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)
Mar 6, 2020, 2:01 pm
#3091
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 12
It wasn't locked at the time we made the booking but who knows now. SO has only signed up for one AA card in last 24 months but had used mailers prior to that. We just tried to change the booking due to COVID...reservation hasn't ticketed and it's been more than 24 hours.
Mar 6, 2020, 3:35 pm
#3092
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 746
No longer relevant.
Last edited by OssianBlue; Jul 6, 2020 at 6:32 pm
Mar 6, 2020, 4:02 pm
#3093
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 6,607
If that's the case you could also dispute the USAIR miles that were converted to AA being taken away, many people earned a lot of miles Via the Barclay USAIR CC SUBs.
Mar 6, 2020, 4:09 pm
#3094
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 746
No longer relevant.
Last edited by OssianBlue; Jul 6, 2020 at 6:31 pm
Mar 7, 2020, 2:02 am
#3095
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 77
Hi, trying to catch up since many of us are in different stages of this process and my own termination came after many others...
So for people who reported the AA termination to the DOT, they have received back a reply from AA stating essentially something like "The DOT has forwarded your correspondence to us and the reason for your termination is violations, gaming etc." AA also goes on to accuse the gamer of violating Citi's Terms? Is that pretty much where we are at?
And once we receive that AA reply, is there a consensus for what to do next?
So for people who reported the AA termination to the DOT, they have received back a reply from AA stating essentially something like "The DOT has forwarded your correspondence to us and the reason for your termination is violations, gaming etc." AA also goes on to accuse the gamer of violating Citi's Terms? Is that pretty much where we are at?
And once we receive that AA reply, is there a consensus for what to do next?
Mar 7, 2020, 6:55 am
#3096
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Continental Onepass, Hilton, Marriott, USAir and now UA
Posts: 6,447
I am responding to AA's DOT response with copies of my applications and terms and conditions proving lack of bonus restrictions. Then once the DOT avenue is exhausted, I will be working on filing my small claims case. Now that Citibank has been mentioned by AA, I may be reaching out to them, as well.
If you file a small claims court case and lose, are you legally finished or can you join a class action or file another claim, say in a civil court?
(I ask because I thought one only gets one bite at the apple, but IANAL, nor am I in a HIE
)
Mar 7, 2020, 7:43 am
#3097
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,959
Mar 7, 2020, 10:01 am
#3098
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: MD
Programs: UA,AA,SPG
Posts: 61
I thought I was not affected by the shutdown as when I called aadvantage reservations (800-882-8880) in December and today, it did NOT take me to a customer service agent. However, I had to do a last minute booking and I tried doing that using my miles. Even after an hour of booking the status is "Ticket Pending". This never happened to me earlier, so I guess my account is also locked/terminated.
Last edited by SVUS; Mar 7, 2020 at 10:18 am Reason: Removed personal information.
Mar 7, 2020, 10:05 am
#3099
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 321
I thought I was not affected by the shutdown as when I called aadvantage reservations (800-882-8880) in December and today, it did NOT take me to a customer service agent. However, I had to do a last minute booking and I tried doing that using my miles. Even after an hour of booking the status is "Ticket Pending". This never happened to me earlier, so I guess my account is also locked/terminated.
Mar 7, 2020, 10:10 am
#3100
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: MD
Programs: UA,AA,SPG
Posts: 61
My bad,panicked too early. You are right the reservation took time, but its ticketed now. I will update if I am able to take the trip. Sorry for the false alarm.
Last edited by SVUS; Mar 7, 2020 at 10:17 am Reason: Updated with latest info
Mar 7, 2020, 10:34 am
#3101
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,606
Wouldn't attorney fees in a class-action settlement ultimately be determined by the court? If so, why would a settlement that results in reinstatement of the terminated accounts/miles have an (adverse) effect on attorney fees?
Last edited by guv1976; Mar 7, 2020 at 11:04 am
Mar 7, 2020, 10:52 am
#3102
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 805
Does anyone know for sure that AA realizes the 48 month restriction wasn't on the Citi Mailer Apps? It's entirely possible that AA (incorrectly) thought the 48 month language was on all apps no matter the source and have now felt entirely justified shutting everyone down with multiple Citi bonuses.
I just can't see AA thinking lying to the DOT about the 48 month language is a good idea. They may very well think all apps had the language and it's just that the "gamers" figured out an application method that didn't have the restriction applied.
They may very well think this is a situation like Amex had where everyone was using their own referral codes and getting referral bonuses each time they signed up for a new card, Amex realized this and clawed back the bonuses since the T&Cs very clearly said this wasn't allowed, just their system didn't catch it.
I just can't see AA thinking lying to the DOT about the 48 month language is a good idea. They may very well think all apps had the language and it's just that the "gamers" figured out an application method that didn't have the restriction applied.
They may very well think this is a situation like Amex had where everyone was using their own referral codes and getting referral bonuses each time they signed up for a new card, Amex realized this and clawed back the bonuses since the T&Cs very clearly said this wasn't allowed, just their system didn't catch it.
Mar 7, 2020, 11:44 am
#3103
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 746
No longer relevant.
Last edited by OssianBlue; Jul 6, 2020 at 6:31 pm
Mar 7, 2020, 12:15 pm
#3104
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,959
Mar 7, 2020, 12:44 pm
#3105
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 77
I don't know, it's a grey area of honesty, at best, in my book. When a corporation with teams of lawyers enacts such a strong action against individuals, and they overconfidently state their case - I see that on the spectrum of dishonesty.