| DCdeacon |
Apr 22, 2026 10:48 am |
I'll echo some of the things mentioned already and perhaps add some new ones: - Change the Admirals Club menu more frequently. I swear the CLT C/D club had pulled pork and mac 'n cheese as the entrees for literally six straight months last year (I recognize it's a zoo feeding the masses, but still...). Even the Soho lounge at JFK had the same lunch/dinner buffet for a number of months. For those of us traveling with some level of frequency, some variety would be much appreciated.
- I don't want to have to call to apply a Systemwide Upgrade when departing LHR because of the premium taxes. Figuring out a way for the website to capture my credit card information and apply the upgrade/put me on the waitlist can't be that technologically difficult.
- The rolling delays...I'll admit, I'm more fortunate than most being CK because of the communication I get - but it's still annoying for me, a savvy flyer with good information at my disposal. I can't imagine how awful it is for someone who flies twice a year and doesn't have status. To illustrate a couple recent examples...
- I was waiting in the lounge in CLT for a flight a couple weeks ago, and about 10 minutes before my flight was supposed to board, I get a call from one of the CK agents working in the concourse, who said "I know the TV in the lounge and the app says your flight is on time, but there's a mechanical issue and your flight is going to be delayed. Just stay in the lounge and I'll come get you when it's time to board." So first...lovely service, with them somehow knowing that I'm in the lounge, proactively calling me, and telling me they'll come get me. But on the flip side, for those who aren't CK...they clearly already have the information that the flight is going to be delayed, so why are the boarding screens in the airport and the app still showing an on time departure?!?!? Instead of updating it 20 minutes after the flight was supposed to board as is usually the case (typically with a new boarding time that is still unrealistic - like, boarding was supposed to be 6:30, it's now 6:50, and you just updated the new boarding time to 7:00, but we can clearly see that our incoming aircraft isn't even at the gate yet...), why not proactively update everything if you have all the information?
- I was in SEA with my family of five for spring break a couple weeks ago. Not a big AA station, no CK reps, so I'm doing things the old fashioned way (which honestly I prefer), which means watching FlightAware and FlightRadar24 for my incoming flight, etc. Anyway, we're hanging out in the Alaska lounge, and I'm looking at our incoming flight on FlightAware, which is clearly delayed, despite the AA app still showing an on time departure. This is not my first rodeo, so I tell my wife we just need to stay in the lounge even though the flight says on time. Finally, after our departure time passes, we get a notification that our flight is delayed. We eventually make our way to the gate, where most people have already been standing around waiting for the last 45 minutes, and are now highly agitated that they're still there waiting, with no updates/info from AA. Again, this delay information is known...so why can't it be proactively updated?
- I check a bag about once every five years, when forced to because of kids/carseats etc. As mentioned above, had a trip out to the PNW for spring break, and flew a couple Alaska segments sandwiched in-between our AA flights. On our Alaska flights, our checked bag was literally waiting for us on the baggage carousel when we deplaned and walked to the arrivals area. After our AA flights (so landing in SEA outbound and CLT return), we waited for at least 45 minutes for the bag (in SEA, I had enough time to take my three young kids on then rental car shuttle bus, get our rental car, and drive back to Sea-Tac to pick up my wife by the time our bag came out). It can't be that hard to get bags out quickly.
- I know the AA app is inferior to Delta and UA especially - I'm not even sure how exactly because I'm a hub captive and I don't fly those guys, but AA really needs to invest in the app.
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