American Airlines grrrrrrrr (1 Viewer)

[krista4]

since you accepted the alternate flights.

Yeah, well I am still trying to get home…

I'm factually answering the question you asked. Don't shoot the damn messenger. Or don't ask if you don't want to know the answer.

Your other alternative would have been to book with another airline to get home faster. Obviously good reasons not to do that (could have been a lot of $$, for instance), but the new rules would then require you to be reimbursed right away for the amount you spent on the AA flights you didn't take.

 

[JAA]

since you accepted the alternate flights.

Yeah, well I am still trying to get home…

I'm factually answering the question you asked. Don't shoot the damn messenger. Or don't ask if you don't want to know the answer.

Your other alternative would have been to book with another airline to get home faster. Obviously good reasons not to do that (could have been a lot of $$, for instance), but the new rules would then require you to be reimbursed right away for the amount you spent on the AA flights you didn't take.

IIRC, the law is something about as long as they get you on a flight within 24 hours.

 

[Dr_Zaius]

I don't fly that much any more, but it's often American due to my proximity to PHL. For the most part I haven't had too bad an experience (at least no worse than United, the other major I often use via EWR), but I did have a really bad experience when we missed a connecting flight in MIA a few years ago. There was a Frontier flight that would have gotten us home that night, but the gate agent claimed that it was about to be cancelled (I later confirmed it took off as scheduled) and put us on standby for the next morning, telling us that we would probably have to go one at a time throughout the day(!) We ended up saying screw it and rented a car and drove home because it was imperative that we didn't get stuck in Florida for several days. It was definitely the right choice because the first MIA-PHL the next morning also ended up getting cancelled, so I'm sure it would have been a nightmare to get back via airplane.

 

[krista4]

since you accepted the alternate flights.

Yeah, well I am still trying to get home…

I'm factually answering the question you asked. Don't shoot the damn messenger. Or don't ask if you don't want to know the answer.

Your other alternative would have been to book with another airline to get home faster. Obviously good reasons not to do that (could have been a lot of $$, for instance), but the new rules would then require you to be reimbursed right away for the amount you spent on the AA flights you didn't take.

IIRC, the law is something about as long as they get you on a flight within 24 hours.

No, that's not correct. Nice to see you, by the way!

 

[Pip's Invitation]

They will probably try to claim the issue was “weather” even if it wasn’t.

I no longer fly often enough to accrue any reward status, so I try to avoid American if I can, which is easier said than done when you fly out of Philly.

 

[Galileo]

since you accepted the alternate flights.

Yeah, well I am still trying to get home…

I'm factually answering the question you asked. Don't shoot the damn messenger. Or don't ask if you don't want to know the answer.

Your other alternative would have been to book with another airline to get home faster. Obviously good reasons not to do that (could have been a lot of $$, for instance), but the new rules would then require you to be reimbursed right away for the amount you spent on the AA flights you didn't take.

I don't think I intended that statement the way it was taken. None of it was even directed at you or intended to "shoot the messenger". So, my apologies if it was taken that way. I was merely trying to make a statement that I was trying to get home. It seemed like the normal thing to do was to try and get on another flight. Nothing was offered by the airline as an option for reimbursement, they simply re-booked me. My focus was simply on getting home. I nearly did rent a car, and probably would have if I had been earlier in the day. If I had waited and driven home today, I may have gotten home a couple hours earlier at best. At what cost? I have no idea. Either way, I have lost 2 days due to no cause of my own and certainly not a weather related event. Seems like that should have some value. Which is why I posed the question.

 

[krista4]

since you accepted the alternate flights.

Yeah, well I am still trying to get home…

I'm factually answering the question you asked. Don't shoot the damn messenger. Or don't ask if you don't want to know the answer.

Your other alternative would have been to book with another airline to get home faster. Obviously good reasons not to do that (could have been a lot of $$, for instance), but the new rules would then require you to be reimbursed right away for the amount you spent on the AA flights you didn't take.

I don't think I intended that statement the way it was taken. None of it was even directed at you or intended to "shoot the messenger". So, my apologies if it was taken that way. I was merely trying to make a statement that I was trying to get home. It seemed like the normal thing to do was to try and get on another flight. Nothing was offered by the airline as an option for reimbursement, they simply re-booked me. My focus was simply on getting home. I nearly did rent a car, and probably would have if I had been earlier in the day. If I had waited and driven home today, I may have gotten home a couple hours earlier at best. At what cost? I have no idea. Either way, I have lost 2 days due to no cause of my own and certainly not a weather related event. Seems like that should have some value. Which is why I posed the question.

No worries - I must have misinterpreted. Sorry for that! Unfortunately the answer is as I've stated, and though it "seems" like they should owe something, they don't. I would definitely make the complaint and see what you could get out of them in any case. I don't fly AA, but certainly Delta gives compensation in these situations, though usually in the form of Skymiles or a voucher for future travel, not $$.

 

[Orange&Blue]

Wait until the flight attendants strike in the next few weeks.

wait, what???

 

[fruity pebbles]

Wait until the flight attendants strike in the next few weeks.

wait, what???

Negotiations have stalled. They haven’t gotten a raise in five years. AAs profits have tanked so I’m not even sure they can pay them what they want. It’s potentially setting up for a disaster. Union has told the members to start preparing for strike.

 

[Snoopy]

Worst airline imo. Every major problem I’ve had flying has always been them.

Even Spirit?

 

[fruity pebbles]

Worst airline imo. Every major problem I’ve had flying has always been them.

Even Spirit?

Dunno. I don’t fly Spirit, Frontier and the like. Think you probably know you’re taking a bit of a risk with those given the price.

 

[Alex P Keaton]

Worst airline imo. Every major problem I’ve had flying has always been them.

Even Spirit?

Never again. I don’t care what the savings appear to be…..I will never. Fly. Them. Again.

 

[nirad3]

Oh man, I'm praying to the TravelGods that my flights next week aren't affected by AA's apparent rise in incompetence. Going to/from their major hub - DFW - so hoping that nothing crazy happens. I mean, it wouldn't be too horrible if my flight HOME got delayed.... but I'm banking on an on-time arrival on Wednesday in order to do the work I need to do out that way Thursday/Friday.

 

[stbugs]

I just booked one ways at the end of July so hopefully OK by then but honestly have had good experiences with AA. Charlotte’s a major hub so we fly everywhere direct. Still boggles my mind when I see people running to the front to get a connection and you landed on time. Charlotte was US Air before AA acquired them so might also help but I don’t mind AA at all. I also travel way less since COVID so that probably helps as well.

 

[Instinctive]

I fly a lot. Enough to believe the following:

AA is no better or worse than most big ones. With status, they're great.

My least favorite is United - always feel like they've treated people the poorest, so my time in SF flying them a ton was less enjoyed than now in Dallas never flying them. But if I moved back to SF I'd very likely fly them all the time again.

Delta is widely acknowledged as the best "hard product" - comfiest seats, nicest people, etc.

SW has the culture that you'll either love or find a bit grating and the low value of status for a solo traveler (companion pass is sick though)

I'm generally of the opinion that your choice between AA/United/Delta is just random chance of your experiences if you think they are meaningfully different. if you have no status, go on cost. If you're in a major hub, go with that one.

 

[Osaurus]

Oh man, I'm praying to the TravelGods that my flights next week aren't affected by AA's apparent rise in incompetence. Going to/from their major hub - DFW - so hoping that nothing crazy happens. I mean, it wouldn't be too horrible if my flight HOME got delayed.... but I'm banking on an on-time arrival on Wednesday in order to do the work I need to do out that way Thursday/Friday.

Godspeed

 

[nirad3]

I don't fly as much as Instinctive, but enough to conclude - like he has - that there's really minimal difference between the big carriers. I mainly fly United because a lot of my work projects are in the Midwest and I seem to find the best prices with them, flying through Denver. However, I also have some projects in Texas so I find myself on American a bit too. Don't really see much difference in terms of seat comfort, service, on-time departures, etc.

 

[beer 30]

Lately I've been flying about once a month which is much more than I'm accustomed to. Based out of Charlotte so firmly an AA customer along with the almost 200k in points I have with them. What @Instinctive says rings true. I've been taking a couple trips a year to Canada so am a bit forced to use Delta and while I think they are more comfortable than AA, they isn't a whole lot of difference. Long as I get there I'm good. I carry on everything so try to be self sufficient, window seat so I can ignore everyone. Just get me to were I'm going and back home.

Have a trip to Appleton, WI later this month then to MN/CAN next month. Hoping this doesn't derail my plans.

 

[nirad3]

I carry on everything so try to be self sufficient, window seat so I can ignore everyone.

High-five on both.

 

[Galileo]

Oh man, I'm praying to the TravelGods that my flights next week aren't affected by AA's apparent rise in incompetence. Going to/from their major hub - DFW - so hoping that nothing crazy happens. I mean, it wouldn't be too horrible if my flight HOME got delayed.... but I'm banking on an on-time arrival on Wednesday in order to do the work I need to do out that way Thursday/Friday.

I hope your trip works out better. All told, I had 4 delayed flights, 1 cancelled flight, 1 missed connection due to delay, and 2 days lost getting home. Sadly, I am flying on American next week too. I can hardly wait!