American Airlines Passenger Banned For Agent’s Rebooking Mistake? [Roundup]

News and notes from around the interweb:

  • Banned for being rebooked? A passenger who missed their flight isn’t entitled to first class space on the next flight if coach isn’t available. But they also cannot give that space to themselves. If there isn’t outright fraud involved (no reason to think there is) then it’s a pssenger getting caught up in a big bureaucracy’s own mistakes, having their itinerary cancelled (and money confiscated) while getting their trip delayed and winding up out of pocked on another airline. Not a good look, American. If this is as-described you owe the customer a lot more than you’ll ever be willing to give them:

    Boyfriend got banned for accepting 1st class upgrade
    byu/Calexgo inamericanairlines

  • Clean your planes. Sending cleaners on maybe to grab trash while passengers are deplaning and having them come off immediately to board the next flight just is not acceptable.

  • Another example: don’t wait in line for a hotel voucher when your flight cancels and are stuck overnight. Find your own room. Or else:

  • $1 million in pocket change left behind at TSA checkpoints. (HT: @crucker)

  • Airbnbs are usually more expensive than hotels they make sense where there aren’t good hotel options or where you need several bedrooms when traveling as a group.

  • Far fewer Japanese have passports than Americans

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  1. Wow first suspected offense and banned from the airline during the trip – some algo is way off here – this is absurd

  2. Giving a $325 voucher and then essentially taking it back by banning the passenger. This is why vouchers are usually not worth it but cash is.

  3. My”Motel 6″ story (it was not a Motel 6 but I won’t name the well known hotel brand) was with Delta in Atlanta, where my family and I had to wait in line at the desk to check in behind 9 prostitutes and their Johns. Never again.

  4. @Larry: when you are checking in at most hotels with “nine prostitutes and their Johns” your group will earn benefits like Diamond tier status, waiver of resort and parking fees, complimentary lounge access, complimentary breakfast and discounted group rates.

  5. Gary, not everyone has the money to front for a hotel room when stranded by an airline. That doesn’t remotely excuse the roach motel that Delta dumped passengers into in this case though.

  6. American Airlines was notified as soon as we were in the airport my daughter’s coat and wallet were still aboard with all her money ,license etc in the pocket. We called them from the parking lot to let them know and we were told the coat and all were not there.( This was in winter and it was her winter coat mind you) We also called JFK to let them know if by any chance the plane had these on board when the plane arrived. Never got a callback, no message no HELP in any way. All had to be replaced and she was extremely unhappy because everything she had worked up to save was there, and in British pounds! Never flying with them again unless I absolutely have to!!

  7. American airlines seems so…. un-American these days. They dis their customers, short change them and over charge if you book a segment with them through a partner airline. They wanted 30% more of the ticket cost to book a flight with one stop that used them for a segment and their partner for a segment. We need a new name to call them by – UnAmerican Airlines.

  8. Could not use the sole restroom in J today from mia>eze for the last 45 minutes of flt because the flight deck crew and entire J fa staff took it over. I know there’s labor issues, but this is ridiculous.

  9. What does this mean, “as described?” THERE’S NO DESCRIPTION. The next thing in this “story” is a picture of crumbs. WTF?

    And that’s after this nonsense: “A passenger who missed their flight isn’t entitled to first class space on the next flight if coach isn’t available. But they also cannot give that space to themselves.”

    What is that supposed to mean?

    Junk.

Comments are closed.