AA asks 3,000 dollars nor UNUSED FLIGHT

[natashafant]

I am very DISAPPOINTED with the RESERVATION SERVICES.
I have booked return flight London - Miami - Gr Cayman for December, and now I asked the AA to cancel the last segment of the light (Miami - Gr Cayman - Miami), I did not ask any reimburse, just to SHORTEN THE FLIGHT. You never imagine the answer. They have asked 3,000 dollar compensation for 02 adults for the fact I shall not fly!! It sounded so ridiculous that I dont know how to comment. If I dont use this flight, they said they will cancel all return flight.. Really very flexible service!!
I free 2 seats on return flight and ask no moneym and they ask me 3 thousands... incredible.

 

[FWAAA]

Welcome to the world of airline pricing.

Nonstop LHR-MIA-LHR is no doubt more expensive than a return fare from LHR to GCM. Your return fare to GCM was probably relatively cheap. Now you want to change your mind and instead fly the relatively expensive LHR-MIA route - well, fares to MIA are likely very different than fares to GCM. And the fare is probably up since you booked the cheaper flight to/from GCM.

It's not unique to AA; all airlines price flights this way.

And if you don't fly MIA-GCM, then yes, AA will cancel your entire return journey. You think the $3k AA is demanding now is expensive? Imagine just how costly it would be to purchase a walk-up one-way fare from MIA to LHR on the day of departure.

It sounds like you've never changed your mind on a cheap, advance purchase ticket before, as airlines have behaved this way for a long time. Air travel is relatively affordable, unless you change your plans. If you do, then air travel can get very, very expensive.

Perhaps you ought to not change your plans and fly to GCM. That would permit you to keep $3k in your pocket.

 

[Mr Red]

Welcome to the world of airline pricing.

Nonstop LHR-MIA-LHR is no doubt more expensive than a return fare from LHR to GCM. Your return fare to GCM was probably relatively cheap. Now you want to change your mind and instead fly the relatively expensive LHR-MIA route - well, fares to MIA are likely very different than fares to GCM. And the fare is probably up since you booked the cheaper flight to/from GCM.

It's not unique to AA; all airlines price flights this way.

And if you don't fly MIA-GCM, then yes, AA will cancel your entire return journey. You think the $3k AA is demanding now is expensive? Imagine just how costly it would be to purchase a walk-up one-way fare from MIA to LHR on the day of departure.

It sounds like you've never changed your mind on a cheap, advance purchase ticket before, as airlines have behaved this way for a long time. Air travel is relatively affordable, unless you change your plans. If you do, then air travel can get very, very expensive.

Perhaps you ought to not change your plans and fly to GCM. That would permit you to keep $3k in your pocket.

Priceline.com 1552.00 Wait till southwest goes International !

 

[natashafant]

I believe that air company does not change the travel plan. I just get it shorter, and it remains a nice intercontinental return trip from europe to miami. I mean the AA does not bear any additional costs and only gets an opportunity to SELL AGAIN the return ticket for miami - gr cayman, so earns money anyway and does not reimburse me.
I do not actually CHANGE the air ticket, because in this case it would have been more than logic to ask me pay the difference for a new one.
So honestly I do not agree with the policy of AA and how it treats the clients.
I had the same problem few years ago with european line and they did take out the final segment and did not say anything (of course, no reimbursement, but that's sounds pretty fair).
So AA is not HONEST with its clients and tries to EARN when it is only possible.consider it a BAD SERVICE, nothing else.

 

[nbmcg01]

I believe that air company does not change the travel plan. I just get it shorter, and it remains a nice intercontinental return trip from europe to miami. I mean the AA does not bear any additional costs and only gets an opportunity to SELL AGAIN the return ticket for miami - gr cayman, so earns money anyway and does not reimburse me.
I do not actually CHANGE the air ticket, because in this case it would have been more than logic to ask me pay the difference for a new one.
So honestly I do not agree with the policy of AA and how it treats the clients.
I had the same problem few years ago with european line and they did take out the final segment and did not say anything (of course, no reimbursement, but that's sounds pretty fair).
So AA is not HONEST with its clients and tries to EARN when it is only possible.consider it a BAD SERVICE, nothing else.

You're barking up the wrong tree. This has been a pricing policy for all American carriers for many years. You have a choice. Stay with the original CONTRACT (a ticket is a contract) or pay the penalty. This has nothing to do with customer service. It has everything to do with the agreed upon contract. (and no, I do not work for AA) You apparently tried to find the most economic ticket which was not non stop, now you want to change to a premium fare flight for the same cost of the economy ticket and have found there are RULES in place to hold you to the agreed upon fare. How can you view this as American's failure? You are the one apparently trying to pull a "fast one". No, I am not sympathetic. You are one person, how do you think this would affect pricing if EVERYONE was allowed to contract for a cheap flight sequence and then "trade" for a premium sequence? Why bother pricing? Lesson learned?

 

[s80dude]

You're barking up the wrong tree. This has been a pricing policy for all American carriers for many years. You have a choice. Stay with the original CONTRACT (a ticket is a contract) or pay the penalty. This has nothing to do with customer service. It has everything to do with the agreed upon contract. (and no, I do not work for AA) You apparently tried to find the most economic ticket which was not non stop, now you want to change to a premium fare flight for the same cost of the economy ticket and have found there are RULES in place to hold you to the agreed upon fare. How can you view this as American's failure? You are the one apparently trying to pull a "fast one". No, I am not sympathetic. You are one person, how do you think this would affect pricing if EVERYONE was allowed to contract for a cheap flight sequence and then "trade" for a premium sequence? Why bother pricing? Lesson learned?

Exactly!!! This guy posted the same thing over at Flyer Talk.... he knew that the LHR-MIA-GCM itinerary was way cheaper than just the Miami nonstop and now he's pissed because he didn't think the airline would catch on to him.

 

[strikeforce]

I believe that air company does not change the travel plan. I just get it shorter, and it remains a nice intercontinental return trip from europe to miami. I mean the AA does not bear any additional costs and only gets an opportunity to SELL AGAIN the return ticket for miami - gr cayman, so earns money anyway and does not reimburse me.
I do not actually CHANGE the air ticket, because in this case it would have been more than logic to ask me pay the difference for a new one.
So honestly I do not agree with the policy of AA and how it treats the clients.
I had the same problem few years ago with european line and they did take out the final segment and did not say anything (of course, no reimbursement, but that's sounds pretty fair).
So AA is not HONEST with its clients and tries to EARN when it is only possible.consider it a BAD SERVICE, nothing else.

why are you bringing your complaint to this forum, why not call your lawyer???????

 

[natashafant]

well. I thought that maybe somebody did have a similar experience.. maybe it is better though not to have one -))
anyway, no reason to employ the lawyer, the air company has its rules and will win, nonetheless these rules are no logic, but now I can make my choice if to use them or not. I work in a travel agency and travel myself and also book lots of flights for my clients. Now I shall take care to avoid AA, that's it. I believe that shortening the itinerary does not mean really change the tickets, but only cancelling the part of the flight, and if it is a RETURN flight, the company can only take its advantage of it. No reimbursement to the client which has cancelled and new ticket sold once again, maybe at higher price. So if most of European air companies have other policies and these polcicies respond more to the real needs of their clients, that's maybe because they dont want to lose these clients... I think that AA does not care much if loses the client or not.. it is big, it can make its rules! Great for them...

 

[strikeforce]

well. I thought that maybe somebody did have a similar experience.. maybe it is better though not to have one -))
anyway, no reason to employ the lawyer, the air company has its rules and will win, nonetheless these rules are no logic, but now I can make my choice if to use them or not. I work in a travel agency and travel myself and also book lots of flights for my clients. Now I shall take care to avoid AA, that's it. I believe that shortening the itinerary does not mean really change the tickets, but only cancelling the part of the flight, and if it is a RETURN flight, the company can only take its advantage of it. No reimbursement to the client which has cancelled and new ticket sold once again, maybe at higher price. So if most of European air companies have other policies and these polcicies respond more to the real needs of their clients, that's maybe because they dont want to lose these clients... I think that AA does not care much if loses the client or not.. it is big, it can make its rules! Great for them...

Your comments are ditto'ed by a majority of 85,000 employee's!!!!!

 

[limit]

well. I thought that maybe somebody did have a similar experience.. maybe it is better though not to have one -))
anyway, no reason to employ the lawyer, the air company has its rules and will win, nonetheless these rules are no logic, but now I can make my choice if to use them or not. I work in a travel agency and travel myself and also book lots of flights for my clients. Now I shall take care to avoid AA, that's it. I believe that shortening the itinerary does not mean really change the tickets, but only cancelling the part of the flight, and if it is a RETURN flight, the company can only take its advantage of it. No reimbursement to the client which has cancelled and new ticket sold once again, maybe at higher price. So if most of European air companies have other policies and these polcicies respond more to the real needs of their clients, that's maybe because they dont want to lose these clients... I think that AA does not care much if loses the client or not.. it is big, it can make its rules! Great for them...

Now you know better? and you are a travel agent?
You mean you as a travel agent had to find out this way the most basic rules of airline ticketing?
God save your clients.
This is changing the contract you agreed upon and now you dont like the terms.
As for the most European carriers have other policies , you know this is an outright lie or is it that you the travel agent (yeah right) do not know that either?
The are a couple carriers that do that and there is a specific reason they do it.
They do not sell connecting flight tickets .
I am glad AA does not care enough if it loses a client like you,just like every other carrier does not.
I agree with nbmcg01, you tried a fast one and they threw it in your face.
Good for them.

 

[Bob Owens]

What are complaining about,? They want me to pay them $6500 so I can pay $90,000 for health insurance when I retire, right now that $6500 is supposed to be payment for that coverage. They want the money without providing the coverage!

 

[natashafant]

Now you know better? and you are a travel agent?
You mean you as a travel agent had to find out this way the most basic rules of airline ticketing?
God save your clients.
This is changing the contract you agreed upon and now you dont like the terms.
As for the most European carriers have other policies , you know this is an outright lie or is it that you the travel agent (yeah right) do not know that either?
The are a couple carriers that do that and there is a specific reason they do it.
They do not sell connecting flight tickets .
I am glad AA does not care enough if it loses a client like you,just like every other carrier does not.
I agree with nbmcg01, you tried a fast one and they threw it in your face.
Good for them.

You may be very professional in YOUR JOB, and I hope that this job is not related to tourism in general... but dont make quick conclusions with your probably NOT RICH experiences, ehh.. I repeat that the rules applied by AA are not general rules , and do not reflect its interest to have more clients and to respect their needs. And I derive this from the fact that many european air companies have other approach to the issue. You should probably inform yourself better, that's all.

 

[FWAAA]

You may be very professional in YOUR JOB, and I hope that this job is not related to tourism in general... but dont make quick conclusions with your probably NOT RICH experiences, ehh.. I repeat that the rules applied by AA are not general rules , and do not reflect its interest to have more clients and to respect their needs. And I derive this from the fact that many european air companies have other approach to the issue. You should probably inform yourself better, that's all.

You may get more sympathy somewhere else as nearly every person posting here is an employee of American Airlines and over eight years ago they endured substantial cuts in pay and benefits that have not yet been recovered. So your rants about AA attempting to maximize its revenue (by pricing in a manner similar to that of every other airline) are falling on deaf ears here, just like they did on Flyertalk. Flyertalk (and Milepoint) is dominated by frequent flyers who play the frequent flyer mileage game in their quest to maximize their upgrades/mileage earning opportunities. As someone posted on Flyertalk, their goal is to game the system and get as much benefit as possible, but to whine and cry about it when you're unsuccessful paints you as a chav, not as a sophisticated frequent traveler.

Nobody here gives a rat's ass how "many european (sic) air companies" deal with this nonsense. You tried to pull a fast one and you're crying that they said "no." Deal with it already.

 

[natashafant]

You may get more sympathy somewhere else as nearly every person posting here is an employee of American Airlines and over eight years ago they endured substantial cuts in pay and benefits that have not yet been recovered. So your rants about AA attempting to maximize its revenue (by pricing in a manner similar to that of every other airline) are falling on deaf ears here, just like they did on Flyertalk. Flyertalk (and Milepoint) is dominated by frequent flyers who play the frequent flyer mileage game in their quest to maximize their upgrades/mileage earning opportunities. As someone posted on Flyertalk, their goal is to game the system and get as much benefit as possible, but to whine and cry about it when you're unsuccessful paints you as a chav, not as a sophisticated frequent traveler.

Nobody here gives a rat's ass how "many european (sic) air companies" deal with this nonsense. You tried to pull a fast one and you're crying that they said "no." Deal with it already.

YEAAH, YOU'AR RIGHT, WRONG PLACE TO POST.. Anyway, I am discussing in some european forums, different replies, yes... I have already found a solution anyway, so nothing to worry about.

 

[eolesen]

I work in a travel agency and travel myself and also book lots of flights for my clients. Now I shall take care to avoid AA, that's it. I believe that shortening the itinerary does not mean really change the tickets, but only cancelling the part of the flight, and if it is a RETURN flight, the company can only take its advantage of it.

If you work in a travel agency, you obviously don't know how to do your own job...

You get what you pay for. In your case, you got a great price in exchange for no ability to make changes on the cheap. Sorry you don't like the outcome. I work with European airlines on a regular basis, and this is no different from the policies used by AF, LH, or BA.