Missed my flight as I was stuck in security (AMS)
 

I’ve just missed my flight BA431 to LHR from AMS having being stuck at security. I’m booked on a 001 ticket (American Airlines) but BA is refusing to book me to my final destination which is JFK but I’m routed via MIA and DCA (AMS-LHR-MIA-DCA-JFK)

I’m on the phone trying to contact American Airlines now, but do I have any other options right now?

Accept whatever is being offered, the routing concerned is a bit odd given that it's unlikely all flights are full, but better than nothing. By all means keep calling AA, they are usually as good as it gets in terms of sorting out irrops by telephone.

Then when you get to T5, go down to the bus area for transfers to T3 and speak to the AA staff there to see if they can help further. Then since your flight to MIA is also from T3 when you get to T3 you have a further opportunity to see what will work.

Just keep trying to contact AA and hope they will do something. Your complete BA itinerary will have been cancelled as you'd have been a no-show at AMS.

Maybe I'm misreading it, I thought the *original* itinerary was AMS-LHR-MIA-DCA-JFK? He's missed the AMS-LHR, and BA are saying tough luck.

I know it’s not really helpful, but just take whatever is being offered. This is not the airline’s fault, so be grateful if AA can arrange for a direct flight to NYC either from AMS or LHR.

This is correct, I missed my AMS-LHR flight.

Any luck with AA?

I think that this is implicitly clear enough from all the posts above but to say it explicitly, in all likelihood, you don't have much of a leg to stand on. Ultimately, the airline is clear that the gate closes 20 minutes before departure and it is for you to arrange enough time to be there. Check in at Amsterdam closes 60 so I think that the exception is if you arrived more than 1 hour early and still did not make it in which case you might get more sympathy

When exactly did you contact AA? Typically, if before the flight departure they should be able to at least not cancel the ticket and allow you to change it at your normal change conditions but more than that is really asking for good will.

No luck with AA, both at Schiphol and on the phone. I will try BA one last time before giving up I think, no one seems to be budging.

IMHO, if the OP showed up on time at check-in (so 60 min before departure), then he should not be held responsible for delays at security. BA or AA should provide an alternative. Problem is that I think BA subcontracts the ground handling in AMS, and since there is zero customer service culture in the Netherlands he might have faced an agent who literally did not [care] about his/her story... I think AA should be able to assist him over the phone or at LHR T3, I think AA staff are working there. How much in advance did you show up at the airport ?

passengers responsibility to arrive in enough time to clear security and be at gate before boarding closes

If AA isn't willing to budge on a 001 ticket (ie invoking their flat tire 'rule'/policy), then I don't think you're going to have any luck with BA. Have you tried calling AA in the US? Do you have status? Maybe mention flat tire? Good luck but I don't see a happy outcome here, other than perhaps asking AA what residual value the ticket has and applying it to another routing to JFK.

sadly 6d in BA’s condition of carriage disagree with you, anything subsequent is at the discretion and a good will gesture of the airline.

OP of course hasn’t said what time they arrived at the airport, AMS doesn’t have conformance like LHR for example.

here's today's availability LHR-JFK. One flight has been cancelled.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...9a58789e23.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...5bad3d4d3f.jpg

I find AMS a bit of a pain these days although I imagine the OP would have had Fast Track and in any event my last few security experiences at Schiphol have been ok, especially now that they don't require liquids out of the bag. Maybe the OP got caught waiting on a very lengthy secondary (I often get stopped if I have loose coins in my bag- seems to be a particular thing at Schiphol) or a long queue at immigration. In the circumstances, I would accept the re-routing and not expect much more.