American Airlines AAdvantage Customer Service Issues

During check-in today, both at the ticket counter and at the gate, my wife, Diane, and I experienced some issues with our baggage fees. Despite being 3 million milers with platinum status (XP35862), we were initially told we needed to pay for our checked bags. After some confusion, it was sorted out, attributing the problem to our daughter traveling on a separate record without preferred status. Despite requesting a complimentary first-class upgrade, we faced further complications and were not called for the upgrade at the gate, only receiving it for our segments and not for the whole trip with American Airlines. The customer service experience left much to be desired, and I hope for further assistance regarding the upgrade and proper credit for my daughter's seat upgrade.

On January 4, [redacted], my family and I had a disappointing experience with our American Airlines flight. Flight AA1887 from DFW to PHX was delayed multiple times, affecting our connection to AA3158 to HMO. This resulted in a 9-hour delay and missing part of a valuable hunt we paid $14,[redacted] for. Additionally, the manager at B5 Admirals Club in PHX added to our frustration by not allowing my son to enter, despite the lengthy delay being caused by AA's operational issues. As loyal customers of American Airlines, this experience left us feeling neglected and upset. We've always chosen AA for our flights, both domestic and international, but the way this situation was handled has made us consider alternatives like Delta. Our hope is that AA will acknowledge their mistake and make amends for the inconvenience we faced during this trip.*

I received a refund for my ticket from PHX to PVG as flights to China were not operating. My PNR is IGOMBC, and my ticket number is [redacted][redacted]. My Advantage number is 537B8L4, and the name on my ticket matches my passport: Valerie Mannlein Alvarez. A supervisor in the Advantage department refunded my miles for the upgrade, but the $[redacted].00 upgrade fee charged to my credit card was not refunded. I am requesting a refund for the upgrade cost since I didn't use my miles. Thank you for your outstanding service during the coronavirus outbreak in China. I appreciate the support in enabling me to stay home safely and contribute to keeping others safe as well.

This morning, I went online to book a one-way flight using Advantage miles from San Francisco to Hartford, CT for Monday, April 13, [redacted]. The flight I wanted departed San Francisco at 1:20 PM, and I needed 18,[redacted] Advantage miles. I only had 16,[redacted] miles, so I purchased 2,[redacted] miles for $79. After the purchase, it said it could take up to 8 hours for the miles to be in my account. Tonight, the miles were credited, but now I'm being told the flight requires 19,[redacted] miles. This means I would need to buy another 2,[redacted] miles for $79, which is the minimum purchase. I find this situation unfair as I was willing to use my Advantage miles and had already paid to add more for the flight. How can I book the flight for the original 18,[redacted] Advantage miles as planned?

I am a student at UB in Buffalo, NY state. I have a round trip ticket booked to Houston, Texas for my spring break through the Student Universe website. My departing flight is on March 13th and returning flight on March 21st. The reservation code is AMMWJP, and the ticket number is [redacted][redacted]. Due to the unexpected coronavirus outbreak, I need to cancel the tickets. I kindly request a refund or the option to reschedule my flight for a few months later. I have tried calling customer service multiple times without speaking to a real agent, which is disappointing. Please contact me to resolve this matter. I hope for a positive response by Thursday evening.

I am reaching out about my niece's recent flight experience from Jax to Chicago on 7/1/20. Before checking her bag, she was assured she could bring her Onewheel electronic skateboard with her. However, TSA in Jacksonville removed the item citing it as prohibited. After researching both the airline and TSA websites, it seems unclear why this item was not allowed, especially as it differs from other electronic items allowed on flights. She is now facing a 30-day investigation period before the item may be returned, causing her to miss out on crucial practice time for an event in September. We are seeking clarification on this issue to understand why she received conflicting information from the airline and faced this unexpected inconvenience upon arrival.

I received an invitation to a wedding in California scheduled for October [redacted]. I am based in NYC and had booked a flight for October 15th, returning on October 18th using my Advantage miles with ID VT35742. Unfortunately, the wedding was canceled due to the pandemic, and I contacted American Airlines to cancel my flights and request a restoration of my Advantage miles. However, I was surprised to learn that I was charged $[redacted] for the return of my miles. As a long-time American Airlines customer, I find this charge unreasonable and unjust, especially given the circumstances. I kindly request the removal of this fee as it impacts my loyalty to the airline. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, J. Slavin, Advantage account VT35742.

Hello, I am seeking assistance with my American Airlines miles. I possess over 60,[redacted] miles that I planned to utilize earlier this year. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic and my age, I have postponed booking a flight. I recently received an email stating that if I do not use the miles by early December, I will forfeit them. My Advantage card has expired, leaving me unable to easily maintain or renew the miles through the options provided on the Advantage website. Given the current circumstances, is there any way to extend the period during which my miles can remain active? Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Howard G.

Dear AAdvantage, I believe there is an issue with the account information on aa.com. The expiration date of my miles is not displayed, even though I received an email stating they expire in January. Recently, I earned [redacted] miles from a promotion. From what I can tell, the expiration date should now be extended by 18 months, but this information is not on the account page. Can you please confirm that my miles are valid until [redacted]? Thank you, SB

We had made our reservations, and they were paid for. However, a few weeks later, my husband received an email from American Airlines informing us that our return flight had been changed without prior notice. The alteration resulted in an 8-hour layover at LAX, which is unmanageable for me due to my health conditions - I am on dialysis, diabetic, have low blood pressure, and heart issues. After explaining this to a customer service representative, they changed our return flight to Syracuse without mentioning any additional charges. Unfortunately, we later found out that we were charged the same amount as our original round trip booking, essentially doubling the cost of our trip. This situation is unjust considering we did not initiate any changes or authorize the extra expenses. I am requesting a prompt refund to my credit card. We should not be held accountable for a change we did not request, leading to unexpected costs for three passengers. This unexpected financial strain is taking away from our vacation experience and I hope this can be addressed promptly.

I urgently require a phone call to address my situation. My connecting flight got canceled, and despite you moving my flight to Fort Myers, it unexpectedly landed without me. I was coerced into rescheduling for tomorrow, which is now in jeopardy. I'm unable to reach anyone as the chat isn't working. The process is exasperating. Your proposed solution of waiting in Charlotte for two days before continuing to Fort Myers is unreasonable. I can't even cancel my flight for tomorrow on your website. One day of my vacation was already lost due to the initial flight cancellation, and now you're jeopardizing two more days. I refuse to accept this and demand a full refund, not a credit. Your customer service is unsatisfactory, and I'm disheartened by your treatment. Please resolve this immediately. -IK

I made a car rental booking through AA Vacations and Budget Rental from March 21 to April 21, [redacted]. I had to return the car early on April 6. When I contacted AA's customer service, I received conflicting information. One representative mentioned the possibility of a refund from Budget but after 2 weeks, there has been no follow-up. Another representative stated that there are no refunds for early returns and that I needed to request a copy of the cancellation policy, which has not been provided even after 10 days. My Budget Rental agreement number is [redacted]22, and my AA rewards number is 1X6MC12. I am requesting a written copy of the AA/Budget rental car cancellation policy for my own trip insurance purposes. I have been a loyal AA Rewards member, but I am disappointed with the lack of customer service regarding ancillary services.

Hi there, I had to cancel two flights earlier this year due to Covid-19 reasons. I was informed that all the funds would be reimbursed to my account as flight credits since the usual cancellation policy was inactive due to the pandemic. However, I am unable to locate the flight credits in my account. Despite being reassured by two phone agents and a ticketing agent at EWR (when I had to rebook a flight), who all confirmed the refund, I opted not to buy travel insurance. While I am willing to reach out to my credit card company for a refund, I would greatly prefer to receive the flight credits I was assured of.

On October 11, [redacted], my spouse and I traveled from Reagan National to JFK, then from JFK to Athens, Greece. We flew back on October 25th from Athens to JFK, and on October 26th from JFK to Reagan National. My Advantage number is 0W9NT56 for Robert J Wharton, and my wife's number is 6J80EY2 for Kathleen S Wharton. Although our frequent flyer numbers were on all boarding passes, we only received credit for the October 26th segment from JFK to DCA. Can you assist us in obtaining the missing credits?

I recently booked two flights to Aruba from Philadelphia for 01/10/22 returning on 01/17/22. I used points for my flight and paid for my wife's round-trip ticket with my credit card. I realized afterward that I could have used my points for her departure flight and paid for her return flight on my credit card. Is there a way to correct this mix-up? I would appreciate any help with this before my wife notices. My record locator for the flight is CBHKFQ. Thank you.

On November 19th, I rented a car for my trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico using miles with Advantage under reservation #TUX6868. Upon landing in Mexico on 12/5/21, the rental car company (America) did not meet my expectations and insisted on additional insurance charges. Despite providing them with my insurance certificate from Barclays, my American Airlines red card, they refused to accept it and demanded extra payment for insurance coverage. This was unacceptable, so I opted to rent from another company. I need assistance in filing a complaint and having my miles refunded since we did not proceed with this company due to their questionable practices, demanding nearly $[redacted] in extra fees. I am surprised that this company is listed as an option on your site for mile redemptions. The deducted amount was 27,[redacted] miles. Please reach out if more details are required. Thank you, Joseph M. Clancy

Account 1Y20WB8 (Emery) - I would like to request the return of the 11,[redacted] miles that were removed from my account. The miles were frozen after I purchased a ticket (11/29/21 CFXXRF, SMF-SJD) and mistakenly disputed a $58.05 charge for 2,[redacted] miles, which led to a stop payment by my bank to AA. Consequently, the flight was canceled by AA, and all my miles, including the original 11,[redacted], were deleted. Despite resolving the issue with my bank on 12/31/21, I have been unable to reach AA to have my miles reinstated. The cancellation should only have affected the 2,[redacted] purchased miles, not the 11,[redacted] miles I initially had. I had to purchase a replacement ticket (1/12/22, JPWDVB, SMF-SJD, $[redacted]) for the same trip. I kindly ask for the prompt return of my 11,[redacted] miles. Thank you for your assistance.

I'm looking to book an Alaska Airlines ticket using my American Airlines miles. I've been on hold for multiple 2-hour stretches and was disconnected while speaking to someone who was going to help me book. I'm currently in Belize, Central America, and getting assistance has been a challenge. I am aiming to travel on March 24th from Belize City to Portland, Oregon, with a layover in LAX. I prefer flight #[redacted] changing in LAX to flight #[redacted]. My name is Debra Borup, AA# 0F3L440, and my spouse is Clark Twining, AA# 9RJ5580. We are interested in flying first class and prefer not to take an overnight flight. I know that Alaska Airlines has an available flight for me, but I'm struggling to book it. I would appreciate assistance as I have been unsuccessful with my phone calls. Please help! Debra Borup, Clark Twining

My American Airlines AAdvantage number is 8H8YH64. The balance of my redeemable miles is 65,[redacted]. I recently discovered that my miles will expire on 04/03/[redacted]. As an 83-year-old retired Navy chief with 22 years of active service, I am interested in traveling to Phoenix (PHX) from Philadelphia (PHL) from August 20th to 23rd with my wife using these miles. I kindly request an extension of the expiration date to sometime in September, [redacted], to allow me to utilize the miles I have earned. Your assistance in extending the expiration date would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your support. - Peter PRON PS - My son is a valued customer with over [redacted],[redacted] miles in his account.

I need clarification on the benefits of my AAdvantage Platinum Select card for my reservation ticket #[redacted][redacted]. I am unsure about the number of free checked bags as the information provided seems conflicting. Can I bring my CPAP machine as an additional carry-on item or does it have to be checked? I am also looking for my AAdvantage number. Are there extra ticket taxes for Bonaire, and when will the $[redacted] statement credit be applied? I could not find specifics about Bonaire, is it categorized under the Caribbean on your documents? I have tried contacting customer service with no success. When I finally reached someone, they redirected me to call back for an AAdvantage representative. Despite multiple attempts to get a callback, I only received dead air. I am currently on hold again, hoping to get answers or an email contact for my flight inquiries and AAdvantage benefits.