Cannot use AAdvantage Platinum card benefits on AA if ticket purchased with TYP?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 84
Cannot use AAdvantage Platinum card benefits on AA if ticket purchased with TYP?
I have a Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select card. Some of the benefits are: free bags for me and my travel party and group one boarding when flying AA.
I bought tickets on AA using Thank You Points, and both AA and Citi are telling me I do not get those benefits on my upcoming flight as I did not use the Citi AAdvantage credit card to pay for my flight.
Anyone had this issue before?
I bought tickets on AA using Thank You Points, and both AA and Citi are telling me I do not get those benefits on my upcoming flight as I did not use the Citi AAdvantage credit card to pay for my flight.
Anyone had this issue before?
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,927
How long have you had the card?
When you log in to aa.com, it should show you somewhere as a cardholder. That's what entitles you to the benefits, not whether you used the card to buy the tickets.
But that takes a while to register after you get the card (maybe after your first use? I'm not sure). So if you got the card very recently, that may be the problem.
Also, do you have your AAdvantage number on the flight reservation? If not, that's the problem; the Citi card benefits are tied to your AAdvantage number, so if your AAdvantage number isn't on the flight reservation (you'd have to be able to add it somehow later if you booked it with ThankYou points, I presume), there's no way to get those benefits because it can't connect to your card.
When you log in to aa.com, it should show you somewhere as a cardholder. That's what entitles you to the benefits, not whether you used the card to buy the tickets.
But that takes a while to register after you get the card (maybe after your first use? I'm not sure). So if you got the card very recently, that may be the problem.
Also, do you have your AAdvantage number on the flight reservation? If not, that's the problem; the Citi card benefits are tied to your AAdvantage number, so if your AAdvantage number isn't on the flight reservation (you'd have to be able to add it somehow later if you booked it with ThankYou points, I presume), there's no way to get those benefits because it can't connect to your card.
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 84
That's great news! It does show I'm a cardholder and my AAdvantage number is linked to my reservation. I wonder why the AA rep told me otherwise (perhaps it was because I called when I had just received my card). Anyway, glad to hear I should still get the benefits when I check in for my flight.
#4
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 3,522
That's great news! It does show I'm a cardholder and my AAdvantage number is linked to my reservation. I wonder why the AA rep told me otherwise (perhaps it was because I called when I had just received my card). Anyway, glad to hear I should still get the benefits when I check in for my flight.
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,927
I doubt it's a matter of "enforcement". I suspect that's just allowing the time for Citi to communicate to AA that you got the card. And given how bad Citi is about timing, I'm not sure if that's even always enough!
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,731
I have a Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select card. Some of the benefits are: free bags for me and my travel party and group one boarding when flying AA.
I bought tickets on AA using Thank You Points, and both AA and Citi are telling me I do not get those benefits on my upcoming flight as I did not use the Citi AAdvantage credit card to pay for my flight.
Anyone had this issue before?
I bought tickets on AA using Thank You Points, and both AA and Citi are telling me I do not get those benefits on my upcoming flight as I did not use the Citi AAdvantage credit card to pay for my flight.
Anyone had this issue before?
That's great news! It does show I'm a cardholder and my AAdvantage number is linked to my reservation. I wonder why the AA rep told me otherwise (perhaps it was because I called when I had just received my card). Anyway, glad to hear I should still get the benefits when I check in for my flight.
#7
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: SAN
Programs: AA Gold, Bonvoy Gold, DL Gold
Posts: 1,192
Yup, unlike United American gives you the benefits for having the card regardless of method of payment. You can quickly see if your card benefits are active when you sign in to AA.com it should show "AAdvantage(R) Cardmember" right under your name or status on the homepage.