American Airlines has a new system for automatically rebooking passengers when their flights are delayed or cancelled. It’s more powerful than what they’ve used before, but there’s also the potential to cause problems for passengers who would have made their flights – passengers who may come in off of a delayed flight, run through the airport hoping to make their connection, and find that even though the door is still open for their next flight their seat has been given away.
The airline has made a number of processes automated, like clearing standbys and upgrades earlier, to make the boarding gate less chaotic – so they can staff it with just one agent rather than two on flights that are less than 80% full.
There’s a full-court push to automate, and that often that means doing this earlier. They’re rolling out a new automated re-accommodation tool tool to rebook passengers when their flights are cancelled or delayed.
- It’s called AURA for “AUtomated ReAccommodation”
- The system will fully roll out by June
- The goal is to process more rebookings automatically, which means fewer passengers calling and fewer itineraries being reconstructed manually. That saves agent resources.
Here’s what’s different:
AURA utilizes a concept called discovered inventory, in which it identifies passengers that are certain to misconnect and utilizes that available inventory for protecting other passengers who may
need that space.Because of this, occasionally the flight may temporarily appear to be slightly
overbooked. Please remember to check the BX list to identify misconnects if you encounter a flight
that appears over booked.The notice that Auto Reaccom has run for a flight will no longer appear in FLIFO. You can identify if a PNR was processed by AURA as it will show the term “PRNG Update” in the received from field as shown in the example below:
What this means is American is going to take people off of flights before they actually misconnect in order to give their seats to someone else. And we know that people do – occasionally, but all the time – have flights where it’s ‘obvious’ they cannot make their connection and then something happens at the last minute so that they do. Now they might find themselves without the connection, even though circumstances lined up so that they could have made it… if American hadn’t given their seat to someone else instead.
Most of the time this is going to work out well, and more people will get where they’re going more smoothly. Occasionally some people will have something taken from them that shouldn’t have been, in order to accomplish that. American clearly suggests this will not happen but it seems clear that it almost certainly will.
Indeed, in the aforementioned memo to all customer care agents last month reviewed by View From The Wing, the airline asked employees to “report any automated rebooking that appears to be irregular” so the possibility of problems is certainly being contemplated.
I surely hope that when I have a confirmed boarding pass for a connection that if AA denies me boarding I am entitled to IDB Involuntary Denied Boarding compensation or else that AA will remove the passenger to whom they gave my seat. This will happen frequently if they give away the seats too early.
Can’t they just treat the people to whom the seats are released to as standbys and only assign them seats at the last minute instead of giving them a confirmed seat early in the boarding process?
@Carl – uh no! Read the contract of carriage. If they get you to your final destination that is basically all that is promised. Go ahead and raise hell. See how jail looks.
BTW I love this. More AI and machine learning to improve overall operations across many industries is desperately needed and can’t come soon enough.
AA has been doing this for years. We were left stranded in CLT because of their erroneous algorithm. They offered us 1000 ff miles. Never flying AA again. Staff simply did not care.
This happened to me once in decades of flying American as an Elite and I can confirm that it is absolutely infuriating. After sprinting through the airport to make the connection, I arrived in plenty of time with it still boarding. Once I presented my boarding pass, I was denied boarding and told that I had been automatically placed on a later flight (4 hour delay). No compensation, no apology, no nothing. I’m able to recall being so pissed at American that my next several flights were on Delta. The AURA System is only good for American, don’t believe for a minute that it’s helpful for fliers.
@Gary The system is completely FUBAR. EXP Wife connected in DFW on late afternoon OW to PBI from DEN two weeks ago. DEN-DFW was delayed ~@ hours for DEN and DFW weather, but she was still able to make Group 1 boarding for DFW-PBI. After having boarded with a FC seat, AURA rebooked on a DFW-AUS-CLT-PBI itinerary the next morning. Another passenger was then UG to her seat for which an awkward interaction occurred. Wife luckily had screenshot her BP and was able to keep it.
Lost our seats that way on a massively impossible connect many years ago. Between our taking off halfway through the ground hold and the second flight being delayed we ran up to a gate that’s completely empty other than the agents but the doors are still open, we just dash down the jetway.
However, the people in our seats knew what was up and told us that the gate agent would have new seats for us if we managed to pull off the impossible. Yup–in business, trans-pacific flight. (The ground hold was supposed to put us wheels-up after the connecting flight departed.)
Connections should not be considered impossible until the actual situation is clear, not merely the scheduled situation.
If you have a confirmed seat for a flight and you are denied boarding, it is an IDB, regardless of what is in the computer system.
My parents were offloaded for a connection they made in PHX on AA because AA anticipated misconnect (flight was delayed more and then became less delayed). Their connection was oversold and they could not be accommodated, they were given a hotel/food and sent the next day.
AA offered a voucher, but they filed a DOT complaint requesting IDB compensation and were issued IDB compensation in cash after AA voided the voucher.
Hopefully the testing for this system included running it in parallel on a test environment using actual live reservations to test the % of passengers who made their original itinerary vs the reaccommed flights booked by AURA.
@Jason:
> Hopefully the testing for this system included running it in parallel on a test environment using actual live reservations to test the % of passengers who made their original itinerary vs the reaccommed flights booked by AURA.
What are you, some sort of scientist? Or a programmer? How dare you suggest actually confirming the Holy Grail is real?! Heretic!
@Uncle Jeff:
> because AA anticipated misconnect (flight was delayed more and then became less delayed).
Reality isn’t set in stone. The inbound may get there earlier (anticipated weather/traffic delays not materializing) or the outbound may be delayed. You can’t say it will be a misconnect until all obstacles are removed (bird’s at the gate, crew’s there, boarding initiated), the schedule is meaningless.
If you want to speed things up make some special boarding passes–the person is “checked in” for the flight but can’t board until just before the doors close and the boarding pass gets invalidated if the booked passenger shows up.
Gary, could you weigh in on IDB? It seems that they overbooked, that’s the reason
This will be disastrous- inbound flight late, connecting flight just 5 minutes late so you get rebooked
But we all know they do rolling delays. So 5 minutes is often an hour. I’ve been at the boarding area at the right time with the plane not even there yet but it showed on time. Avoid AA
I can see where this automated process will actually get more people to their final destination in a more timely manner. However, it is inevitable that some folks will get bumped who would otherwise been able to board their original flight. In these cases, flyers will rightly be pissed.
See if AA would do this to Harry & NutMeg…….I don’t think so!!!
I’m sure AURA has a line of code exempting alleged VIPs and royal prince and princesses.
We would all sit at the gate for a hour waiting for them to shuffle into 1st Class.
@Loren – if you are Lester than 15 minutes to the gate prior to SCHEDULED departure time (doesn’t matter if there is a delay) you can lose your seats. That is clearly documented so just accept that and people please quit whining
@Uncle Jeff – you are wrong. If you show up later than 15 minutes prior to scheduled departure (even if late due to a connecting flight) your seat can legally be given away. You no longer have any claim to that seat and it is up to the airline to rebook you.
If I ever clear standby and someone bolts on at the last minute saying I’m in their seat my ass isn’t moving and I will clearly inform them it is no longer their seat
@David P – hurt a few for the greater good. Easy business decision and I agree with your thoughts that this will improve overall operations.
Truly incredible from an airline that, in the past 6 or 7 years, has routinely, and arbitrarily changed my connection from 2-3 hours wait to something more akin to 50 to 70
minutes, causing me to miss connections 50% of the time as the 1st flight runs a half an hour late. Brutal policy.
This happened to me recently. I received a notification that a flight had changed from a 3 hour layover to a 30 minute layover. Changing terminals from a regional terminal to a regular terminal in CLT. Not acceptable. I immediately called, and they had already given away my seats on the original flight.
Stand by customer revenue is usually better than booked customer revenue. If AA can do this and leave booked customers with little compensation, they will do it. I hope a comprehensive compensation plan is finally put into law to end such abuses. On the other hand, if a passenger truly won’t make the flight, AA is justified in selling the seat. Maybe they will hold up the disembarking of airplanes a few minutes to make sure that the seats that they just sold are not going to be contested (cynicism).
Um, what several posters here fail to recognize is AA’s process of closing the boarding door at D10 and having the a/c door closed at D5. The agents can’t and will not wait past those times lest they get in trouble for not closing soon enough. Unfortunately there will be collateral damage with this process but it comes down to inconveniencing a few to serve the greater good.
They have been doing this for years. I worked for AA for 20 yrs and it happened a lot.
So we’ve been seeing bigger and more frequent air travel crises, the percentage of flight delays has been on the rise to the point that about 1 in 4 flights are delayed so the odds that a delayed passenger’s connection will also be delayed are substantial, and AA thinks THIS is a good idea?
I’m extremely skeptical to say the least.
That’s AWESOME. Of course since it’s AA inevitably the initial roll-out will be screwed up, but the architecture is solid and once they fix it, it will add loads of value.
Of course AA needs to stop publishing 40 minute as a valid connections when they have a requirement to be at the connecting flights’ gate of 15 minutes. There is no way, with all the cabin baggage nowadays, that someone seated in the last row can arrive in Terminal C and be at a gate in Terminal B in the 25 minutes that this valid connection requires.
I’m not exactly sure how this comment relates to the AA procedures, but I had an issue with a Southwest connection earlier this year. Flying from St. Louis to Spokane, with a connection in Denver, departure from St. Louis was delayed due to weather. I was notified by Southwest (by phone from their national scheduling center) that I might not make my Denver connection. After leaving St.Louis a little over an hour after scheduled departure, my flight arrived in Denver with no further delays. Fortunately, even though I arrived AFTER my connecting flight to Spokane had been scheduled to depart, it had been delayed by local Denver weather and was still at its gate.
.Now this is where the story gets interesting. A Southwest gate attendant had just locked the door to the gate as I arrived, and she said I could not board the aircraft. (I think she said something about the plane not being able to take on any more weight.) As I turned to go to the Southwest counter to see what I should do next, a couple came up to the gate attendant and she unlocked the door to let them board the plane. The attendant still wouldn’t let me board. I returned to the Southwest counter, and just then another couple came up seeking to get on the plane. (Their flight had been diverted because of a health emergency on board.) To make a point, the aircraft both they and I were trying to get on was still weather delayed at the gate. Finally, someone other than the counter person or the gate attendant decided we could in fact be boarded. This is my point relevant to this discussion. My boarding pass had to be rewritten, because as I was told, I WASN’T AT THE GATE 10 MINUTES BEFORE THE SCHEDULED BOARDING TIME.(Remember, the national scheduling center was already aware of the fact that there might be a problem making the connection.) Moral of the story, don’t be surprised if you can’t get on your plane, even if it’s still at the gate.
I believe that I was a victim of the new AA system in a recent flight from San Antonio to LaGuardia. My first flight left San Antonio very late and landed in Dallas. I ran to the gate of my next flight. The airplane was still there but was not allowed to board it. The gate agent’s reply to my request to board was very uncourteous and offered no help. I found at another gate where I had to go to get on a later flight. I always choose an aisle seat. In my new booking I was given a middle seat. It was the most uncomfortable flight I have ever experienced. I had to make a change on my return flight and AA offered me no help. I finally decided I would rather loose the fare than fly AA again. Flew back in a different airline that is still interested in the passenger not filling the empty seat in order to economize on the number of agents it posts at a gate. AA had been my favorite airline for many years. I hope I never have to fly it again!
Maybe a new automated system but AA has been doing this manually via systems and gate agents for years.
Love these comments about being late by a few hours due to whatever. Just remember, in most cases it’s still easier and quicker than driving, and in almost all cases you made it safely. Lower your expectations and save yourself some stress and hate.
The older I get, the more willing I am to both pay more for a nonstop flight and drive an hour or so to nearby airports to achieve this. That said, I don’t think I have a problem with this idea in theory: most of the time, the prediction will be correct, and most of the time it will get more people to their destinations sooner. What does annoy me is how terrible MCTs are. They claim that people always look for the shortest total travel time, but every frequent traveler I know will give a hard pass on a connection time that requires everything to be absolutely perfect.
@Frank – the difference is SW doesn’t have assigned seats so if the plane isn’t full it isn’t a big deal (or materially delay departure) to let people on and they then take any seat.
AA (and all other airlines) do have assigned seats so if you show up at the gate less than 15 minutes prior to scheduled departure (don’t assume a delay changes anything) the airline likely have away “your” seat as is their right.
BTW people act like they have a right to a specific seat but if you read the C of C that isn’t the case. The airline always has the right to reassign your seat at their sole discretion
This happened to my sister in October of 2021. Flying form FL, she would have missed her connection from PHL to New York (her final destination), and the wonderful “patriotic” airlines rebooked her out of FL for TWO days later, without telling her until she got to airport and without providing 2 days of accommodations and food.
Common sense: PHL is near NY, so wouldn’t you want to get your passenger at least 90% to their destination so that they are only 10% upset? PLUS it would have been nice to be given that OPTION to stay in the original connecting city of PHL and maybe have someone drive from NY or rent a car in PHL?
Lack of common sense is lacking in airlines.
Plus this new policy gives them even more right to sell the same seat to multiple people like they already do. A restaurant can not sell the same hamburger to 3 different people, but airlines sure can do as they please by OVERBOOKING a flight. Their executives make too much money and are greedy little bas&*ds.
I just experienced this on a connecting flight in Philadelphia. We were flying out of Richmond to connect in Philly for a flight to Aruba. We were late (1 hour plus) leaving Richmond due to mechanical issues and knew there was no time for us to make the connecting flight. However, when we landed in Philly, we had received an email about our rebooked flight for the next day. Just to check, we googled the flight and saw that the flight to Aruba was delayed. After sprinting from Gate 1 to Gate 42 I saw the waiting area was still full. When I learned it was the Aruba flight I went to the ticketing agent and told them we were here. They rebooked us on our seats, the last four on the plane. However, another couple who came behind us, found their seats had already been given to someone who was on standby.
The interesting thing was that the ticket agents said they have no control over the automatic system. In addition, the AA system wasn’t updated the times of the flight on the app or in the airport in real time.
Is Pothole Pete still on maternity leave?
@jns:
> On the other hand, if a passenger truly won’t make the flight, AA is justified in selling the seat.
To me, what it comes down to is that it’s a dynamic situation. Just because **at some point** it looks like there’s no way a passenger can make a connection doesn’t mean they’ll miss it. I’m fine with them selling the seats **at the last minute**. Not before then.
@AC:
> AA (and all other airlines) do have assigned seats so if you show up at the gate less than 15 minutes prior to scheduled departure (don’t assume a delay changes anything) the airline likely have away “your” seat as is their right.
And this is where some of us have a problem. 15 minutes, fine, but it should be from **actual** departure. (Not counting last-minute problems–the airline isn’t at fault if departure is delayed after boarding.) Go ahead, process the standbys but don’t let them board until the very end.
@Loren – you can’t process standbys and then have them wait to see if they have an actual seat or not. That would create extra work and confusion. Also when someone clears standby they are usually removed from a later flight on which they were confirmed.
This is about efficient operations and the “greater good”. Yes some are inconvenienced but more are accommodated and that is what really matters.
People are too selfish and need to understand there are larger issues involved than just them. And for all the “I’ll never fly AA again” people – go ahead and move to DL, UA etc that will do the same thing. This is industry standard practice. Only possible exception is SW since they don’t have assigned seats and could more easily let a late arriving passenger on a flight that isn’t sold out.
Simple solution: another airline I simply won’t fly. There are several I’ve blacklisted for awful practices and I’m fortunate enough that AA is never my only option.
This literally happened to me yesterday. My plane had a mechanical failure and was delayed for an hour. I only had an hour layover between connecting flights. When I got to my Miami they had the doors closed and my seat had been given away. So .y 1.5 year old and I had to wait 9.5 HOURS for the next flight where we were on STANDY. I had also paid specifically for my seat – no refund or consideration for thar. Just a $12 meal voucher. This is the last time I book with American with any kind of connecting flight.
Since airlines are making scheduling & reservation decisions without the booked passenger in mind, it may be worth booking Airline 1 for the 1st leg only & booking Airline 2 for the 2d leg. Airline 2 would have no way to predict whether or not you might be delayed.
@AC:
> @Loren – you can’t process standbys and then have them wait to see if they have an actual seat or not. That would create extra work and confusion. Also when someone clears standby they are usually removed from a later flight on which they were confirmed.
No. Just because that’s how it’s done now doesn’t mean it has to be done that way. To make it work: Make conditional boarding passes–they can only be used at the very end of boarding and will invalidate if the proper owner of the seat has already boarded. They are not removed from their other flight until the boarding pass is actually used. All the last-minute work is done entirely by computer, no problem. We don’t need to stay with archaic systems.
2018 Flight arrived 60minutes late into ORD my connecting flight to LHR was 2 gates away. Door open passengers still boarding. I walked up scaned my electronic boarding pass it rejects. Agent looks and says my business class seat was given away because my first flight was late and it showed I would miss this flight. She didn’t care that I was standing in front of her even with a paper boarding pass. She offered me an open economy seat. I went over to the no help desk. AMERICAN had no open biz seats to London. Had them bring me my bag walked over to United and bought a biz class ticket. That was the last straw with them. have not flown AMERICAN since and I tell people not to fly with them.
This is why the company i work for intentionally deemphasized booking flights on American. We as traveling employees need to be in control of oir flights plans. Not American Airlines.
I try to fly and have longer layovers just to be safe 2 or 3 hours is fine and you rarely miss a connection. I’d rather wait at the airport than have to stay overnight and deal with that hassle.
Another reason to continue not flying American since 2008.
@Troy – agree completely. Around 8 million miles for me over 40 years and I still get to the airport 2-3 hours early (can hang in a lounge or use airport WIFI and like I am past any security issues (even though I have Pre Check and Clear). Also, if connecting (which thankfully I don’t do often since live in an AA fortress hub) I allow a couple of hours. Again I can go to a lounge and it is a lot less stressful than worrying about a connection.
The one that gets me is people having tight connections for international flights (which are often only once or twice a day and often fill up so getting on next one isn’t guaranteed). Again I know it is a personal preference but I try to either fly in the day before to the gateway city (even if booking a separate ticket for the positioning flight is required) or, at a minimum, getting there by noon for an evening international flight so I don’t worry about any delays and if a bag is misrouted there is at least one other flight that would arrive before I have to leave.
Again, not for everyone and I’m sure someone will say “if the airline does their job I don’t need to worry about that” but stuff happens (sometimes outside the reasonable control of the airline and I like to build in a buffer. Retired now so time isn’t as important but when worked still followed this approach. Can always do email, work on projects or make calls from the airport so, IMHO, no excuse for running late due to work.
President
American Airlines, Inc
It is now apparent that my relationship with American Airlines is under review. I have for many years been undyingly loyal to American obviously at the risk of that loyalty being unrequited which has recently occurred.
On April 30, 2023, my flights were consistently being delayed, as is customary with American, and on a too regular basis, recently. My itinerary was scheduled to leave PBI at 7 pm with an arrival in Indianapolis at 12:24 pm, on April 30, 2023.
Upon arrival at the PBI AIRPORT, at 5 pm, all was well until the notices started piling up regarding the delay of my flight, which would then place my connecting (IND) flight, in Charlotte, in jeopardy. Fearing the worst, I thought it might be prudent to investigate my options given American’s inconsistent, and unpredictable behavior recently.
I spoke to an American representative, at PBI, who informed me that my best bet would be to take the next day’s flight to Chicago, and then to Indianapolis. I received a ticket and confirmation of that, now new, itinerary before leaving the PBI AIRPORT for the evening.
Throughout the evening of April 30, 2023, I attempted to utilize the American app, to check into my flight, AGAIN, but was not allowed to do so for some odd reason. Upon returning to PBI on May 1, 2023, for my new flight, at 4:45 am, as I walked to the very gate for which my flight is scheduled to depart, I then receive an email notification that my itinerary has been canceled without my permission.
I MUST return to Indianapolis (as was planned on April 30, 2023) BEFORE 11 am, on May 1 as high level responsibilities await me in my professional capacities. Arriving in Indianapolis beyond that time window IS UNACCEPTABLE.
For American to cancel my flight, without my permission OR APPROPRIATE COMMUNICATION, was unacceptable in every way, shape and form regarding my personal schedule. The actions of the individual (or individuals) responsible for this incident, did so as a purposeful action to effectuate as difficult a personal situation for me as possible today.
This “American responsible cancelation” now forces me to be re-ticketed on the very flight for which I held a First Class seat, as a standby passenger.
As a Type II Diabetic, the meal option is particularly important for balancing of Blood Glucose Levels which are strictly regulated under current Doctor’s Care, which was reserved, some weeks BEFORE my flight, under American requirements. My previously reserved seat, and the resulting meal, were given to another passenger who was upgraded into my original First Class seat.
As an Advantage Gold Member passenger, I take a great deal of pride in also being a Silver Credit Card Holder with American, and a more than frequent supporter of the American Airlines company, but today, I have been relegated to “third-world” class citizenship by being forced to fly Standby, to receive an Exit Row seat, to then fly to Chicago, and again “hope” for a seat to get to Indianapolis, to meet my employment responsibilities, AFTER paying American for First Class travel, which was paid MORE THAN FOUR MONTHS AGO.
This type of treatment is unacceptable to me as a Advantage Gold Member customer, and I do DEMAND being made whole as soon as possible.
I have chosen you over many options, and the way I have been treated today makes this relationship untenable.
I demand the following:
1)FULL repayment (CASH – not flight or trip credit) of the flight which was canceled without my permission on May 1, 2023, originally scheduled for April 30, 2023, which was originally planned under payment in FULL to American Airlines.
2) Full payment of all forms of reimbursement for which I am eligible under current United States Federal Airline Passenger Redress policies applicable to this situation including, but not limited to, meal and lodging vouchers and other incidential and consequential damages which are applicable to this incident.
3) A Formally Written apology from American Airlines, and the individual (or individuals) who booked me on this changed itinerary, and then canceled such itinerary causing inconvenience to my personal and professional schedules, booked well in advance of this mistreatment.
4) Cash payment for all miles accumulated with American Airlines as I am certain they are not transferable to any other United States carrier for air travel.
5) Full investigation into the parties who “deleted” me from my changed date itinerary (May 1, 2023) and FULL information regarding the reprimand, and/or termination of all individuals involved in my deletion (and rebooking on a Philadelphia based itinerary) from today’s planned travel.
To have paid American money, four months ago, to then have IT cancel my itinerary, and have to watch someone MOVED INTO the seat I was to occupy, for which I previously paid, was indeed the last straw of this tenuous relationship. I, as an Advantage Gold Member customer deserve better treatment; and will not settle for less from American Airlines, or any other airlines with which I am in relationship.
These actions by American today, relegate you to the level of Frontier, Spirit, Southwest or any other garbage carrier for whom no respect or decorum of professionalism is ever designated.
I am beyond disappointed in American Airlines; I am physically sick and disgusted at how someone, within your very system, DELETED ME from a flight, and then, without care or concern for my personal responsibilities, decided to rebook me on a flight to Philadelphia, and then Indianapolis, without regard to time, space, my own schedule or care or concern for me as a loyal customer of American.
At the moment of the penning of this complaint, I sit, in Economy Class, wondering if I will even receive a seat from Chicago to Indianapolis, as my nearly $1000 in fees paid has been relegated to “standby” status – which equates to “orphan stepchild” in air travel. I currently, as I sit here, starving, have no idea if my obligations today will be met, or not, given the behavior of American.
I do expect that my written complaint will receive written response, from your office, as soon as possible, as I am prepared to pursue all legal options, under law, given this very obvious discrimination based behavior by American.
Sincerely;
Mr. Rod G Haywood, Jr.
FORMER AA CUSTOMER
As a retired AA/Sabre IT person, “errors” in AURA processing will happen. To borrow a quote: the best laid plans of mice men…….
I was flying standby from RSW to MEM via CLT on American on 5/10. There was only a 38 min connection between the flights. We actually landed early but I walked very fast from b terminal to d terminal. There were 3 people on the standby list, one had already been assigned to a seat when I got to the gate . There were 44 seats open on the CLT to Mem flight and only 1 gate agent. He started boarding the flight. He called all rows all groups and I saw another American airlines employee at the desk. So I asked if I was going to be assigned a seat since there were 44 open seats. He got on the computer and gave me a seat. I board and there was someone in my seat but he had been given an upgrade to 1st class and just hadn’t made his way there so he got up. Then someone else boards and says I am sitting in her seat. I show my ticket and she looks at it and says ohh I am D not C. For a plane that was almost empty, I had the worst experience than being on a plane that was totally full all because AA thinks they can cut back on employees working a flight but at least I made it home that night
@Valerie M Watters-Burke – I’m confused. Did you not already have a seat assigned on your connecting flight? If so and it was released due to being within 15 minutes of boarding you didn’t mention that. Also, not sure why you wouldn’t have had a seat since that is done when you checked in for your first flight (if you hadn’t already selected one before then).
BTW I agree 38 minute connection is crazy. I live in CLT and have also connected through every mid size to larger US airline over the years. While CLT is one of the easiest large airports to get around due to the central atrium design I still wouldn’t want (or accept) a connection less than an hour. I’d take a later connecting flight (or earlier originating one) to give more connection time. BTW it is possible you just have to play around with the booking screens.
Now for your comments about the “horrible” experience and blaming that on only 1 gate agent I strongly disagree with you assessment. So you went to your seat and someone was there who had gotten upgraded, thereby releasing the seat, but maybe he hadn’t gotten the upgrade notice (it does happen sometime after people are boarded) and then a woman claimed you were in her seat but she was confused as to which seat was actually hers. Understand NEITHER of these has ANYTHING to do with the gate agents. There could be 10 gate agents and people get confused as to their seats or haven’t checked an upgrade notice. If you call this horrible I’d love to see what you think of some of my flights over the years (everything except a crash, and was very close once, including equipment failure, aborted takeoff/landings, foamed runway with ambulances lining it, fuel dumps, etc). Trust me it gets a lot worse than someone mistakenly thinking they are in your seat!
This happened to me, a 6 million mile AAdvantage. Miler, last year. Luckily I had a good agent who got me to my final destination (1’d stop either way) faster than I had originally planned. I f I were a complainer I might ask why I was not routed that way originally?
I won’t complain, however, because I was upgraded in the process.
Did you know that AA is set up for passengers to miss connect. Yes, after America West management took over for AA in 2015, they changed minimum connection time domestic to domestic to just 25 minutes from the original AA policy of 30-40 minutes. General manager stated that is based on a study that America West airlines did in 1988 and they were unwilling to let go of, because they paid a-lot of money for this study. This was in 2017.
Go look at the schedules published for sale with only 25 minute connection time. Then take into consideration that passengers can take up to 20 minutes to get off the in-bound flight. Then read your boarding pass that has a TINY little statement “BOARDING DOORS CLOSE 15 MINUTES BEFORE DEPARTURE”. Now factor out all the reasons for delays to put the attention or blame onto. Now see the airport layout map for the change of concourse time pending the airport your connecting through. How far do you have to run and how fast do you run?
How is AA measuring the success of their system?
If a seat is released, and then the original purchaser arrives on time, are there stats being kept of the error and inconvenience?
If it’s not measured, it’s not managed and the success or failure of their new system cannot be calculated.