Author Topic: AA rebooked me on another airline, how to get reimbursed for luggage? (Read 5375 times)

Traveler718 · « **on:** November 10, 2014, 06:24:17 PM »

This summer I had a reservation to fly on AA using Avios. Unfortunately the flight was canceled, and the only way they could get me to my destination before Shabbos was to rebook me on USAir. The problem was that I have a Citi Platinum card that gets me free luggage on AA, but didn't have a USAir card, and had to pay $150 ($75 each way) for checked luggage. AA told me not to worry about it and that they would reimburse me for it.

I just got around to filing the claim with AA, and they denied it. Any suggestions for who to turn to to get it taken care of? Here's the email they sent me:

We are deeply sorry that your travel plans were disrupted when we found it necessary to make accommodations for you on US Airways when your flight was cancelled as a result of Air Traffic Control. We are sorry, too, that you were further disappointed by the collection of the baggage fees. When we rescheduled you, we were working hard to get you to your destination despite our off schedule operation.

The Citi card bag charge waiver only applies to flights marketed and operated by American Airlines. Since the flight you have referenced was operated by US Airways, the waiver does not apply. This information is available in the terms and conditions of the card benefits.

http://www.aa.com/i18n/urls/citi-merger.jsp?anchorLocation=DirectURL&title=arriving_Citi

Accordingly, we must respectfully decline to reimburse the baggage fees you incurred.

AJK · « **Reply #1 on:** November 10, 2014, 06:25:31 PM »

Interesting question.

Who at AA told you you'd be reimbursed?

sky121 · « **Reply #2 on:** November 10, 2014, 06:27:36 PM »

Why was the flight cancelled? I'd keep trying. You should be able to get reimbursed.

Traveler718 · « **Reply #3 on:** November 10, 2014, 06:42:54 PM »

The person who rebooked us (either at ticket counter or phone agent, don't remember) is the one who told me we'd be reimbursed. To me it seemed so logical (and I was so stressed about the canceled flight) that I just took it for granted, didn't even occur to me to try to get it in writing, not that anybody would have given it.

I was trying to give the short version for brevity. But if you really want to know, it was the flight experience from hell. We were scheduled to leave from LGA to the Midwest on Thursday at noon. Got to LGA to find out the flight was canceled; AA blamed it on weather, even though SW had the same flight leaving without any problems.

AA told us to go to JFK to take a different flight with 2 connections. We were desperate, so we took it. We were in the plane on the runway at JFK for 2 hours when they announced the flight was canceled due to weather.

AA then told us the only way to make it by Shabbos was to drive to PHI and fly from there on USAir Friday morning. We drove to PHI Thursday night and arrived after midnight, appreciative for our Marriott free night cert. Friday morning we were IN THE AIR on USAir when the pilot announced we were turning around due to a small fire in the engine.

A few hours later we took off again from PHI on a new plane and arrived on time ... only to discover that none of our 3 bags made it, and lost baggage said there was no sign of them in the computer system! My wife spent Friday afternoon shopping for basic Shabbos clothing while I waited at the airport desperately. Lo and behold, the next flight in from PHI had all of our bags, and the reason they weren't in the system is because the guy who checked us in in PHI hand-wrote our tags and didn't scan them! USAir said that since they got us our luggage, they wouldn't reimburse us for anything we bought.

On the way back, we thought what could go wrong? We had just given USAir our boarding passes and were walking down the hallway to board the plane when the pilot announced that everybody should get off the plane because the flight was canceled! We were given a choice of coming back the next morning for a 6 AM flight to PHI (followed by a 2-hour drive to NY) or taking the next flight out to PHI via ... PHX! We chose the latter, and fortunately made it to PHI with our bags.

Bear in mind that all of this was done with 3 kids, including a baby. And after all this, AA won't even reimburse for the luggage fees! Any tips would be appreciated, and if you think that I can get anything from them for the whole ordeal, please let me know where to submit it.

ah · « **Reply #4 on:** November 10, 2014, 06:50:13 PM »

I think you should take to Twitter, sounds like a nightmare

Dan · « **Reply #5 on:** November 10, 2014, 06:52:11 PM »

Complain to the DoT.

AJK · « **Reply #6 on:** November 10, 2014, 06:53:35 PM »

Wow, this may be one of the worse flying experiences I've read.

I give most other people flack for whining, but I absolutely think you deserve some sort of compensation... in addition to having your baggage fees covered.

Redbull3 · « **Reply #7 on:** November 10, 2014, 06:55:13 PM »

There's a whole thread about how to get compensated for the slightest annoyances - which is all well and good, but then I read a true nightmare story, and dayum..

I seriously hope you get compensated.

Traveler718 · « **Reply #8 on:** November 10, 2014, 07:01:08 PM »

Thanks, will do. Can somebody please tell me who to direct my Twitter to, and how to sum this up in 140 characters? 140 is the # of times I got on and off their planes! Also, does it matter that they'll see that I have no Twitter following?

Dan, thanks for responding. To make you more personally interested, we were headed to MCI (we missed your in-laws, who were away at an important upsherin, but Mendel took good care of us in their absence

. Where do I direct my DoT complaint, and on what specific legal grounds, and can they get me any more compensation than my baggage fees?

AJK · « **Reply #9 on:** November 10, 2014, 07:12:09 PM »

At this point, I wouldn't jump to DoT, not would I try to "wage this war" on Twitter.

You seem like a good writer; I'd simply write their corporate offices, explain succinctly the situation and conclude with what you're looking for.

I think you'll be surprised.

Ergel · « **Reply #10 on:** November 10, 2014, 07:13:53 PM »

Quote from: AJK on November 10, 2014, 07:12:09 PM

At this point, I wouldn't jump to DoT, not would I try to "wage this war" on Twitter.

You seem like a good writer; I'd simply write their corporate offices, explain succinctly the situation and conclude with what you're looking for.

I think you'll be surprised.

But what fun is there in bring level headed and reasonable?

Traveler718 · « **Reply #11 on:** November 10, 2014, 07:19:12 PM »

Quote from: AJK on November 10, 2014, 07:12:09 PM

At this point, I wouldn't jump to DoT, not would I try to "wage this war" on Twitter.

You seem like a good writer; I'd simply write their corporate offices, explain succinctly the situation and conclude with what you're looking for.

I think you'll be surprised.

Thank you, I'm actually a semi-professional writer.

I'm happy to write their corporate offices and explain succinctly what happened and what I'm looking for. My problem is that other than the baggage fee, I don't know what else is reasonable to ask for as compensation. Additionally, I don't know the best way to reach their corporate offices. I came across this: http://elliott.org/contacts/american-airlines-2/ - Should I just snail mail the address on top, email the executives listed there, or what? I don't want to get lost in their corporate bureaucracy. Also, will it hurt my case with them that the original flights were booked using Avios?

AJK · « **Reply #12 on:** November 10, 2014, 08:13:43 PM »

Request baggage fees and leave the other compensation up to them. Or consider what you'd be comfortable with and ask for it.

I'd handwrite their customer relations department.

No, it shouldn't matter the booking is made with Avios.

Traveler718 · « **Reply #13 on:** January 27, 2015, 03:46:24 PM »

Thanks for all of your suggestions, which I took. To follow up, here's the pathetic response I just received from them. After everything they put me through, they're not even willing to cover the US Air baggage fees, which to me should be a no-brainer! Do I have any recourse at this point (e.g. state AG, small claims court, someone to contact at DOT, etc.)?

Dear Mr. Ploni:

Your mail has been forwarded to me with regards to your recent email to Mr. Bentel. Customer Relations is empowered to respond on behalf of our Executive Officers.

It is clear that we let you and your family down on July 3 -- we apologize. Your comments serve as a reminder that we cannot afford to overlook our commitment to consistently provide quality service to our customers. I am truly sorry we disappointed you.

While we wish we could get all our customers to their destinations on time, and operate each and every flight as scheduled, we just can't do so. There are too many uncontrollable factors -- like air traffic congestion -- that can affect our flights. Controlling the flow of airplanes is about the safe and effective coordination of flight arrivals and departures. Sometimes, this activity can result in delays or cancellations. Again, we regret that your trip was disrupted.

While we can appreciate your request, it is not our policy to reimburse our customers' out-of-pocket expenses or make up for lost time when we don't operate our flights as planned. I'm sorry to disappoint you.

Too, we are deeply sorry that your travel plans were disrupted when we found it necessary to make accommodations for you on another carrier due to operational challenges. We are sorry, too, that you were further disappointed by the collection of the baggage fees by that carrier. When we rescheduled you on another carrier, we were working hard to get you to your destination despite our off schedule operation. However, once your ticket is endorsed to the other airline, all their associated procedures and polices apply to your travel. Accordingly, we must respectfully decline to reimburse the baggage fees you incurred.

I very much appreciate your honest feedback. Your comments represent areas of our service that receive our continual review and we are renewing our focus on key service areas -- "on time" flights, efficient and courteous assistance, timely information, baggage service -- and all other products and services important to our customers. The details you provided give us an opportunity to improve, and you have my pledge that we are working hard to make your next overall travel experience with us the best it can be.

Mr. Ploni, thank you for contacting us. We know your time is valuable and we'll do our very best to restore your confidence in our ability to get you where you are going -- as planned! We will look forward to welcoming you aboard again soon.

Sincerely,

AnnaMari E. Aldana-Basnyat

Customer Relations

American Airlines

AA Ref#1-000000000

Yitz · « **Reply #14 on:** January 27, 2015, 04:05:18 PM »

Quote from: Traveler718 on January 27, 2015, 03:46:24 PM

Thanks for all of your suggestions, which I took. To follow up, here's the pathetic response I just received from them. After everything they put me through, they're not even willing to cover the US Air baggage fees, which to me should be a no-brainer! Do I have any recourse at this point (e.g. state AG, small claims court, someone to contact at DOT, etc.)?

Dear Mr. Ploni:

Your mail has been forwarded to me with regards to your recent email to Mr. Bentel. Customer Relations is empowered to respond on behalf of our Executive Officers.

It is clear that we let you and your family down on July 3 -- we apologize. Your comments serve as a reminder that we cannot afford to overlook our commitment to consistently provide quality service to our customers. I am truly sorry we disappointed you.

While we wish we could get all our customers to their destinations on time, and operate each and every flight as scheduled, we just can't do so. There are too many uncontrollable factors -- like air traffic congestion -- that can affect our flights. Controlling the flow of airplanes is about the safe and effective coordination of flight arrivals and departures. Sometimes, this activity can result in delays or cancellations. Again, we regret that your trip was disrupted.

While we can appreciate your request, it is not our policy to reimburse our customers' out-of-pocket expenses or make up for lost time when we don't operate our flights as planned. I'm sorry to disappoint you.

Too, we are deeply sorry that your travel plans were disrupted when we found it necessary to make accommodations for you on another carrier due to operational challenges. We are sorry, too, that you were further disappointed by the collection of the baggage fees by that carrier. When we rescheduled you on another carrier, we were working hard to get you to your destination despite our off schedule operation. However, once your ticket is endorsed to the other airline, all their associated procedures and polices apply to your travel. Accordingly, we must respectfully decline to reimburse the baggage fees you incurred.

I very much appreciate your honest feedback. Your comments represent areas of our service that receive our continual review and we are renewing our focus on key service areas -- "on time" flights, efficient and courteous assistance, timely information, baggage service -- and all other products and services important to our customers. The details you provided give us an opportunity to improve, and you have my pledge that we are working hard to make your next overall travel experience with us the best it can be.

Mr. Ploni, thank you for contacting us. We know your time is valuable and we'll do our very best to restore your confidence in our ability to get you where you are going -- as planned! We will look forward to welcoming you aboard again soon.

Sincerely,

AnnaMari E. Aldana-Basnyat

Customer Relations

American Airlines

AA Ref#1-000000000

I would do twitter as this has worked for me best with other airlines. You usually get a quick response.

AsherO · « **Reply #15 on:** January 27, 2015, 04:35:19 PM »

Quote from: Traveler718 on January 27, 2015, 03:46:24 PM

Thanks for all of your suggestions, which I took. To follow up, here's the pathetic response I just received from them. After everything they put me through, they're not even willing to cover the US Air baggage fees, which to me should be a no-brainer! Do I have any recourse at this point (e.g. state AG, small claims court, someone to contact at DOT, etc.)?

Dear Mr. Ploni:

Your mail has been forwarded to me with regards to your recent email to Mr. Bentel. Customer Relations is empowered to respond on behalf of our Executive Officers.

It is clear that we let you and your family down on July 3 -- we apologize. Your comments serve as a reminder that we cannot afford to overlook our commitment to consistently provide quality service to our customers. I am truly sorry we disappointed you.

While we wish we could get all our customers to their destinations on time, and operate each and every flight as scheduled, we just can't do so. There are too many uncontrollable factors -- like air traffic congestion -- that can affect our flights. Controlling the flow of airplanes is about the safe and effective coordination of flight arrivals and departures. Sometimes, this activity can result in delays or cancellations. Again, we regret that your trip was disrupted.

While we can appreciate your request, it is not our policy to reimburse our customers' out-of-pocket expenses or make up for lost time when we don't operate our flights as planned. I'm sorry to disappoint you.

Too, we are deeply sorry that your travel plans were disrupted when we found it necessary to make accommodations for you on another carrier due to operational challenges. We are sorry, too, that you were further disappointed by the collection of the baggage fees by that carrier. When we rescheduled you on another carrier, we were working hard to get you to your destination despite our off schedule operation. However, once your ticket is endorsed to the other airline, all their associated procedures and polices apply to your travel. Accordingly, we must respectfully decline to reimburse the baggage fees you incurred.

I very much appreciate your honest feedback. Your comments represent areas of our service that receive our continual review and we are renewing our focus on key service areas -- "on time" flights, efficient and courteous assistance, timely information, baggage service -- and all other products and services important to our customers. The details you provided give us an opportunity to improve, and you have my pledge that we are working hard to make your next overall travel experience with us the best it can be.

Mr. Ploni, thank you for contacting us. We know your time is valuable and we'll do our very best to restore your confidence in our ability to get you where you are going -- as planned! We will look forward to welcoming you aboard again soon.

Sincerely,

AnnaMari E. Aldana-Basnyat

Customer Relations

American Airlines

AA Ref#1-000000000

This stupid response is full of logical inconsistencies, most of which:

Quote from: Traveler718 on January 27, 2015, 03:46:24 PM

we'll do our very best to restore your confidence in our ability to get you where you are going -- as planned!

Seriously, this pathetic letter is your "very best", and you expect the customers' confidence to be restored?

Traveler718 · « **Reply #16 on:** January 27, 2015, 05:27:18 PM »

I'm happy to try Twitter, but is the response any more likely to be helpful? A fast response would be great, but if it's more of this lack-of-responsibility and logical inconsistency garbage, that doesn't help anything. If I do go the Twitter route, what's the AA address I tweet to, and how does one Tweet to them a long complaint like this?

ckmk47 · « **Reply #17 on:** January 27, 2015, 05:32:17 PM »

Tweet: My trip in Aug was seriously messed up by AA. And they even charged me for bags when I have their credit card! Never booking with them again!
They'll hopefully get back to you for details.
edit:Tweet fixed to under 120 characters- sorry:
Trip in Aug was seriously messed up by AA. Even charged for bags when I have an AA card! Never booking with them again!

Marco Polo · « **Reply #18 on:** January 27, 2015, 06:06:59 PM »

Go the Twitter route. They should respond very quickly to something like this. Send it to all the AA twitter accounts.

Menachem613 · « **Reply #19 on:** January 27, 2015, 08:54:57 PM »

Quote from: AJK on November 10, 2014, 06:53:35 PM

Wow, this may be one of the worse flying experiences I've read.

I give most other people flack for whining, but I absolutely think you deserve some sort of compensation... in addition to having your baggage fees covered.

+10000