I cannot contact American please help
 

I need an agent to do seat assignments bc flying on separate PNRs. I tweeted this this AM. No response after 7 hours. So I called - first call dropped after asking about domestic travel. So I opened the app and chatted. It refused to connect me to an agent. "please check back later when we’re available." So I called back from a landline - also dropped at the same question. The flight is on Monday - the seating has already changed since this am!

This is completely unacceptable. I am elite if it matters (clearly not to AA!).

Any other suggestions aside from calling overseas??? TIA

ETA: Got thru by saying reservations, then seat assignment. It couldn't find my FFN but it did find my PNR). 36-49 minutes callback. Yes I am holding.

The call centers and chat agents are overloaded due to the days of travel disruptions in Texas. Are you able to just pull up the PNR + last name on the web site to change seats there?

By the sound of it they're separate PNRs, so they do need an agent to link it. I'm in the FL currently and the line is about 50 deep, the departure boards are mostly red (cancel) the rest orange (delay). It will likely be much better overnight tonight, if you're willing to stay up late / get up early.

What would be the purpose of linking instead of just adjusting the seats online?

Getting status benefits for free Preferred/MCE seats, most likely.

Update. After waiting on hold for 38 minutes, it *presumably* connected me and prompty dropped the call. I didn't even hear a click or agent's name! So I called back and took the call back option. Now 34 to 47 minutes now ​. Also 37-50 minutes.

Also, the choose another time feature is broken. I want a call back later tonight so I selected another time. It only gave tmw, the day after, etc. Not later tonight. So I thought I might be able to swing midnight but it doesn't allow 1201AM. Nearest time is 1AM. I am not staying up until 1AM to fixed some darn seats I tell you! What a terrible system all around...

ETA: For those wondering, yes I could've ticketed both of us together and would have greatly preferred doing that but mother wanted to use up her miles. So here we are. We've already bickered enough about this trip - was supposed to be manhattan, now nashville.

FWIW I was able to connect to a chat agent in the app in about 2 minutes.

I thought that only works for companions in the same PNR. I didn't think "linking" had any effect for that.

Linking has little to no effect but agents will give your friend red seats for free, as long as the friend is not in BE. In person, they can get red seats even if in BE.

They don't have to be on the same PNR to get the seat assignment benefits, just on the same flight in the same class. You can also call and get them added to the upgrade list with you. You don't get the baggage benefit though.

That was a wrong term on my part, my apologies, but the original point still stands that OP needs to call in for this specific seat assignment issue.

Thanks for the tip. However it will not connect me. Are there any magic words to use? Hopefully not 4 letter ones!
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...5ea7faae6.jpeg

I was just able to hit the 'I still need help' on Android and it connected me right away.

SUCCESS - THEREISAGOD. So I had the call back feature on my iphone and a call on hold on landline. iphone picks up, get a nice agent, immediately understands my concerns and says he's working on getting seats. I walk into my kitchen. Call drops. Oh no! I give it 5 mins before checking online to see if seats were assigned. In the meantime, landline connects and I get another great agent. She confirmed seats are correct and waitlists mom for upgrades. She said chat doesn't not have a waitlist so that's why it wouldn't connect. She also recommended calling in on the elite line - I always use the regular since I figure it detects your status but she said that can make a difference.

Interesting as this differs from aa.com. I know you don't need to be in the same PNR for upgrades but for seat assignments I was always under the impression you had to be.

Under both "Complimentary Preferred Seats" and "Complimentary Main Cabin Extra seats", the following statement is made: "This benefit also applies to up to 8 passengers traveling with you in the same reservation.". See https://www.aa.com/web/i18n/aadvanta...?tab1=2&tab2=2.

I'll give this a try myself as I've been telling a companion I can't get him better seats as he wanted to book separately.