American Airlines AAdvantage members with status are entitled to free checked bags when they fly.
- Golds members (and U.S. co-brand credit card customers on domestic itineraries) get their first checked bag free.
- Platinum members (and premium cabin customers) get two checked bags free.
- Executive Platinum and Platinum Pro members (and long haul business and first class, along with military on personal travel) get three checked bags free.
The same benefits are extended to status members with several partner airlines, including airlines that are part of the oneworld alliance. However there are times when American Airlines systems do not recognize these bag benefits even though the passenger is entitled to them.
An August 8, 2023 memo to the airline’s customer care agents outlines “a few known scenarios” where American’s computers fail to recognize free checked bags that customers are entitled to.
- Codeshare bookings where the traveler is flying on American Airlines but with another airline’s code. In their example, a oneworld ruby member (e.g. Gold) is flying on an American Airlines flight from Dallas to San Diego, but where they’re ticketed on an Alaska Airlines codeshare.
- British Airways basic economy fare “when BA baggage rules apply.” In their example, a oneworld emerald (top tier) member is flying on a American from Austin to Dallas to London Heathrow, but where they’re ticketed on a British Airways codeshare.
In these cases, a member with status will be asked to pay for checked bags they’re supposed to get for free. And some agents may not realize the mistake. They are supposed to “use the waiver code OW to waive any bag fees the member and/or any travel companions would be entitled to.”
American Airlines, by the way, extends free checked bags to oneworld partner bottom-tier elites (Ruby, their Gold equivalent) when they aren’t actually required to do so via their oneworld agreements. It’s a rare case of extra generosity!
Gary,
Have you noticed that most of the issues you highlight seem to be United or American?
I don’t fly either one of them, but in my years of flying with Delta and a few others, thankfully Delta takes better care of its fliers. Sometimes it could be better, but rarely descends to the other two.
One of the big areas of difficulty is the bay fee waver is for domestic travel. International flight normally includes free bags. Well normally except international travel within North American which can includes the Caribbean. The Caribbean to AA is both not a domestic flight, naturally, and not covered by the what is normal for international flighta
Thanks for your thoughts, Doug ! Although for sure I don’t wish to disagree with you, after the last (3) AA stories this week (https://viewfromthewing.com/american-airlines-flight-attendant-stole-snacks-from-a-3-year-old/, https://viewfromthewing.com/american-airlines-passengers-arent-entitled-to-fly-in-seats-can-be-kicked-off-for-any-reason/, & https://viewfromthewing.com/american-airlines-flight-attendant-water-in-business-class-is-a-privilege-not-a-right/), I’m going to take this Baggage Charge one as a win: Maybe AA’s computer systems are a bit suboptimal, but at least AA is trying to make it right for their customers ! Go AA !
Delta “takes better care of its fliers”?!? What a joke. I just flew LIM-ATL with my kids after a hiking trip in crap seats as a platinum while 23 Comfort+ seats were empty. Why? Because unlike AA/UA where I could have selected these seats for free at booking, DL pretends that extra space seats are a different class of service thus requiring elites to wait for an “upgrade” then limiting said upgrade to one companion when UA/AA would allow 8. Coupled with worthless SkyPesos and endless phone waits, and it’s clear that DL treats their elites worse than the other two.
It looks like Delta runs better because it charges for its services. This is not only evident from quarterly earnings, but is exemplified here by @Doug’s rant which is not about any lack of service from Delta but about him trying to get something of value (Comfort+) without paying for it as if it were some type of entitlement.
AA/BA’s systems also don’t recognize AA status for free seating in business class. Seats are supposed to be free 7 days prior to flight and I had to tweet to get my reservation coded for a free seat assignment. And even then, AA support wasn’t sure of the benefit — they initially said it wasn’t a benefit, but then checked the T&Cs and found out it was.
Did Doug forget to change over to his sock-puppet or are the vices in his head arguing again?
I use Alaska Air miles and british air avios to book flights on AA. They put their FFN on your ticket. If you contact alaska via chat, they will change it to your AA FFN. For british air, use the royal Jordanian website. Once that change is made, I have never had a problem.
There seems to be always some specious pretext why they charge me again and again. Bought an AAL ticket from BA and so they say it’s not an American Air flight. Once in Paris they insisted because “computer says ‘no'” even tho clearly printed on the pass was “Platitum.”. Sent 27 e-mails to the CR department and each one was more fanciful than the last. When you booked you used your Alaska number so no dice despite the fact that it was obviously amended later. I flY now on foreign carriers — they know how to speak to the public and have integrity. Not AAL.