American Airlines is Evil

[Jean in Newcastle]

As some of you know, my dad died last night.  We went to change our return tickets to after the funeral today.  Not only do they not have any kind of a bereavement accommodation, they charged us more than we paid to buy the tickets in the first place to change them.  This is in addition to what we had already paid.  Evil.  My mom wants us here so badly that she is paying the extra money to keep us here for the funeral.  

[Moxie]

I'm so sorry about your dad.

 

What about blasting them on FB and twitter? That might get their attention.

[BrittanyM]

Definitely blast them on twitter, they are pretty active on there and will probably respond.

[MomtoCandJ]

I agree blast that all over the internet

[FaithManor]

I think they should be lambasted all over the net! This way people can choose airlines with a more humane policy.

[Cindy in FL.]

That's terrible. It's unconscionable to take advantage of people like that and kick them while they're down. Shame on American Airlines!

[Twigs]

:grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:

[PrairieSong]

That's awful! I'm so sorry they treated you like that, at such a sad, vulnerable time for your family.

[chocolatechip]

Is there any way you can complain to the manager/director/whatever? 

 

I'd be very upset. 

 

So sorry they treated you so despicably.  :grouphug:

[Χά�ων]

Many airlines are moving away from making accommodations for bereavement. I think it is horrible.

[Cricket]

I'm very sorry about your dad. :-(

[kbutton]

I am sorry for your loss and for being treated badly as well. I hope that your time with your family is meaningful.

[Miss Peregrine]

I'm so sorry about your dad, Jean. :(

[Melissa in Australia]

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

[Rosie_0801]

That's horrible.   :grouphug:  :grouphug:

[DawnM]

I am so sorry Jean.  

[creekland]

:grouphug: So sorry to hear that, Jean.  I really detest when companies lose their compassion and definitely keep such things in mind when choosing who to do business with, so thanks for posting.   :grouphug:

[kewb]

That's horrible. I would take that complaint to the top and social media.

[RoughCollie]

.

[PrincessMommy]

Agreeing with others to take it to social media.  That's just awful that they take advantage of other people's sorrow.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I won't have time to take it to the media until after the funeral.  (Ironic statement I know since I'm spending a couple of minutes updating here.)  I never knew that planning a funeral was much like planning a wedding but on a very fast time table and with condolences instead of congratulations.  

 

Dh did talk to three different people at American Airlines.  

 

I don't mind the "no bereavement policy" as such.  But I do think it is unconscionable to get our money for a ticket, then take more than that for another ticket - plus resell our former seat to someone else immediately.  They made out like bandits because they had us over a barrel.  

[Flowing Brook]

I am so sorry jean that is awful. My sister had this happen to her recently only it was because her orders had changed for the military.  Her staff sergeant wrote a letter to the airlines.  She got her money back even though the airline originally refused. 

 

Do you think the funeral director could write a letter than you all could fax it to the airlines? 

[Valley Girl]

I'm so sorry for your loss and that the stress and difficulty of what you're already going through was compounded by the airline. What they did was just plain greedy and heartless. Take the time to grieve now. But I agree with those who've said you should publicize this later. AA deserves to be embarrassed publicly for taking advantage of people at a vulnerable time.

 

What I'm going to mention next won't help now unfortunately, so I'm only throwing it out there in case it may help anyone else reading. Buying insurance on the ticket when you book originally can help with unforseen situations like this. We once had to delay a flight for a family member because of a death. I don't remember all the details, but I think we may only have had to pay the difference in the flight costs. We didn't get hammered with the huge overcharge that you did. (Of course, if there were reasonable accommodations made for bereavement that wouldn't have been an issue.) Again, so sorry for your loss and all you're dealing with.

[Lanny]

I am sorry about the passing of your Father and I hope that he did not suffer. My condolences to you and to your family.

 

Regarding the treatment you received from AA, when trying to change your return date, SAVE all of the paperwork and write down the names and times of any AA personnel you spoke with or met with regarding this.

 

If I were in your shoes, I would write a short (1 or 2 pages) FAX and send it to the President of AA. For many years, their HQ was in Texas, but I believe it may now be in Phoenix (?), after AA merged with or was purchased by U.S. Air (?). If you send a FAX, scan in copies of your tickets and the extra charges that you paid.

 

You can send a short FAX (I think up to 3 pages) free, via FaxZero.com I have done that 4 or 5 times. A longer FAX (up to 25 pages?) I believe they charge USD$1.99 which is a real bargain.

 

Your FAX will be read and responded to by someone on the staff of the President of AA.

 

Also, for many years, I subscribed to Conde Nast Traveler magazine. If you receive that, they had an Ombudsman column that might go to bat for you.

 

 

 

 

[flyingiguana]

Just hit their facebook page.  If you want, we can do it too on your behalf.  Just say the word.

 

[flyingiguana]

 

This is hardly appropriate given the circumstances, but it's interesting to note that this guy has over 14 million views.

 

Airlines should know that they REALLY don't want to mistreat their customers in this age of social media.

 

(And this is the last thing you need to have on your plate right now.)

[Storygirl]

Our newspaper publishes a columnist who solves issues for people with problems like yours. His advice is always to communicate in email to the highest person you can find a contact for. Use email, not the phone, because then there will be a written record.

 

Once you are home and have some time to deal with this, I would appeal to the airline executives for a refund.

 

I'm so sorry about your dad. I'll be praying for you.

[Happy]

I am sorry about the passing of your Father and I hope that he did not suffer. My condolences to you and to your family.

 

Regarding the treatment you received from AA, when trying to change your return date, SAVE all of the paperwork and write down the names and times of any AA personnel you spoke with or met with regarding this.

 

If I were in your shoes, I would write a short (1 or 2 pages) FAX and send it to the President of AA. For many years, their HQ was in Texas, but I believe it may now be in Phoenix (?), after AA merged with or was purchased by U.S. Air (?). If you send a FAX, scan in copies of your tickets and the extra charges that you paid.

 

You can send a short FAX (I think up to 3 pages) free, via FaxZero.com I have done that 4 or 5 times. A longer FAX (up to 25 pages?) I believe they charge USD$1.99 which is a real bargain.

 

Your FAX will be read and responded to by someone on the staff of the President of AA.

 

Also, for many years, I subscribed to Conde Nast Traveler magazine. If you receive that, they had an Ombudsman column that might go to bat for you.

 

Headquarters are still in Fort Worth, Texas

[Lanny]

W. Douglas Parker
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
American Airlines Group Inc. & American Airlines Inc.

 

Mailing Address

P.O. Box 619616, MD 5675
DFW Airport, TX 75261-9616

 

Physical Address

4333 Amon Carter Boulevard, MD 5675
Fort Worth, TX 76155

 

Revised: June 2014

 

NOTE: I didn't see a FAX number for their HQ, but if you can find the FAX number, I suggest you send him a FAX.

 

[FaithManor]

For what it is worth in the future, we've found trip insurance on airline tickets to be cheap through expedia and given the stinky attitude of some airlines, we generally purchase it.

[Valley Girl]

Jean, I'm sorry. This may not be of help to you now, but there are some funeral homes that have arrangements with airlines for reduced costs. When my brother passed away this summer they gave my mom info on getting airline discounts for up to a year, for relatives needing to return for any reason regarding the deceased.

 

I've never heard of that and would not have thought to ask. Thank you for passing that information along.

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

Agreeing with sending letters AND posting on their Facebook page!

[stripe]

I heard recently that airlines were dropping bereavement fares and also increasing services for the wealthy like valet parking.

 

Sorry they are not more compassionate.

[idnib]

That's terrible. I saw the link and was thinking it would be regular negative customer service story but when I saw your name my heart sank.

 

:grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug: 

 

Agree with the people saying to use social media.

[Excelsior! Academy]

I am sorry to hear about your dad.  We are not fans of American due to other policies they have.

 

 

Many airlines are moving away from making accommodations for bereavement. I think it is horrible.

 

 

[Lanny]

I just googled trying to find the FAX number for the AA Corporate HQ.  I have seen 2 or 3 different FAX numbers. Probably a lot of confusion, due to their merger with U.S. Air.  I did find this web page interesting and suggest the OP spend a minute  reading it. If I were in the shoes of the OP, I would send a FAX to the #1 guy.  Someone on his staff will answer. I did that with the Netflix Corporate HQ in CA recently (the lady who called me from CA was born in Colombia!) and they were very helpful.  Here's the link:

http://elliott.org/contacts/american-airlines-2/

 

When I was extremely young, I worked for 2 airlines. One of them was AA. And then, I worked for awhile as a Travel Agent. It is my belief (based on the era before most or all of the airlines went bankrupt) that had the death occurred before the trip, that the airline would have been much more helpful, with regard to waiving advance purchase requirements, etc.  This seemed to happen involving the return flight.  It would seem to those of us here on WTM that they could have been humane, and waived the extra charge(s), and  permitted a change in the return date, because a funeral was involved. They would have required proof of that, but I do not see the OP getting that proof for them to be a problem.  

 

It sounds like they were required to purchase Full fare tickets, or tickets close to that, in order to return home after the funeral.

 

I believe a very short, polite and courteous FAX (with scanned in tickets and receipts for the trip and proof of death of the father of the OP) to the #1 guy at AA will, hopefully, get into the hands of someone with the authority to issue a refund or partial refund to the OP.  I hope so!  If not, then "Plan B" is to Contact the Conde Nast Traveler Magazine and others...

[Susan C.]

Try Delta... when my dad died, we had to change our return trip. They asked why, as soon as I said it was because of a death and we had to stay on to help mom, they immediately waived the fees. And... the night he died, the agent on the phone found cheaper tickets than the bereavement fares, she searched quite a bit to help us out. All in all Delta was wonderful.

 

Jean :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:  so sorry for the loss of your dad.

[Frances]

I'm so sorry for your loss and the aggravation and expense of dealing with American Airlines. For those that may face similar circumstances in the future, I would highly recommend Delta airlines if you have a choice of airlines. Last year when traveling due to my dad's illness and subsequent death, I purchased tickets using credit card points through Travelocity. I ultimately changed my tickets three times and when dealing with Travelocity experienced incredibly long wait times, rude customer service, and outrageous change fees. However, when I ignored the instructions in my confirmation email and called the airline (Delta) directly instead of dealing with Travelocity, I experienced excellent, compassionate customer service and the waiver of every charge and fee except for $50 to officially transfer the ticket from Travelocity to Delta.

 

And when my husband travelled on Delta this winter for his grandmother's funeral and encountered severe weather in both directions, they honored every request he made to change his flights in order to get there in time for the funeral and to avoid most of the bad weather on his return trip. I actually lost track of the number of times he changed his flights, but we were not charged anything.

[*Lulu*]

So, so very sorry for your loss and for the compounded stress if dealing with the airline during the midst of your grief.

 

(((Hugs)))

[AmyontheFarm]

If there is anything we can do let us know.  I'd be happy to visit a facebook page, twitter account or other to support you.

[Wildcat]

.

[Catwoman]

I won't have time to take it to the media until after the funeral. (Ironic statement I know since I'm spending a couple of minutes updating here.) I never knew that planning a funeral was much like planning a wedding but on a very fast time table and with condolences instead of congratulations.

 

Dh did talk to three different people at American Airlines.

 

I don't mind the "no bereavement policy" as such. But I do think it is unconscionable to get our money for a ticket, then take more than that for another ticket - plus resell our former seat to someone else immediately. They made out like bandits because they had us over a barrel.

I think what they did was absolutely despicable. :angry:

 

I'm so sorry, Jean.

[stripe]

However, when I ignored the instructions in my confirmation email and called the airline (Delta) directly instead of dealing with Travelocity, I experienced excellent, compassionate customer service and the waiver of every charge and fee except for $50 to officially transfer the ticket from Travelocity to Delta.

Yes, recently someone in my family had a potential issue in the middle of the trip and the agent at Delta arranged a back up thing to be held for 24 hours; it was quite impressive. And I am not a big fan of domestic American travel.

[goldberry]

Yes.  American Airlines is evil. 

 

I was raised in the Dallas area and have family there still.  American is based there and pretty much controls the entire market. Seriously, it is hard to get a decent flight in or out of Dallas without engaging American.

 

Since we have lived in Colorado, we have made at least 2 flights back to Dallas every year.  The last THREE YEARS there has not been a single flight without issues.  As an example, last year they cancelled our flight due to "weather".  According to the agent, "no one is flying in or out of Dallas".  They tried to reschedule me for a 6 am flight the next day.  I live over an hour from the airport! Getting to the airport two hours ahead at 4 am would require leaving my house at 3 am.  After first calling relatives to confirm it was just raining, I then got on the internet to discover that every single other airline was still flying.  I had to call back and demand to be put on another flight so I could get out that day.

 

Another occasion they did not record correctly that I paid the unaccompanied minor fee for my daughter.  When a niece was dropping her off at the airport in Texas, they wouldn't let her on the plane.  I called to pay again (and just work it out later) since niece did not have a credit card.  They were "not set up" to take my payment over the phone.  I talked to 6 different people while my daughter cried hysterically at the counter.  Eventually they let her on, with minutes to spare.

 

This year, just a couple of weeks ago, I checked on my flight the morning of to see it was listed as "cancelled".  When I called to get on the next flight, there were only 2 seats left and we barely got them reserved.  Hmm..was anyone going to notify me that the flight was cancelled?  Lady said, there are a lot of people involved.  Really?  You can text people when their gate changes, but can't let someone know when their flight is cancelled.

 

A family member in Texas has a friend who works for AA.  The entire job of her department is to analyze which flights it is most profitable to either cancel or overbook.  Then they call it "weather" when it is just raining and all other airlines are flying...

 

I could go on....

 

Jean, ((hugs)) to you.

[idnib]

Another occasion they did not record correctly that I paid the unaccompanied minor fee for my daughter.  When a niece was dropping her off at the airport in Texas, they wouldn't let her on the plane.  I called to pay again (and just work it out later) since niece did not have a credit card.  They were "not set up" to take my payment over the phone.  I talked to 6 different people while my daughter cried hysterically at the counter.  Eventually they let her on, with minutes to spare.

 

That sounds so awful.  :grouphug:

[flyingiguana]

 I purchased tickets using credit card points through Travelocity. I ultimately changed my tickets three times and when dealing with Travelocity experienced incredibly long wait times, rude customer service, and outrageous change fees. However, when I ignored the instructions in my confirmation email and called the airline (Delta) directly instead of dealing with Travelocity, I experienced excellent, compassionate customer service and the waiver of every charge and fee except for $50 to officially transfer the ticket from Travelocity to Delta.

 

I search flights on places like Travelocity, but always then buy them direct through the airline.  I figure the airline has more reputation to protect and will help me out if things go wrong.

 

[shawthorne44]

I live in the DFW area (their hub) and I used to travel a great deal.  I agree that they are evil.  I used to book a connecting flight with a smaller airline rather than go AA.  I am also still pissed that they knocked off Legend Airlines with their predatory lawsuits.