American Airlines Customer Service FARCE.

[similost]

Anyone else here caught up in the middle of AA's canceled flights?

Long story short, we found out first thing this morning our (wife and I) flights for tomorrow to STL are canceled. SO, I see there is an earlier flight. I keep calling reservations. half the time it says they are busy, call back later, the other half the time, it walks you through everything, then goes to connect you to a rep, then dumps you into a busy signal then disconnects you...

They still show the flights, but when you try to book it, it says the flight is no longer available. Not hardly anything about all the canceled flights. They have almost nothing on the site telling you what to do.. other than call the number that is too busy.

GREAT FUCKING SERVICE there American.

Anyone else managed to at least get your money refunded? If so, HOW????

[spartanmanor]

Like I said the whole FAA shutdown is BS.

[similost]

UN FUGGIN BELIEVABLE!!!!

So, as I'm dialing the number for reservations for about the 50th time trying to get a human to get refunded, my wife is at work on the site, and gets a "click to talk" window that pops up on her screen. She puts in my phone number and within about 3 minutes, I'm talking to a rep.. WOAH!!!

So.. as we sit there talking, she is watching seats open and close on an earlier flight into CHI.. then the same from there to STL...

she grabs one seat, then another on the other flight, then another.. then before long.. we've got two seats all the way back to STL with a stopover CHI

STILL.. I'm not very impressed with they way they are keeping a tight lip, no announcements from AA upstairs about how refunds will be done.. even asking about them "just in case" the lady was kind of circle talking, like she wasn't even real sure... BUT.. we got seats, and are lucky.. I know there are a lot of others that are probably feeling more pain than we were trying to get a refund, much less a seat..

I'm not looking forward to this.. I bet delays will be the next fun step...

[spartanmanor]

WTG James!

[similost]

Nothing I did.. just happened to be VERY lucky Karma... Had Marcia not been messing around on the site trying to figure out the refunds, she wouldn't have gotten the popup that evidently a non busy operator will send out.. and then to manage snagging one seat at a time (4 total) on 2 different aircraft.. at least the lady was good.. more luck..

They still aren't doing well in their customer service department... they are keeping pretty tight lipped.. I guess better to say nothing than mis-speak and just make up later..

[Mark W.]

My guess is that in normal times there cust service would be fine to normal for an airline. Getting hit with the FFA or the Brass or who ever grounding this many airplanes all at once puts the customer service system in to boil over. Bound to happen. I keep hoping the nice cheap ticket I got the the FEST in 3 weeks bought back in DEC does not evaporate. It's on a different airline flying a different plane. So fingers crossed.

[similost]

Just the fact AA isn't saying much, and you can't get to a human by calling youself.. I understand the problems they must be having, but the fact they aren't really saying anything is what I find frustrating.

[Rodzilla]

it's likely not the reps fault...if they know the answers to your questions they've likely been ordered not to discuss it,but it's just as likely that they haven't been told much more than you and actually can't answer your questions...but you don't say stuff like that to customers,especially when many are on the edge and dealing with a tense situation to start with...you just do your job and get it done as best you can,and then move on to the next person...it's no fun for anyone

[onepixel]

... it is a farce, but probably much better than crash and burn.

[Sandy G]

I heard on the radio today this really has nothing to do w/"safety", per se, it's all "technical issues"-I.E. Paperwork snafus.

[similost]

well.. it is kinda safety, and I have no problem with the fact they had to cancel flights, mine included. I know it's not the reservation reps fault either, but I do know the upper eschelon are what the real problem is, and they just don't seem to be telling their customers much. Their website had almost no information earlier today, and as the day has gone on, a little bit has been added.. still not much..

As far as the problem, yeah, the ties need to be 1" and not 1 1/4" apart, minor in most instances, but they say the issue is the wires could rub together and short, so evidently the deemed they needed to be bundled tighter and closer to reduce movement.

I saw a video of the bundle, and it is fairly long, but not large, so spacing could make a fair difference of how many ties are on it. I'd rather be safe than sorry, but I also wished the company would be more forthcoming with their customers.

For the moment, I got a flight, and that is cool, but if I didn't, I sure would have liked to had information on how to get my refund, OR, been able to get a hold of a human, OR, them add options to their automated phone system that would have allowed to you get the refund, OR, even put an option to dial where you could leave info for them to refund it for you. They are making it VERY hard to get a refund, or information.