JAL flights (HND to FUK and FUK to HND) but the longest flight (LAX to HND) is not confirmed and the AA flight return from HND to LAX is not there under AA or under JAL confirmations. (2 different flight confirmations).
I am going to try AA again and see if I get a more sympathetic agent to help me. if not, I will HUACA.
I did go to checkmyflights and was able to pull up 2 JAL flights (HND to FUK and FUK to HND) but the longest flight (LAX to HND) is not confirmed and the AA flight return from HND to LAX is not there under AA or under JAL confirmations. (2 different flight confirmations).
I am going to try AA again and see if I get a more sympathetic agent to help me. if not, I will HUACA.
This is the case if you book a JL prime flight, not if it is marketed by AA.
Oct 4, 2022, 5:20 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 10
In the last 4 days, they have booked and canceled three more flights on my ticket. Right now I have flights and seats, although I think the final leg of the flight is a middle seat in the row before the bathroom, with a snoring guy on one side, and a toddler with a dirty diaper on the other. This has definitely been the strangest booking I have ever dealt with. I would cancel and start again, but the ticket was dirt cheap and refundable on an American flight that I have taken a few times before. I guess $300 rt airfares don't really exist.