Complain about a product or service

American Airlines

American Airlines • Stranded • Accommodating illness • Bereavement policy • Luggage lost/damaged • Baby stroller mangled • Slovenly service • Price gouging • Smokers snuffed • Group bookings • Code sharing • The Wedding that Wasn't --- News • Straight-Talking Captain Calms Delayed Passengers • American Raises Baggage Fee $5 • American Begins Wi-Fi Service on Some Flights • American Slashes Routes, Charges for One Checked Bag

Maybe it was trying to absorb TWA that has given American what seems to be a chronic case of indigestion. Over the last few years, AA has succeeded in destroying a splendid reputation.

As the complaints in this section show, American manages to insult and alienate just about every type of passenger you can think of -- those who smoke, those who need oxygen, those with babies, those trying to connect with cruises and those who've booked large groups tours, to name just a few.

We don't know why anyone would take American, United or any of the other over-priced giants when there are such splendid, consumer-friendly carriers as Southwest, Jet Blue and ATA.

Sherry of Greer, SC June 28, 2009

Four consecutive flights w/AA with four consecutive flight delays!

6/22 Atl/Mia AA 1737-"Sorry folks for the delay but TSA didn't give priority to our crew as they usually do."

6/22 Mia/SJO AA 937-"Sorry folks for the delay, but we had difficulty gettin our crew through Customs...they just came in from Panama.

6/27 SJO/Mia AA 988-"Your flight delayed...one hour 20 minutes...you not booked on your scheduled flight (AA 2574)..you now depart AA n1942 for Atlanta at 10:15"; although I spoke politely in Spanish, was offered no explanation.

After almost a 2 hour delay, departed; upon landing in Miami...landing aborted an aircraft completed go/around and setup to land again. No assistance at all due to missing original connection. MANy on this flight missed connecting international flights. Upon landing in Miami, plane aborted landing and completeda go around. "Sorry folks, another plane w/emergency given priority." Uhmmmm?

Boarded AA 1942 at 10:25 to later be informed,"Sorry folks, but the 1st Officer has not cleared Customs from Mexico City yet"; he did not board until after midnight; plane did not depart unil around 12:20!

Couldn't even buy a snack of the plane. areas in concourse were closed! Upon short final, plane had to abort and complete a go around...no explanation. Uhmmmm? Was he ever given clearnace to land? Luggage claim took over an hour to complete. left airport at 2:15 am! I have never experienced such poor service in all my 32 years of flying!

Frank of Commerce Twp, MI June 23, 2009

I paid airfare to fly from Miami International Airport on American Airlines at 12;55 P.M. on June 16,2009 , flight 973. The arriving city I was to be taken to was Tegulcigalpa, Honduras and arrive there at 1;10 P.M. American Airlines did not fly into Tegulcigalpa HONDURAS and instead flew to San Pero Sulu Honduras and I HAD TO GET OFF THE PLANE THERE.

1) 434.70. 2)160 - I had to pay a taxi to take me to Tegulcigalpa, HONDURAS, 3) SIX Hr drive going through dangerous area for AMERICANS. 4) Vomited from the stress.

Anna of Downey, CA June 25, 2009

I had a flight out of LAX to St. Louis, MO on American Airlines. I was traveling with my cat to my mom's because I was taking a job out of the country for 4 months. I arrived at LAX 2 hours early as is suggested for domestic travel. I waited in a very long line that did not move. Finally an AA agent came by asking when our flights were to make sure no one would miss their flight. I told them my flight and what time it was supposed to leave. She did nothing. I was standing in line next to a family also going to St. Louis with their pet. The family and I both arrived at the counter at the same time (they were being helped at the same time with an agent right next to me). The person at the counter that was helping me told me that I couldn't get on the flight.

When I asked why he said that I was late! I told him I arrived 2 hours ago and that the line wasn't moving because all the agents were helping at the computerized self check-in (which I couldn't do because of my cat). He again said it was my fault and that I should have let someone know when I was in line. I told him that I had. He kept telling me it was my fault and that I couldn't get on the plane. I pleaded with him and told him I was on medication and that I needed to arrive to my destination on time and that my cat was in bad health and could not miss the flight. He told me that I should have come earlier and then told me that they only had 3 agents at the counter because of lay-offs etc. I was so upset! This was not my fault! He then told me that I would have to get on a flight 3 hours later and pay 50 dollars! The worst part of this is that the family next to me had a nice agent and got on the plane without a problem. We were at the counter at the same time!

I was furious. I never yelled or was rude. In fact I started tearing up because I was so frustrated. I then complained to someone working for AA at the airport and wrote 2 emails to AA (they have no number you can call) and they have denied any wrong doing and gave various excuses but the fact is that other people right next to me got on the plane and the person I talked to was rude and disrespectful. I received no apologies and no reimbursement. I asked for a phone call and received none! I am furious! Oh and they lost my luggage!!

Anna of Downey, CA June 25, 2009

I had a flight out of LAX to St. Louis, MO on American Airlines. I was traveling with my cat to my mom's because I was taking a job out of the country for 4 months. I arrived at LAX 2 hours early as is suggested for domestic travel. I waited in a very long line that did not move. Finally an AA agent came by asking when our flights were to make sure no one would miss their flight. I told them my flight and what time it was supposed to leave. She did nothing. I was standing in line next to a family also going to St. Louis with their pet. The family and I both arrived at the counter at the same time (they were being helped at the same time with an agent right next to me).

The person at the counter that was helping me told me that I couldn't get on the flight. When I asked why he said that I was late! I told him I arrived 2 hours ago and that the line wasn't moving because all the agents were helping at the computerized self check-in (which I couldn't do because of my cat). He again said it was my fault and that I should have let someone know when I was in line. I told him that I had. He kept telling me it was my fault and that I couldn't get on the plane.

I pleaded with him and told him I was on medication and that I needed to arrive to my destination on time and that my cat was in bad health and could not miss the flight. He told me that I should have come earlier and then told me that they only had 3 agents at the counter because of lay-offs etc. I was so upset! This was not my fault! He then told me that I would have to get on a flight 3 hours later and pay 50 dollars!

The worst part of this is that the family next to me had a nice agent and got on the plane without a problem. We were at the counter at the same time! I was furious. I never yelled or was rude. In fact I started tearing up because I was so frustrated. I then complained to someone working for AA at the airport and wrote 2 emails to AA (they have no number you can call) and they have denied any wrong doing and gave various excuses but the fact is that other people right next to me got on the plane and the person I talked to was rude and disrespectful. I received no apologies and no reimbursement. I asked for a phone call and received none! I am furious!

Christine of Stone Mountain, GA June 8, 2009

On June 7 lhad a one stop trip between Detroit and Atlanta with the a stop in Chicago. The first leg to Chicago got delayed because of mechanical problems on the sirline. We waited almost 2 hours while they"repaired" the airline. When we eventually got to Chicago, our connection to Atlanta was gone. The flight attendants did not say anything about missing that flight only told us to go to Gate K8 about 20 gates away, we got there to find no we had to go back to gate 1B for another flight an hour and a half later, That other flight ended up also having mechanical problems and we had to wait another hour to (hopefully get that "repaired" Why could they not have got us on another airline while doing the repairs? In addition the attendants on flight # 1514 from Chicago to Detroit on June 4, and both flights from Detroit to Chicago (4506/4117) and Chicago to Atlanta (4444) need to poolish up on their customer service techiques. I swore l WILL never go on another Am A. even if it is a cheap fare. It was a very unpleasnat trip and there were several of us in this predicament 4 women and one guy. A WHOLE DAY of travel, with no food while waiting for the repairs and a lot of mental anguish.

Kristin of Naples, FL June 1, 2009

As of last night, American Airlines has managed to lose my bag for the third time in 2 months! Twice in 2 weeks!! Counter people at airport don’t try to help you. They barely even look at you once you get upset. Called 800# last night three times. First lady hung up on me when I stated asking questions. Others sounded like they were reading scripted information. Miami is approximately 120 miles from Ft. Myers. They said next available flight is not until Monday night at 6:pm and then they get a 4 hour window to deliver.

Well, this morning I have another trip for business and need contents of the bag. Also, have other business things in there. I understand things can happen. I understand maybe I should not check things. But 3 times in 2 months, and not so much as a sincere apology or offer of any compensation or anyone taking time to help find a solution that would make me feel better? They could ground transport if they wanted to or re-route bag through a different city to reach Ft. Myers earlier. In the bag claim folder it says that “our baggage service department will contact you periodically to keep you informed of our progressinlocating your baggage.

I landed at 10 pm last night, it is now 9:40 am and nothing from them yet. The three people I spoke with made it very they would not be contacting me until it was ready for delivery tonight. One operator frankly replied to my request that they call me when it is located that any joe blow out on the tarmac is not going to stop and call me when they find my bag. just not going to happen. I could go on and on.

If this is how they treat Advantage Priority customers I would hate to see how everyone else is treated. I welcome suggestions on how to get the word out about how this has been treated. Just tried to call them again. Another operator just said still tracing bag. When I asked if there was anyone in Miami to contact to help locat she said "noone else can help". I find this hard to believe.

Randall of Owasso, OK June 11, 2009

American Airlines canceled our flight 12 hours before we left with the explaination that weather was "going" to be bad in Dallas the next day so they canceled the flight. This was completely bogus because the weather was fine in Dallas. There were no other flights we could book because everyone else on that flight was scrambling to get a new flight. We were part of a wedding party and could not take a next day flight so we had to go to another airlines and book a flight The flights that were canceled was AA 1361 and AA490 Tulsa OK to Jacksonville Fl. on June 4, 2009. The return flight was AA2203 and AA2274 on June 7, 2009

Because we were rebooking a flight leaving the next day, we were well beyond any early booking discounts. We had to pay an additional 500.00 per round trip flight. There were 4 in our party. We were unable to return at the time we had originally been booked and had to stay and addition day in Jacksonville. This resulted in another 188.00 for one room and 168 for the other. Not to mention additional meals and car rental expenses.

anna of alamogordo, NM June 7, 2009

I was leaving the flight at Dallas and had trouble getting my bag down the aisle. I told the two pilots joking that you should make the aisles wider and the one said maybe you should lose weight. I am far from over weight but behind me was a 300# man. If this is their courtesy you can keep your flights any where.

Anna of Nutley, NJ May 27, 2009

We booked a flight on American Airlines for May 14 to fly to Paris from JFK (flight #44 at 5:45pm). There were four of us traveling for our vacation. Our itinerary was to arrive in Paris on May 15 in the early morning, then leave on May 20 to London, where we would stay for the duration of our trip. We had booked four Eurostar tickets to London for May 20. When we got to the gate at JFK Airport, we were told that our plane had some mechanical issues and we would be delayed for 3 hours, until 8:30pm. The airline also changed our gate and told us to go to the new gate to await further information. At 8:30pm, we were again told that the plane wasn’t ready and we would be delayed until 10:30pm. Our gate was changed again and we went to the new assigned gate once more. At 10:30, we were told that our plane had been fixed and that we should go back to our first assigned gate to await boarding, which would start at around 11pm. When our plane finally arrived and was ready for boarding, it was 11:30pm. As boarding began, the airline representative told us that we had until 11:40pm to board and be in the air, otherwise the flight would be cancelled by the FAA. The plane was a 777 and was fully booked. Regardless, all of the passengers rushed and we were all boarded and in our seats by 11:40pm, however at 11:44pm the pilot announced that the FAA had cancelled the flight for regulatory purposes. All of the passengers were sent to the ticket desk to rebook. We called the American Airlines customer service line to rebook and were told that all of the flights to Paris were booked solid until Sunday, May 17. There was nothing they could do. We then asked if there were any flights available to London, or other European countries, and asked if American Airlines would then be able to provide us transportation or a flight to Paris from there. They checked and said that there was a flight for the morning of the 15th to London, but they could not give us any transportation to Paris.

Basically, we would be on our own to figure out how to get to our intended destination. We asked if we would get reimbursed if we book a Eurostar train from London to Paris and the rep told us she didn’t know and we would need to contact customer service for that. Basically, the airline could care less whether they got us to our intended destination or not and did not even regard the fact that we would lose days of our vacation and our hotel nights. We ended up booking the flight to London because, at that point, that was our only choice. We also had to book a hotel in London because the last Eurostar train to Paris departed London before our flight would land. We then booked four train tickets to Paris for Saturday, May 16. As a result of this cancellation, all four of us lost 2 days of our vacation, not to mention the costs we sustained and the physycal and mental anguish we went through. We incurred significant extra costs which we did not budget for – the Eurostar train to Paris from London, the hotel in London, the change fee for the rooms in Paris, the change fee for our train tickets from Paris to London, which we needed to now move one day later to May 21. All of this could have been avoided if the airline would have been even remotely helpful in providing us with transportation to our intended destination. It could have also been avoided if the airline representatives informed us that the FAA had these regulations which would cancel the flight at a certain time, and there may not be sufficient time to board over 200 people onto the plane in under 10 minutes. It is our understanding that if we booked a flight to Paris, we should have been flown to Paris, not to London and left to make our own transportation arrangements to Paris. We had budgeted for a certain amount for this trip and now have to come up with all of these extra and unanticipated expenses out of our own pockets because of the airline's incompetence, rudeness and unwillingness to accommodate us. I want the airline to reimburse us for the costs we incurred as a result of this cancellation. All of the costs will be provided to the airline representative when requested. We will NOT be flying with American Airlines again, and do not care for their free tickets as compensation. The tickets will not cover the days of vacation we lost, nor the expenses we now have to pay for. I will make sure that I inform anyone asking about my travel experiences with American Airlines of this experience, and recommend that they choose a more professional and reliable carrier for their travels. This incident should never have occurred.

Chris of McKinney, TX June 2, 2009

American Airlines Trip Insurance My mother was diagnosed a few months ago with Glioblastomas a terminal brain cancer the same cancer that Senator Edward Kennedy was diagnosed with, this cancer is terminal. The cancer victim goes through treatment weekly to slow or decrease the rate of the cancer growth, this is to both too extend the patient’s life and give the patient a quality of life.

My mother who is battling this cancer wanted to come and see my new home in Texas, since her diagnosis she has not had the time to come. She spoke to the Doctor and he said she would be fine to travel. So I bought my mother and father tickets to come and visit her son and her grandchildren. I decided to buy her and my father tickets. Because of her condition I thought it would be prudent to purchase travel insurance in the case that she feel too ill to travel. My father purchased the tickets on 4/10 for 5/15. Unfortunately on 4/24 my mother took a turn for the worse and was emitted into a hospital. (We sent proof of this in our claim)

I thought I would follow up on getting a refund for the airfare. Because my father was the person that went online to get the tickets he first looked into getting this refund. He was told that American Airlines uses a third party to handle their travelers insurance. He submitted a claim and was told that he had to fill out a claim form, this in itself a long a tedious process, for a service we paid for, but we understood that this was their policy; we had our doctor fill out the forms of her illness. We were told that this claim was denied because of her cancer was a preexisting illness. I called American Airlines they told me that they could not help me because they do not have “anything to do with the insurance company.” I then called the insurance company Access America 1-800-628-5404 your insurance vendor.

They told me they could do nothing and that they denied the claim. I was also told that any preexisting case they do not cover. The person even went as far as to analogize, the fact that she has high blood pressure and went to a doctor for it in the last four months and if she had a heart attack before her flight she would not be able to be able to make a claim.

This is wrong! I have never been more upset at a situation and how it has been handled. My mother is going to pass but until then she had to live life with cancer, we were being prudent in paying for coverage; we had no idea she would fall ill so quickly, her doctor cleared her to fly. Under these policies of the insurance company anyone with cancer could not be covered, because you are doing weekly and monthly treatments to keep you alive. I am appalled at this and that you use a company that can find a way to deny any claim with small print loop holes. Our family is very much hurting right now for funds because of the enormous weight of the financial pressure of this cancer and I believe, this is not the type of company you are. Since moving to Dallas I have made American Airlines my choice of carriers but I do not know if I can any longer. I work for a larger hotel chain and there have been many times that vendors have not done the right thing or their service did not work and because they represented the hotel, I did the right thing by my customer and guest.

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