4 November 2008

i hate american airlines

DAY 1

me: hello, i would like to change my flight please

aa: why?

me: because I need to stay longer in America.

aa: oh, well you cant change your ticket. it is not refundable

me: ok, i don’t want a refund though, i just want to change the departure date.

aa: oh. well you cant.

me: why not?

aa: because I don’t know how to do that.

me: ok, well can I speak to some that does?

aa: fine. you will have to wait quite a few minutes.

me: how long is quite a few minutes?

aa: quite a few.

1 hour and 27 minutes later....

aa: ok, i have cancelled your ticket.

me: what?! WHAT?! i did not want you to do that!!

aa: oh. i thought that is what you said.

me: NO!! i just wanted to change the date.

aa: oh, well you cant change the date because the ticket has been cancelled. and it is non refundable so you don’t get your money back.

me: that is insane! you have cancelled my ticket, not given me a new one and i am out the £614 that i paid?!

aa: yes that is correct. can i help you with anything else today.

me: give me a manager. NOW! (insert any number of explitives and gritting of teeth)

aa: ok. you will have to wait quite a few minutes.

42 minutes later a manager comes on and reinstates my ticket, but i still don’t have the changes i need. i say forget it. i will try again later.

DAY 2

me: hello. i would like to make some changes on my flight please.

aa: que? oh, what?

me: i would like to make some changes to my flight please.

aa: what? i dont understand.

me: i need to change a date on my airplane flight.

aa: oh. i dont understand. que? what you say?

me: look i am not trying to be rude, but can you put me on the phone with someone that actually speaks english?

aa: oh yes. hold on por favour.

38 minutes later (yes I timed it)

aa: hello, can i help?

me: yes, i need to make some changes to my flight.

aa: ok. no problem. let me look....oh wait. you cant. its not refundable.

me: i know that. i just need to change my return date. i will pay the change fee.

aa: ok. but you cant.

me: why

aa: because you cant.

me: why cant i?

aa: because i said.

me: because you said?! (seriously?! did he really just say that?!)

aa: yes. because i said you cant.

me: i would like to speak to a manager.

aa: why?

me: because you are a useless and stupid. you are wasting my valuable time by doing absolutely nothing. i have never before called anyone worthless before, but i think you will be the first. (ok, i didn’t say that) because i need someone that can help me and give me a straight answer. (i said that instead)

aa: ok. fine. it will be a long wait. you are in a long queue.

nearly 40 minutes later a manager comes on. tells me he will change the flight. i give him the dates. he comes back and says i cant change the itinerary that much but because he is so kind, he will do almost everything i want. i just have to lose one leg of the trip. WHAT?! i cant make 2 changes, only one. so i have to sacrafice one leg of the flight if i want to change the international portion. WHAT?! i am told it is that or lose the flight. i do that. i am stupid for doing that. what options did i have? nearly 5 hours in total spent on the phone to American Airlines. I am short one leg of my trip now. out the original £614 plus the £94.80 change fee. i got screwed. everyone boycott American Airlines!

4 comments:

kym brinkley said...

oh my word, kristina! this made me laugh out loud in utter sympathy! shocking and hard to believe...yet not. I love the dialogue.

Sarah Kropp said...

I can't stand American Airlines. My friend was in one of its plane crashes (the one in Little Rock in the 90s) and the AA people were HORRIBLE about the whole thing even after it was ruled as a pilot error.

Sarah Kropp said...

Kristina.. this is Devi Abraham, I'm using Sarah's computer, and I don't know how to sign out of her google account!

Sheyennew said...

I feel your pain... we tried to cancel 2 plane tickets because our trip plans changed by a whole 2 weeks... we have the travel insurance and everything and are still not able to recoop the $600+ that we spent... travel insurance is utterly useless!!! There's so many conditions and what not on changing or canceling plane tickets! Sheesh! So when are you coming to the States?