AA award flight on request, awaiting ticketing, cancelled without notification

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travellinmumberry

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I wanted to share my experience to advise others to be alert to this possibility. I recently reserved first class award flights for my parents using their AAdvantage accounts flying Sydney to Glasgow via LHR. The flights were 'on request' and after 5 days I called and was told that the ticketing had not gone ahead because the operator had not documented whether he had informed me that one leg of the flight was in economy (LHR to Glasgow). This was rectified and I was told that ticketing would occur shortly. After another few days I called back as the flights were still not ticketed- I was assured that all was in order- the flights were in the ticketing queue and 'it's a long way ahead so there is plenty of time'. I ended up calling 4 times over the last 4 weeks with similar responses.
Today, by chance, through the 'My Flights' app, I learned that the flight booking had been cancelled. No notification at all from AA.
I called AA to find out what was going on and was informed that indeed the award booking had been cancelled.
There was no explanation other than 'the original operator did not document that I had been advised of one leg of the flight being in economy'.
The operator today was very helpful and immediately checked availability to rebook the flights, ticketing them instantly while I was on the phone. I am so relieved that I have the My Flights app and therefore found out instantly the booking was cancelled- otherwise the chances of these seats remaining available would have been very slim.
 
Ouch! That is not a good process. I am glad you managed to retain the original availability and completed the booking and issue process.

Just out of interest, were you calling the Australian number for AA or their USA number?

In my experience, award flights are generally issued within 24 hours of being queued for issue. Any longer than that and its best to call to find out why.
 
Hi NM, I was calling the Australian number for AA.
Ahh, that may explain some of your results. I ALWAYS call the USA number and find the agents in the USA to be very competent with getting bookings done efficiently. Then again, I can make USA calls from home for no cost, so its just a matter of finding an appropriate time of day to call them.
 
Thank you for that advice, I will do that in future. I always watch the flights closely until they're ticketed, and ring every couple of days if it doesn't happen, ...so frustrating to be told repeatedly that everything was fine then have the award booking cancelled without being notified. Any way, all ended well, and will definitely avoid the Australian number from now on! Thanks again.
 
Ahh, that may explain some of your results. I ALWAYS call the USA number and find the agents in the USA to be very competent with getting bookings done efficiently. Then again, I can make USA calls from home for no cost, so its just a matter of finding an appropriate time of day to call them.

I very much doubt AA has agents in Oz - the found must get diverted into the main queue
 
I very much doubt AA has agents in Oz - the found must get diverted into the main queue

The calls to the Australian number go through to like a South Pacific call centre (was it Fiji? I can't remember).

I also have called the AA Platinum line (in the USA on Skype at any time - they operate 24 hours a day I believe) and they have always been helpful.
 
The calls to the Australian number go through to like a South Pacific call centre (was it Fiji? I can't remember).

I also have called the AA Platinum line (in the USA on Skype at any time - they operate 24 hours a day I believe) and they have always been helpful.
Yes - Mindpearl operate the centre.

It has a Brisbane number but the call goes to Fiji but if they are busy, then you can be answered in places like the Philippines etc.

After a few poor experiences I avoid using the Australian number whenever I can possibly do so.
 
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Yes - Mindpearl operate the centre.

It has a Brisbane number but the call goes to Fiji but if they are busy, then you can be answered in places like the Philippines etc.

After a few poor experiences I avoid using the Australian number whenever I can possibly do so.

thanks for the info - will call the US from now on
 
Thanks for the advice re the Brisbane/Fiji/Philippines call centre.

I am booking a couple of AA award flights next week and can certainly do without out that type of hassle in the booking process.
 
Agree with serfty and NM. I always avoid the Australian call centre. Once I got told by someone at the US call centre to call the Australian call centre. I thanked him and proceeded to HUACA. Most of the US call centre staff and very competant.
 
Just to reactivate an old thread here:

56 hrs and counting ..... towards the magical 72 hrs mark !

Still "on request" for an AA redemption on JL !

I had called (USA) AA number about 3 times now and heard the same explanation on each occasion "..... Everything looks OK; it's in the queue; we could see nothing unusual etc... etc..."

The CC has not been charged, the miles had not been deducted, the requested seats still "vacant" on EF ...... but had disappeared from JMB inventory within 12 hrs [was that me or another person ?]

Time for Plan B ?

Or, just hang on for dear life ??

Thanks

EDIT

After writing the post, I suddenly remembered to have asked & received the JL booking reference number (from the AA agent) so I went & checked with JL and .... voila, I could see the itinerary as "confirmed" and was able to enter my email as well as to select my seats. Great stuff [while AA is still showing "on request"] !
 
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If you ring the Aussie number late at night you can get switched to the USA.Last time I did this the agent was in Tulsa.
 
I did an AA redemption for a QF flight next year and it came through in about an hour. Then another redemption for a CX flight which took about 3 hours. :)
 
I booked and paid for flights online for the first time (BA) and they were ticketed instantly.

Previously I've had to complete ticketing on the phone for a variety of reasons (like to hold seats prior to buying miles). So being able to instantly ticket online was like a revelation...

Saying that, manual ticketing has usually gone through anywhere between 12 hours and a week for me.
 
As the OP, I had selected seats and seen the itinerary as confirmed on the Qantas website when the flights were still on request with AA. Despite the confirmed status on Qantas and the fact that I had selected seats, they were still cancelled by AA without notifying me, so please keep checking with AA to be on the safe side. As I understand it until they are ticketed they are not secured. I only found out in time to re book because I use the My Flights app. which notified me of a change in booking status.
 
I booked and paid for flights online for the first time (BA) and they were ticketed instantly.

Previously I've had to complete ticketing on the phone for a variety of reasons (like to hold seats prior to buying miles). So being able to instantly ticket online was like a revelation...

Saying that, manual ticketing has usually gone through anywhere between 12 hours and a week for me.

Had similar with a a QF J booking recently going DRW-SYD-AKL and then WLG-SYD-DRW - straight to ticketed... no on request this time which was quite good I thought!
 
As the OP, I had selected seats and seen the itinerary as confirmed on the Qantas website when the flights were still on request with AA. Despite the confirmed status on Qantas and the fact that I had selected seats, they were still cancelled by AA without notifying me, so please keep checking with AA to be on the safe side. As I understand it until they are ticketed they are not secured. I only found out in time to re book because I use the My Flights app. which notified me of a change in booking status.

this is a common issue, and causes misunderstanding in some cases.

many assume because they can select seats, or 'book the cook' (or select special meals), that their booking is confirmed and good to go.

while some airlines won't allow you to select seats until ticketing has been completed, many others will.

in essence, until the ticket has been paid for, you only have a reservation. And the reservation can show in the system even though you'd never be able to fly.

The only way to make sure you are ticketed and paid is to see a ticket number - either somewhere on line, or by calling each airline and specifically asking 'do you have a ticket number against this booking?'

It's always safest to work on a three day ticketing deadline where you have an award flight on a partner airline. After that time, and without a ticket number, you should start to be concerned that the partner airline can autocancel the reservation. Not a problem if there's more award availability - but a potential major issue for airlines with scarce availability.
 
This is something new (to me, at least)

JL booking on AA redemption

"On Request" for FIVE days !!!

I could log on JL site, select seats etc... but no ticket number from AA at all...... until today when a Brisbane agent called me up to confirm my CC billing address and charged me the Aussie rate for the booking ($80 per person).

The miles were deducted on day 3 !

The weird thing is I called the US number (always do so - from day one) but it is now "delegated" back to the relevant regional centre, causing a holdup in the ticket issuing (and elevated my blood pressure).

Is this something you had experienced ?

Would this make you more likely to call the Oz number from now on to "lock in" the seats ?

Cheers
 
I twice booked JL AA awards in the last month ringing the US number.On the first occasion when the agent (EXP desk so knowledgeable) asked if I had an Australian CC card I said as usual the zip is 04551.She saw through that little ruse-first time it has happened-and said I see you live in Australia so I will put this on hold and you must ring the Aussie number.Damn.As soon as I had rung the Aussie number it was ticketed.
So on the second occasion I told a little fib saying I lived in NYC(I do have a timeshare there but fortunately she didn't realise the street address I gave was for the Hilton on 6th) but a Maine zip.Ticketed within the hour.
 
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