Ventures
You should request (a) a refund for *involuntary* downgrade and (b) compensation for the hassle and (c) apologies for poor training of AA personnel. What you went trough, as a paid international first class traveler, is completely inexcusable, and it's not your job to keep track of what fare class structure an airline uses!

I spoke to customer relations in Dallas on Friday. The rep continued to argue with me that all i was entitled to on a transcon 3 class aircraft was business. I asked to speak to a supervisor but the rep told me he would check into it and call me right back.....still waiting.

I wonder how many others have had problems with OW Explorer tickets. The one I used in March originated in BOS on BA. When I got to the airport, despite having a paper ticket, BA had no record of my booking for either of my BA segments (BOS-LHR LHR-BKK). I almost missed the flight as it took nearly 45 minutes for them to decide whether I had a legitimate reservation and whether there was still inventory available.

BA also wouldn't clear the waitlist for me on the LHR-BKK segment in D class (Explorer fare code for business class) despite plenty of inventory available, even down to the day of the flight where we flew with open seats. I ended up paying for that segment separately, on top of the fixed OW Explorer ticket price for my other stops...it turns out I probably could have bought a OW Explorer in first class for cheaper (no idea if "A" inventory was available on all flights).

I have a similar set of flights coming up in February/March....not sure how best to approach it this time around.

Simplest way would be to call each airline on which you've got flights.

If you've got the SABRE reservation code, you can verify the reservations, and you'll also find the record locator for each of the airlines.

afterthought

The URL for checking your reservations on SABRE is www.virtuallythere.com .

[This message has been edited by wideman (edited 12-22-2000).]

Wideman: If you're posting was a response to mine, I had checked virutallythere.com and all of that..and in fact, when I called my travel agent during the confusion at the BA desk, they still showed my reservation. It just never made it into the BA computers at Logan.

Regarding BA reservations disappaering, it happened to me before too. I had NRT-LHR with BA reserved in a PNR made by AA, however, didn't show up on BA's computer. Luckily, I noticed two days before departure when I called BA (I always "re-confirm" with the career because I do know s*it happens), called AA, and eventually had them talk to each other directly. Was told that it was a computer glitch, and it was finally sorted out by manually putting in the record at BA's end.

Sorry to hear about the not-clearing of the waitlist... Shouldn't happen...

This happened to me also, AA ticket - confirmed seating with BA and then suddenly no res. Spent about an hour on the phone to BA who could not re-create the reservation as some flights were sold out.

BA blamed my Travel Agent who resequenced the sectors and apparently released some of them in error. Now I'm not sure I believe them!

If you have purchased a First Class (AONEW) Oneworld around the world ticket, you should be flying the highest class possible on a transcontinental 3-class flight.

All of this confusion comes from the ignorance of most major airlines in the US.

Look at the flight availability displays in the following cases other fare codes have been omitted to save space)

1AA 180 P1 J5 Y7 LAXJFK 8 430P 1237A�1 762
(three class transcontinental aircraft)
(on international flights such as LAX-LHR, the "P" is replaced with an "F")

1AA 152 F7 Y7 LAXEWR 9 1045P 654A�1 757
(two class domestic US aircraft)

1AA 403 J5 Y7 DFWMEX 711P 953P 72S
(two class international flight from Dallas to Mexcio City, notice the use of "J" for the higher class of service instead of "F")

The only solution would be to stop calling the higher class of service on a two class aircraft within North America "First Class", and start calling it "Business Class" just like on two class service between Dallas and Mexico City.

Other airlines such as Cathay Pacific have called their higher class of service on two class aircraft (within Asia) "Business Class" (which has service a lot better than "first class" on a US two class aircraft) instead of "First Class".

Since you have originally boooked your flight from LAX-EWR in "A" class (two class flight), and then decided to rebooked in "A" class on a three class flight from LAX-JFK, the airline agent may have got confused.

Traditionally, if you buy a ticket with fare basis "F" from LAX-EWR and then decided to take a three class aircraft, you would be accomodated in Business Class. (only solution to avoid confusion would be for AA to use the "J" fare basis and market their higher class of service on two-class aircraft as "business class")

Ventures - any update ?? kazman

right...you could sue them for breach of contract if you dont compensate you for their mistake...
why dont you simply call their customer service instead, ask them to verify with intl reservation....if all these failed, call whoever issued you ticket and pursue from that thread or simply sue them

Would you believe that I have now left 2 messages with the indiviual I initially spoke with in Customer Relations in Dallas and have yet to receive a call back.

Ventures,

did you ever get this resolved to your satisfaction??

ich

I suggest you write, as you will then have a written record and should AA not answer you can at least get the faer difference back from your credit card issuer. Do ask for compensation for the hassle and discomfort, not just for the fare difference, which is OWED to you due as per tariffs.

Also, don't forget to ask for your mileage posting to be corrected; since you were in R, you'll probably get coach-class miles!

I am sure they will compensate you. You should get more than the $400 or so fare difference for the insult and experience.

I'm really surprised there wasn't someone to appeal to?

I'm really surprised this hasn't been resolved by now. This is a black-and-white issue that should have been refunded expeditiously, particularly given the way it was handled at the gate.

One other thought on getting this matter expedited: call AA during business hours and ask to be transferred to the "RTW desk." Explain the situation in a friendly manner (they have a vested interest in the success of this program, too), and ask for their advice as to the next step you should pursue.