Buying AA flights online

[leeandj]

I am travelling to the USA and want to buy domestic flights using the AA.com website. However, it isn't possible because, as per the flight booking page:

"Note: If you are not a resident of the U.S., Canada, U.K., or select countries in Latin America or the Caribbean, tickets cannot be purchased online but may be placed on hold for purchase at an AA airport or ticket office."

We do not have an AA airport or ticket office here in Qld - there is a phone number provided for North Sydney but it diverts to a call centre in India, where the staff are unintelligable and unhelpful.

Does anyone know WHY this is the case - and any useful solution?

ps attempted to book the flights using qantas but the quoted fare was nearly double the internet price!

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Welcome to AFF leeandj

A US or UK credit card works fully.

Otherwise you can select other country and book online but complete the ticketing by faxing your credit card image to AA office (you need to contact them to arrange this).

Or, if your flights are less than (I think) US$500 simply book with your australian credit card (but make sure US state and country in the address field). Above this $ limit the system does a credit check which fails since address doesn't fully match, resulting in need to get in touch with AA and faxing credit card image.

 

[Soundguy]

Leeandj I have exactly the same gripe; It is just nonsensical. One option:

Some here (including myself) enter the aa.com site as a 'UK resident' (we share the same Queen after all!) and that can work OK - you will be charged in pounds sterling rather than US$ but the price is about the same.

However the last time I did this (late September, flights totalling only about A$300) I didn't recieve a confirmation e-mail & ended up having to call AA's UK office. They - somewhat reluctantly - processed it 'just this time' and I recieved a confirmation a day or so later. If you have the time available you could do this. I found the UK office to be quite helpful. Within the US you still have to visit an AA ticket office if you want to book flights there using a foreign CC.

I think it relates to the strange CC mentality they have in the US. They are either paranoid about CC fraud and check everything including ID & address (about 20%) or they couldn't care less and don't even glance at your signature (the other 80%).

Or you could simply use a better US Airline like Jet Blue and don't worry about the FF points..... they even have good in-flight entertainment in all classes, something I didn't get on AA even in First Class.

 

[clifford]

My advice is give AA a miss and book with UA.

No such stupidity with CC's.

I'm sure Kiwi Flyer would agree.

 

[Flying Fox]

Geez, I didn't even realised that AA had these restrictions.

Have they recently been introduced?

The reason I ask is that in Feb this year I booked tickets for me and the Mrs on their website using my Amex card. Total cost was $1050 USD or about $1450 AUD and I don't remember having any problems or difficulties. Flights were for multiple sectors across the USA through Jul & Aug.

One thing that I did notice is that booking through our travel agent we got the random Extra Security Screening every time we flew but when booked with AA.com we missed all the random Extra Security Screening.

Don't know but it might have been coincidence.....

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

One thing that I did notice is that booking through our travel agent we got the random Extra Security Screening every time we flew but when booked with AA.com we missed all the random Extra Security Screening.

Don't know but it might have been coincidence.....

Probably not a coincidence. The airlines have some degree of control over who gets SSSSed, albeit they have a quota to fill.