American Airlines issued customer service credit to a lap infant. I’ve never seen that before.
My wife, daughter and I were booked in first class on American Airlines from Los Angeles to Sydney. A few hours prior to departure, my wife’s seat was changed. It turns out her assigned seat was broken. Fortunately, the cabin was booked with 7 passengers out of a capacity of 8 so there was another seat available.
Once ensconced in her new seat, she discovered that her entertainment screen didn’t work. Resetting didn’t help. It was just frozen. My daughter’s inflight entertainment controller would intermittently glitch. So would mine.
I almost never complain to airlines or hotels. I complain to y’all instead! I don’t remember the last time I complained to American Airlines. This time, though, I did feel a bit cheated. This was international first class, and I’d spent a lot of miles. We weren’t getting a differentiated meal service – it’s virtually the same as American’s business class. There’s no suite. My wife wondered whether we’d have been better off in business – at least she’d have had a screen (I offered to switch seats).
What was interesting, though, was American’s response.
- The credited 15,000 miles apiece to our three AAdvantage accounts
- And my son, booked as a lap infant, was issued a $150 travel credit. As a lap infant he didn’t have an AAdvantage account attached to issue miles to.
Hello Mr. Leff:
Thank you for contacting Customer Relations. As a valued AAdvantage Executive Platinum® member, your feedback is important in identifying areas which require our attention. We appreciate the time you took to write, and we welcome the opportunity to address your concerns.
Due to the different time zones, I am reaching out via email to ensure you’re not kept waiting for a response any longer. Should you need any further assistance, please don’t hesitate to respond directly to this email or give me a call at XXXXXXXX. My office hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm CT.
I am very sorry to hear about you and your families experience while traveling to Sydney on XXXXXX, 2025. I know it’s disappointing to not have working entertainment and that’s not the kind of experience we want you to have with us.
As a tangible apology, I’ve credited your AAdvantage® accounts with 15,000 bonus miles. I know it doesn’t change the circumstances, but I hope this helps to make amends. You will be able to view the mileage adjustments in your account balances shortly.
Since XXXXXXX does not have an AAdvantage® account I’ve sent them a $150 Trip Credit via separate email. A Trip Credit can be used towards the purchase of a ticket for travel on American Airlines or American Eagle® within one year from the date of issue, unless otherwise listed. While it is nontransferable and cannot be sold or bartered, it may be used to buy a ticket for anyone. It may also be helpful to know that although the Trip Credit must be applied towards a ticket prior to expiring, travel can extend past the expiration date.
We appreciate your AAdvantage Executive Platinum® loyalty very much, Mr. Leff, and hope to have the opportunity to welcome you on board another American Airlines flight.
The lap infant ticket only cost us $58 plus taxes which was a win for Flagship First Class when ostensibly we should have been charged 10% of the adult fare. And we got back $150. Issuing compensation to a baby made his ticket profitable. And he’s too young to have missed the inflight entertainment. And as anodyne as most of the content is, it’s still not age-appropriate anyway!
My first thought was, a trip credit for a lap infant, I guess I need to buy him a seat next time! Of course I can use his travel credit for my own travels – with his permission, of course! 15,000 points would have felt light, but 45,000 points plus $150 seems pretty good. Perhaps I should be complaining more often.
“I complain to y’all instead!” Preach, Gary! Let us ‘have it’!
dude
do you really think who you are had nothing to do with this?
don’t try this self-deprecating anti-dykwia line on us!
@hagbard celine — You’re absolutely right, hagbard. If it were ‘hagbard celine’ sending in that complaint letter, I bet you could’ve gotten $200 for ya troubles, easily. Total ‘hagbard’ move!
@ hagbard celine –
The resolution achieved by Gary here is something that anyone in the EXECPLAT tier could have also received.
How do I know this?
I’m a moron yet received the same
@Un — We agree on one thing…
Anyway, a happy “Three T’s” to you (Taiwan, Tibet, and Tiananmen!)
Speaking of, lest we forget the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre, 36 years ago, yesterday, June 4, 2025. Recall that thousands of peaceful student-led demonstrators were murdered by the CCP then. Let’s also not forget the ongoing persecution of the Uyghurs.
Woohoo! Into the 529 it goes
““I complain to y’all instead!” Preach, Gary! Let us ‘have it’!” – @1990
I was going to say exactly this, ha
@Un — And, because we actually promote and celebrate free speech and expression, you’re welcome to ‘trash-talk’ whatever American atrocities we and our ancestors have committed.
(I’ll give you a head start, Iraq, Vietnam, Japanese internment, Jim Crow, slavery, Native Americans. Oh, and the systemic inequities that continue today in our late-stage capitalism, increasingly authoritarian-leaning society. Yeah… We’re workin’ on it.)
But, unlike the CCP, we actually can speak out against our own government without fear of persecution… (I’ll admit, ‘some’ here, usually those ‘in-power,’ and their sycophants/enablers, don’t always ‘like’ that, but we, the people, will fight to protect it, regardless.)
@L737 — “Friendlies! Hold your fire!” (sorry, I was going-in on @Un). Good reference with the 529. Gotta plan-ahead for those kiddos.
You are lucky, my wife flew first class transcon AA first class NYC-LAX had the same issue with her, her screen was not working as well. She complained on AA website and in return was an apologies email. That’s it, yes, all she got is an email with apologies.
There’s a line from Edith Keeler speaking to James Kirk in “The City on the Edge of Forever” where Kirk says to Edith that in the future, the three most important words “I love you” will be replaced by “Let me help”.
Sometimes I think the three most important words in our culture is “Where’s my compensation”.
@HS — Speaking of compensation, we really should have an EU261 or Canada’s APPR equivalent passenger rights legislation that pays passengers who excessive delays are within airlines’ control. Yeah, “I love you,” might work for some, but it’s even better to get $200-600 when you’re 8 hours late. At that rate, you ‘feel’ the love.
Be cAAreful, AA is alreAAdy stAArting to ‘groom’ the young one with the AA voucher … and he’s not yet even inducted into the AAdvAAntAAge progrAAm yet !
I thought it was indicated that the voucher was non-transferable, and even it was, can an infant legally give ‘consent’ ? (Asking for a friend..)
The status of the inflight so called “1st Class” hard product should not be a surprise, just as much as its soft product counterpart. Buyer beware !
In conclusion, AA hAAppy ending, but I still think there is that DYKWIA element here, motivating AA’s response.
@bossa — “AA hAAppy ending” Zing!
I have a substantial compensation claim to make next week with American for some pretty egregious problems. It’ll be interesting to see how that works out.