Booking AA via AMEX for less than aa.com?
Feb 20, 2017, 8:56 pm
#31
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 4,216
i've spent a fair amount of time on this and many call:
1. most agents have no idea what I'm talking about
2. One did and said only my travel agent (and not Amex travel!) could get the insider fare-this seems absurd.
3. I got one fare through Amex travel that was changeable (athough I was told at booking it was fully refundable)
4. the $39 booking fee is waived if you are a centurion member, but then the ticket must be charged to centurion and not to business platinum
5. If only Amex travel and vaguely competent agents.
1. most agents have no idea what I'm talking about
2. One did and said only my travel agent (and not Amex travel!) could get the insider fare-this seems absurd.
3. I got one fare through Amex travel that was changeable (athough I was told at booking it was fully refundable)
4. the $39 booking fee is waived if you are a centurion member, but then the ticket must be charged to centurion and not to business platinum
5. If only Amex travel and vaguely competent agents.
Feb 23, 2017, 1:46 pm
#32
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: En Route
Programs: Many
Posts: 6,798
Calling right now on a TATL J itin, will report back...
UPDATE:
Fare was ~$2,560 on AA.com, they said I can get it for ~$2,100, not bad but not AMAZING.
UPDATE:
Fare was ~$2,560 on AA.com, they said I can get it for ~$2,100, not bad but not AMAZING.
Last edited by GetSetJetSet; Feb 23, 2017 at 1:54 pm
Feb 23, 2017, 2:27 pm
#34
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,952
May 23, 2017, 5:37 pm
#36
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: En Route
Programs: Many
Posts: 6,798
Had a great customer service experience with this. Recently called in asking about the best direct or indirect routing price for AA flights PAR-NYC-PAR, as I had recently gotten JFK-FCO-JFK AA J tickets for several hundred below the published rate. Agent told me I could fly AA CDG-JFK-BOS-CDG for something like $1,800 in J. I was shocked by the price and told the agent of course proceed with the booking.
We got to seat selection and the call of course dropped. I called AMEX back, got a new agent who told me the price for the same flights (with flight #'s of course) on the same dates would be ~$2,600. I explained that I had JUST, not 2 minutes earlier been quoted a much lower price for those same flights.
The agent escalated to a supervisor who pulled the tape of my earlier convo, confirmed that I had been quoted the lower price and had instructed the agent to execute the buy. As a result, AMEX decided that they would charge me the ~$2,600 for the flight, then issue me a statement credit for the difference between that price and the one I was initially quoted. As a kicker, since the price difference was negligible, they put me on direct flights both ways, to avoid the connection in Boston. I was VERY impressed, as this was far above and beyond what I expected. Well done AMEX ^
We got to seat selection and the call of course dropped. I called AMEX back, got a new agent who told me the price for the same flights (with flight #'s of course) on the same dates would be ~$2,600. I explained that I had JUST, not 2 minutes earlier been quoted a much lower price for those same flights.
The agent escalated to a supervisor who pulled the tape of my earlier convo, confirmed that I had been quoted the lower price and had instructed the agent to execute the buy. As a result, AMEX decided that they would charge me the ~$2,600 for the flight, then issue me a statement credit for the difference between that price and the one I was initially quoted. As a kicker, since the price difference was negligible, they put me on direct flights both ways, to avoid the connection in Boston. I was VERY impressed, as this was far above and beyond what I expected. Well done AMEX ^
May 24, 2017, 3:29 pm
#37
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: CLT
Programs: AA, UA, BA, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 2,074
I guess hang up and try again...it definitely exists, as I just did it, and will be doing it again tonight.
I also failed to mention the other amazing parts of these tickets:
1) they are 100% refundable up to 1 hour prior to departure
2) there are no change fees, only difference in fares if applicable
Very awesome if you ask me, it made me switch my preferred airline from United to American, and looks like I will be moving most of my flying this year to American for these reasons.
I also failed to mention the other amazing parts of these tickets:
1) they are 100% refundable up to 1 hour prior to departure
2) there are no change fees, only difference in fares if applicable
Very awesome if you ask me, it made me switch my preferred airline from United to American, and looks like I will be moving most of my flying this year to American for these reasons.
Jun 17, 2017, 11:02 am
#39
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: CLT
Programs: AA EXP; Avis PC; Hertz PC; Marriott LT Gold; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,133
Be aware that these fares will be coded as "Special Fares" and EQDs will post distance-based, not fare-based, with only a small percentage of miles posting as EQDs (max being 30% for full F fares). I recently got burned on this detail.
Jun 17, 2017, 6:48 pm
#40
Join Date: Feb 2007
Programs: Marriott Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 503
Also, the Special Fares rules are really weird. For example, in full First, you get 30 cents per mile, which can come out to MORE than you would get by the normal rules, depending on how much you pay. For discount business it is 15 or 20 cents per mile (IIRC), which can also be more than you actually pay in dollars.
Jul 5, 2017, 11:56 am
#42
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, AA Gold, FB Gold, ITA Volare Executive
Posts: 3,294
Bought two F/J tickets to HI (domestic, right?), one with MR points, one with cash. Both priced out about $200 less than on-line, even with annoying $37 (?) booking fee. Also, there is no change fee if I have to cancel and/or move them (except more annoying booking fees!)
Jul 5, 2017, 12:48 pm
#43
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: SLC/HEL/Anywhere with a Beach
Programs: Marriott Ambassador; AA EXP 3MM; AS MVP, Hilton Gold, CH-47/UH-60/C-23/C-130 VET
Posts: 5,234
Bought two F/J tickets to HI (domestic, right?), one with MR points, one with cash. Both priced out about $200 less than on-line, even with annoying $37 (?) booking fee. Also, there is no change fee if I have to cancel and/or move them (except more annoying booking fees!)
Did you just call the plat travel number?
Any idea how this compares to the "insiderfares" price if you look at the MR site? I hate calling in for travel since I often adjust my travel to good F/J fares rather that focusing on a particular destination or time frame. Just trying to figure out if I can come up with a guestimate of options, and then call in to purchase.
Jul 5, 2017, 12:53 pm
#44
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, AA Gold, FB Gold, ITA Volare Executive
Posts: 3,294
Yeah, I called the Platinum travel number ...
Now that you mention it, my savings comparison was with the fares shown on the MR site. What I can't remember is whether they were the same or lower than what was on the aa.com site. Truth be told, I think my path was Google Flights, where I saw flights that I was not seeing on aa.com (at least not easily), that somehow I did find them on the MR site, and then -- having read a blog about this late last year -- called in and found the additional savings.
Now that you mention it, my savings comparison was with the fares shown on the MR site. What I can't remember is whether they were the same or lower than what was on the aa.com site. Truth be told, I think my path was Google Flights, where I saw flights that I was not seeing on aa.com (at least not easily), that somehow I did find them on the MR site, and then -- having read a blog about this late last year -- called in and found the additional savings.
Aug 28, 2017, 3:55 pm
#45
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: SLC/HEL/Anywhere with a Beach
Programs: Marriott Ambassador; AA EXP 3MM; AS MVP, Hilton Gold, CH-47/UH-60/C-23/C-130 VET
Posts: 5,234
As a reference, I just purchased an international ticket in business (I) through Amex on AA. The AA.com price was $3900 round trip and the Amex price was $3200. Basically, it was the same price as available through AAvacations. The flight booked in J domestically, and I internationally.
The painful part was dealing with the agent. Nice but lots of questions ... It took 25 minutes to price a specific itinerary that I had in front of me. This was my first experience buying a ticket through the Amex Plat line and I was also surprised at the verifications that I needed to give. Calling the AA EXP plat line would have accomplished the same thing (well ... except for the $700 in savings) in 5 minutes.
In any event, the savings were significant. In hindsight ... I wish I had asked for comparison pricing on other OneWorld carriers.
The painful part was dealing with the agent. Nice but lots of questions ... It took 25 minutes to price a specific itinerary that I had in front of me. This was my first experience buying a ticket through the Amex Plat line and I was also surprised at the verifications that I needed to give. Calling the AA EXP plat line would have accomplished the same thing (well ... except for the $700 in savings) in 5 minutes.
In any event, the savings were significant. In hindsight ... I wish I had asked for comparison pricing on other OneWorld carriers.
