Dec 18, 2019, 12:31 pm
Last edit by: wyogold
Related discussions in other Flyertalk forums:
AA potentially closing accounts due to credit card churning/churn
How to know if you're locked: (as of 12/22/2019)
- Call in to aadvantage reservations (800-882-8880) If you locked, you'll be forwarded to customer service instead of getting to the automated reservations system
- If you want to stay on the line, ask CSR if your account is locked (you tried to make a reservation but it wouldn't let you). CSR will inform you there's a note on your account and that corporate security will contact you
- Try to make a reservation for a super cheap hotel through useaamiles.com. There are 1000 miles / night hotels in New Delhi, so at worst you'll risk 1K miles. If you're locked, you'll see "Unable to process points. Please call our customer service for assistance."
So far, nobody seems to have gotten unlocked and gotten access to their miles back. Accounts with upcoming travel seem to be the ones that are getting terminated at the highest rate.
AA potentially closing accounts due to credit card churning/churn
How to know if you're locked: (as of 12/22/2019)
- Call in to aadvantage reservations (800-882-8880) If you locked, you'll be forwarded to customer service instead of getting to the automated reservations system
- If you want to stay on the line, ask CSR if your account is locked (you tried to make a reservation but it wouldn't let you). CSR will inform you there's a note on your account and that corporate security will contact you
- Try to make a reservation for a super cheap hotel through useaamiles.com. There are 1000 miles / night hotels in New Delhi, so at worst you'll risk 1K miles. If you're locked, you'll see "Unable to process points. Please call our customer service for assistance."
So far, nobody seems to have gotten unlocked and gotten access to their miles back. Accounts with upcoming travel seem to be the ones that are getting terminated at the highest rate.
AA accounts restricted (Nov/Dec 2019)
Dec 13, 2019, 11:24 am
#241
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 805
People focus too much on the specific and forget that AA is typically aggressive about fraud in general and apparently devotes substantial resources to anti-fraud efforts.
Not just this scam, but people selling miles, certificates, booking impossible tickets, booking refundable tickets and cancelling to create inventory. All of these point to sophisticated efforts by AA and it should come as no surprise that it enforces the rules.
Not just this scam, but people selling miles, certificates, booking impossible tickets, booking refundable tickets and cancelling to create inventory. All of these point to sophisticated efforts by AA and it should come as no surprise that it enforces the rules.
Dec 13, 2019, 11:32 am
#243
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 251
I'm not the person saying that, but the fraud part would be misrepresenting your identity when signing up for an account to generate mailers.
Dec 13, 2019, 11:34 am
#244
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 805
Plenty of the data points say that it doesn’t matter where you received the mailer code. You don’t necessarily need multiple accounts to have participated.
Dec 13, 2019, 11:41 am
#245
Join Date: May 2009
Location: South Park, CO
Programs: Tegridy Elite
Posts: 5,678
I'm sure this won't end up being the case, but IMHO we should keep this thread solely for discussing data points and experiences, and save the "ethics debates" for some other thread. Especially as we don't yet even know with certainty whether all lockouts were participating in which activities (if any).
Dec 13, 2019, 12:33 pm
#246
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 153
People focus too much on the specific and forget that AA is typically aggressive about fraud in general and apparently devotes substantial resources to anti-fraud efforts.
Not just this scam, but people selling miles, certificates, booking impossible tickets, booking refundable tickets and cancelling to create inventory. All of these point to sophisticated efforts by AA and it should come as no surprise that it enforces the rules.
Not just this scam, but people selling miles, certificates, booking impossible tickets, booking refundable tickets and cancelling to create inventory. All of these point to sophisticated efforts by AA and it should come as no surprise that it enforces the rules.
Dec 13, 2019, 12:38 pm
#247
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,269
Yes. "Please take our 100,000 AAdvantage miles and accept $200 as a parting gift. We hope to see you again next month."
Dec 13, 2019, 1:07 pm
#248
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 43
Just an FYI, I signed up for Reddit today and the private thread now appears to be public
https://www.reddit.com/r/aa_shutdown/
https://www.reddit.com/r/aa_shutdown/
Dec 13, 2019, 1:22 pm
#249
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 12
Since we know there are people from AA reading this thread, I would make this one request of them:
You legally have the right to do almost anything with our AAdvantage accounts and award trips. But please be decent human beings and make sure that you don't cancel return flights for people who are already gone. You would be stranding families in another country/state.
Also, maybe don't cancel Christmas travel? People going home to see their families, or flying their families in to see them.
I've already said that AA should have no PR problems because of these lockouts. But these two things could possibly leave them with a black eye, especially with the lack of communication so far. Many people affected most likely have no idea.
I am not currently on a trip. I do not have any scheduled before the end of the year. This is not me trying to help myself. This is asking AA to do the decent thing for these families at Christmas.
You legally have the right to do almost anything with our AAdvantage accounts and award trips. But please be decent human beings and make sure that you don't cancel return flights for people who are already gone. You would be stranding families in another country/state.
Also, maybe don't cancel Christmas travel? People going home to see their families, or flying their families in to see them.
I've already said that AA should have no PR problems because of these lockouts. But these two things could possibly leave them with a black eye, especially with the lack of communication so far. Many people affected most likely have no idea.
I am not currently on a trip. I do not have any scheduled before the end of the year. This is not me trying to help myself. This is asking AA to do the decent thing for these families at Christmas.
Dec 13, 2019, 1:37 pm
#250
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 779
Is there anyone who uses (e)mailers, whose account has not been locked?
Dec 13, 2019, 1:48 pm
#251
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 889
My account is locked (called in) - being handled by account security - never got a message / email. Agent sounded surprised.
Dec 13, 2019, 1:48 pm
#252
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: KSTP KSPG
Programs: AOPA
Posts: 974
I want to know how many account are locked. AA might be crossing a line somewhere.
too bad there are no regulation on frequent flier programs, hope something comes out of this.
too bad there are no regulation on frequent flier programs, hope something comes out of this.
Dec 13, 2019, 2:13 pm
#255
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 790
I would encourage those who are unsure if they are locked to try to book a 1,000 point a night hotel in Ho Chi Minh City for example. This confirms the "silent lock", or not.