What Can You Do if an AAgent Misinforms You?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Chicago
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What Can You Do if an AAgent Misinforms You?
Rather than open a discussion if the passenger here is "right" or "wrong" this whole debacle makes me wonder what you could do if an AA rep on the phone genuinely misinforms you. Assuming they won't pull the call? Cliffs Notes: Passenger tried to change a basic econ ticket on a multi-trip was "told" to make a new flight, whole trip cancelled as first/original flight wasn't "taken"
Main Article: https://onemileatatime.com/american-...missed-flight/
Seems like it all boils down to what the phone rep ACTUALLY told him which we do not know. Did they tell him you need to book a new “flight” OR “trip/itinerary?” Sounds like he isn’t really detail oriented so I wouldn’t be surprised if he misunderstood what was being told to him. However, if they told him to book a new flight they DID mislead him.
Main Article: https://onemileatatime.com/american-...missed-flight/
Seems like it all boils down to what the phone rep ACTUALLY told him which we do not know. Did they tell him you need to book a new “flight” OR “trip/itinerary?” Sounds like he isn’t really detail oriented so I wouldn’t be surprised if he misunderstood what was being told to him. However, if they told him to book a new flight they DID mislead him.
#2
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
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It''s always fact specific so there is no simple answer.
If the agent tells you there will be vanilla ice cream and it's chocolate, not much.
The facts in the body of the OP are not relevant because the information the passenger was provided was entirely correct. Thus, less than not much.
If the agent tells you there will be vanilla ice cream and it's chocolate, not much.
The facts in the body of the OP are not relevant because the information the passenger was provided was entirely correct. Thus, less than not much.
#5
Original Poster
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If I had to guess what actually happened is that they got the dates mixed up, and won't just admit that. I've been in a similar boat with UAL - wanted to take an earlier flight and was willing to pay the $56 basic Econ one way fare, but thankfully the agent warned me by not taking the 1st flight, I would lose my return flight. Had this not been made clear I would have been really frustrated.
#6
Join Date: Aug 2015
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Here is a printable guide:
- Join FlyerTalk
- Try to find relevant threads or Wikis (granted, not always that easy)
- HUACA
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 17,254
Rather than open a discussion if the passenger here is "right" or "wrong"
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2004
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I do not think it is up to the phone agent to answer every question not asked.
He bought a "ticket" for his entire trip. He was told he needed to buy a new ticket. The assumption should be to buy a whole new ticket.
If you don't know much about traveling, use an agent
He bought a "ticket" for his entire trip. He was told he needed to buy a new ticket. The assumption should be to buy a whole new ticket.
If you don't know much about traveling, use an agent
Last edited by mvoight; Jul 18, 2019 at 2:20 am
#12
Join Date: Mar 2016
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I personally book approximately $25 thousand in AA tickets each year, none of which are non-changeable. Most are non-refundable and each time before I hit the purchase button on the website, I recheck my dates, flights, and all other information twice to make sure I don’t end up with an unforced error. I don’t expect AA, even with my status, to save me in the event I screw up or have a change. When you spend a lot of money on an unchangeable ticket you’re playing with fire. The AAgent probably neglected to tell him that he would forfeit the whole itinerary if he skipped the first part and I can see how that could happen but I don’t believe the AAgent was trying to screw him over.
#13
Join Date: May 2004
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I personally book approximately $25 thousand in AA tickets each year, none of which are non-changeable. Most are non-refundable and each time before I hit the purchase button on the website, I recheck my dates, flights, and all other information twice to make sure I don’t end up with an unforced error. I don’t expect AA, even with my status, to save me in the event I screw up or have a change. When you spend a lot of money on an unchangeable ticket you’re playing with fire. The AAgent probably neglected to tell him that he would forfeit the whole itinerary if he skipped the first part and I can see how that could happen but I don’t believe the AAgent was trying to screw him over.
#14
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I personally book approximately $25 thousand in AA tickets each year, none of which are non-changeable. Most are non-refundable and each time before I hit the purchase button on the website, I recheck my dates, flights, and all other information twice to make sure I don’t end up with an unforced error. I don’t expect AA, even with my status, to save me in the event I screw up or have a change. When you spend a lot of money on an unchangeable ticket you’re playing with fire. The AAgent probably neglected to tell him that he would forfeit the whole itinerary if he skipped the first part and I can see how that could happen but I don’t believe the AAgent was trying to screw him over.
Agents are neither mind readers nor nannies.
The caller's question and the answer were all in the fare rules and COC which he acknowledged reading and understanding at the time of the original purchase. I don't necessarily read the 17 pages of fare rules for every ticket I purchase, but it is on me that I don't and furthermore, the complete inflexibility of BE fares is not merely in the fare rules but has its own column and warnings on the AA site.
#15
Join Date: Nov 2003
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Posts: 1,548
Having read the OMAAT post and not the blog post, it's unclear why he didn't go to Orbitz to sort out a change. Did he skip that part from his story because they made clear it was a non-changeable non-refundable ticket?
Reminds me of the time I booked a BOS-EWR one way on B6, then booked my return later. Come the day of the return, realized I had booked BOS-EWR twice, so hopped on a train back to Boston. You live and you learn, and it's not always someone else's fault.
I personally book approximately $25 thousand in AA tickets each year, none of which are non-changeable. Most are non-refundable and each time before I hit the purchase button on the website, I recheck my dates, flights, and all other information twice to make sure I dont end up with an unforced error. I dont expect AA, even with my status, to save me in the event I screw up or have a change. When you spend a lot of money on an unchangeable ticket youre playing with fire. The AAgent probably neglected to tell him that he would forfeit the whole itinerary if he skipped the first part and I can see how that could happen but I dont believe the AAgent was trying to screw him over.