Prove Me Wrong: American Airlines is the worst domestic airline

[DaysOff 7,821]

They clearly want to emerge a much smaller airline on the backside of this.

[bigup2dahorns 3,343]

They sent me an email today to extend my Platinum status until Jan 2022. So I have that going for me.

[DallasGatr 216]

Anecdotal but somewhat the norm for me. Since AA went to the no service under 2200 miles rule I’ve still received unlimited Woodford from 2 of my 3 FA’s. The 2 older came thru, the young surly bitch told me not only no but hell no.

[Shaddie 1,634]

24 minutes ago, DallasGatr said:

Anecdotal but somewhat the norm for me. Since AA went to the no service under 2200 miles rule I’ve still received unlimited Woodford from 2 of my 3 FA’s. The 2 older came thru, the young surly bitch told me not only no but hell no.

Did my 1st covid flight today. Was a little pissed as I got upgrade as soon as I booked on Friday. Saturday looked and another person was upgraded and put into seat next to me on 319 (8 1st class seats with row 1 being blocked.) Ok no big deal, moved aNd Sunday checked again and another was upgraded into seat next to me again. Downgraded my self to coach today. Was asked 2 times if I wanted anything on a no service coach flight. 8 people on flight. 1st world problems. 

[Gil Bang 25,864]

2 hours ago, BrazilHorn said:

Just saw where a large number of AA FAs have opted for early retirement. 
Perhaps if/when air travel returns AA will replace these old bitter FAs with some that don’t actively hate their passengers. 

Nope.  It was in the hundreds. Maybe that's "large" to you, but don't they have 35,000 FAs?

However, several thousand took an unpaid leave, as long as a year.  They get to keep their medical and flight benefits while on leave. 

[Your Mom 4,789]

2 hours ago, DaysOff said:

They clearly want to emerge a much smaller airline on the backside of this.

I'm a big fan of FAs smaller on the backside.

[BrazilHorn 6,576]

25 minutes ago, Gil Bang said:

Nope.  It was in the hundreds. Maybe that's "large" to you, but don't they have 35,000 FAs?

However, several thousand took an unpaid leave, as long as a year.  They get to keep their medical and flight benefits while on leave. 

hundreds seem like quite a few to me, admittedly off a large base, but still a good amount.

[Blotto 23,418]

2 hours ago, Dr. Beeper said:

There young ones treat customers with disdain too. It’s ingrained in their culture. 

It really is amazing the difference between AA vs SWA or Jet Blue when it comes to general cuntiness of the gate agents, FAs etc... I'm actually a big fan of Jet Blue when I can fly them, which sadly isn't that all that often out of Austin when looking for direct flights.

[Gil Bang 25,864]

47 minutes ago, BrazilHorn said:

hundreds seem like quite a few to me, admittedly off a large base, but still a good amount.

Fair enough.  I assumed that you had confused the 7000 or so taking a LOA vs the 500 or so that retired. 

[bigup2dahorns 3,343]

[bigup2dahorns 3,343]

[Telegraph_it 3,353]

Damn. I don’t think I’ll fly on a 757 again. I’m sure united will retire theirs soon too. 

[G650 13,989]

16 hours ago, bigup2dahorns said:

 

Wow. That's the end of an era for sure. I've done literally millions of miles on those except the 330.

[Telegraph_it 3,353]

757 is the best airplane. 

[Native Horn 3,484]

15 hours ago, bigup2dahorns said:

 

OK everybody, you only have 10 days to acquire a face mask.  Ready, GO!

[Your Mom 4,789]

That's not just AA.  Delta, United, Frontier, Jetblue and Alaska all have similar policies now.  

[bigup2dahorns 3,343]

OK everybody, you only have 10 days to acquire a face mask.  Ready, GO!

In that press release:


American will begin the process of distributing sanitizing wipes and face coverings to customers. This offering will expand to all flights as supplies and operational conditions allow.

"The American Airlines team continues to prioritize the safety of our customers and team members, and requiring a face covering is one more way we can protect those on our aircraft,” said Kurt Stache, Senior Vice President of Customer Experience. “We ask customers to bring their own masks or face coverings they’re comfortable with when they travel. American is working to procure face masks and hand sanitizer as a supplement."

[Your Mom 4,789]

1 hour ago, Your Mom said:

That's not just AA.  Delta, United, Frontier, Jetblue and Alaska all have similar policies now.  

SWA as well now.  Masks required for passengers beginning May 11.  

[RPM 26,185]

Masks required, but they still gonna pack you in like sardines.

[gecko 1,104]

I'm currently holding an IAH-AMS reservation (via ORD, that sucks) for late August on UA.  The aisle seats are blocked even in Polaris class.

[Your Mom 4,789]

48 minutes ago, RPM said:

Masks required, but they still gonna pack you in like sardines.

I think Delta has already stopped selling middle seats. SWA is limiting seats sold, so as to not have anyone need to sit in a middle seat. Not sure who else has followed suit on that. I can tell you that its a moot point right now. Average load factor is below 20% right now. 

[Telegraph_it 3,353]

Airlines will now be removing all beverages and food because masks. 

[stone oak 639]

4 minutes ago, Telegraph_it said:

Airlines will now be removing all beverages and food because masks. 

Was just thinking this, say goodbye to these "perks" forever now.

[Revolution512 1,479]

Sweet, BYOB!

[Telegraph_it 3,353]

 

[4th and 5 4,910]

4 hours ago, gecko said:

I'm currently holding an IAH-AMS reservation (via ORD, that sucks) for late August on UA.  The aisle seats are blocked even in Polaris class.

bring back some space cakes please

[BevoSwag 272]

Pack your own lunch but bring your own face mask?  I have no sympathy for any airline.  They loved packing us in when times were good and now they have a perfect excuse to let the FA's sit on their asses for the duration of the flight.  Greyhound in the sky.

[Shaddie 1,634]

6 minutes ago, BevoSwag said:

Greyhound in the sky.

So no change for SWA?

[Prepuce of Doom 20,969]

If even half of the shit in this article turns out to be true, air travel is going to become an absolute fucking beating. 

https://www.axios.com/future-air-travel-coronavirus-bcee181c-1d3a-4305-992d-053d5c80a909.html

And I'm going to shit in every lavatory sink if those motherfuckers ever get rid of the Biscoff cookies. 

Edited May 2, 2020 by Prepuce of Doom

[RPM 26,185]

Adios Avianca

 

Edited May 11, 2020 by RPM

[TonyTexas 10,478]

United doing its part to prolong the pandemic 

[RPM 26,185]

On 5/1/2020 at 1:37 PM, Your Mom said:

I think Delta has already stopped selling middle seats. SWA is limiting seats sold, so as to not have anyone need to sit in a middle seat. Not sure who else has followed suit on that. I can tell you that its a moot point right now. Average load factor is below 20% right now. 

You were saying?

1 hour ago, TonyTexas said:

United doing its part to prolong the pandemic 

 

[Your Mom 4,789]

16 minutes ago, RPM said:

You were saying?

 

I was saying Delta and SWA are underselling to avoid filling middle seats and that I didn’t know who else was following suit.  

[HRSchenker 2,257]

3 hours ago, TonyTexas said:

United doing its part to prolong the pandemic 

Isn't the air being circulated in the cabin anyway? What good does it do if there's no middle seat while the entire plane shares the same air?

[XYZ 2,154]

21 minutes ago, HRSchenker said:

Isn't the air being circulated in the cabin anyway? What good does it do if there's no middle seat while the entire plane shares the same air?

Air conditioning systems in airplanes don’t recirculate air.

[Bobby_Batronic 1,994]

1 hour ago, XYZ said:

Air conditioning systems in airplanes don’t recirculate air.

They do, but the entire cabin is exchanged every 2-3 minutes, and the recirculated air helps with keeping enough humidity in the cabin. The HEPA filters installed supposedly kill 99.9% of everything that passes through them. 

Honestly, it’s likely the cleanest air you’ll breathe in your lifetime when you consider that most of it comes from the upper atmosphere above most pollution.

My question is what is the point of empty middle seats when someone  is sitting 20 some odd inches in front of and behind you?  

 

Edited May 12, 2020 by Bobby_Batronic

[Guest Lobo]

I only sit outboard during pandemics so I can roll the window down and get fresh air after removing my mask at cruising altitude.  

Seriously though, i cannot fucking believe how many people are still flying like that.  I largely trust the air/hepa system, it's the rest of the filth involved with flying I do not understand right now.  God bless y'all while you do it.  I'm sure I'll have to get back to my rigorous schedule of 100,000 mile/year, but I haven't gotten within a mile of an airport in 3 months and haven't missed it at all.  I've already lose several tens of thousands of miles in rewards and couldn't give a flying fuck. 

 

[bigup2dahorns 3,343]

(Reuters) - The top three U.S. airlines have told their flight attendants not to force passengers to comply with their new policy requiring face coverings, just encourage them to do so, according to employee policies reviewed by Reuters.

American Airlines Group Inc (AAL.O), Delta Air Lines Inc (DAL.N) and United Airlines Holdings Inc (UAL.O) have told employees that they may deny boarding at the gate to anyone not wearing a face covering, and are providing masks to passengers who do not have them, the three carriers told Reuters.

Inside the plane, enforcement becomes more difficult.

Once on board and off the gate, the face covering policy becomes more lenient. The flight attendant's role is informational, not enforcement, with respect to the face covering policy," American told its pilots in a message seen by Reuters explaining its policy, which went into effect on Monday.

"Bottom line to the pilots: a passenger on board your aircraft who is being compliant with the exception of wearing a face covering is NOT considered disruptive enough to trigger a Threat Level 1 response," referring to some kind of intentional disruption by a passenger that could cause the captain to divert the flight.

American spokesman Joshua Freed said: "American, like other U.S. airlines, requires customers to wear a face covering while on board, and this requirement is enforced at the gate while boarding. We also remind customers with announcements both during boarding and at departure."

A United spokeswoman also said that any non-compliance by travelers would be addressed at the gate and that flight attendants had been counseled to use their "de-escalation skills" on the aircraft and to reseat any passengers as needed.

Delta said it had a similar policy.

All three airlines offer certain exemptions for young children or people with medical conditions or disabilities, and when people are eating or drinking.

"If the customer chooses not to comply for other reasons, please encourage them to comply, but do not escalate further," American told flight attendants in a message on Friday that it provided to Reuters.

"Likewise, if a customer is frustrated by another customer’s lack of face covering, please use situational awareness to de-escalate the situation," it said.

U.S. travel demand has fallen by about 94% in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, prompting carriers to slash their flying schedules to roughly 30% of normal this month. With fewer planes in the skies, some are flying near capacity.

Global airlines body IATA came out last week in favor of passengers wearing masks onboard, as debate intensifies in the United States on the role that government agencies should play in mandating new safety measures for flying before a vaccine is developed.

While major U.S. airlines have individually mandated facial coverings, the Federal Aviation Administration has declined to implement the requirement, and it is not clear if the agency has the authority to compel passengers to wear face masks.

In a statement on Tuesday, the FAA said it would continue to engage in discussions about protecting the health and safety of flight crews and the traveling public and was "lending aviation expertise to federal public health agencies and airlines as they issue guidance for crew members, including health monitoring, screening protocols and aircraft cleaning."

Several airline union groups have called for a federal mandate on measures including masks, social distancing and cleaning.

"Airlines are implementing policies on the fly with essentially no coordination or direction from the federal government," said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, representing nearly 50,000 flight attendants at 19 airlines.

"We need federal requirements that mitigate risk during this pandemic and put the safety of crews and the traveling public first."

[Updawg 2,260]

I just assumed the United Cunts just want their passengers to die hoping they won’t have to deal with them. It’s pretty much how they operate in non pandemic times

[Your Mom 4,789]

It's impossible to enforce since some people are exempt from it for certain medical reasons like asthma or some other ailment that makes it hard to breathe.  You can't make people prove they have those ailments, so you can't enforce the masks. 

[OU Sucks 8,744]

I'll put my vote in for United. Had a flight booked for June and UAL cancelled it.  I tried to file for a refund through their site, and the site would only let me request a refund for my seat upgrades.  I manually added my base ticket to the request, only for UAL to reject all three claims about 9 days later, saying I purchased a non-refundable fare.  Eventually got my money back after disputing the charge, with a screenshot of the DOT rules, stating that a refund has to be given when the airline cancels the flight, including non-refundable fares.  They've done it to lots of people...basically telling lies and basically hoping for people to give up and take the credit.

Edited May 12, 2020 by OU Sucks

[Pescado_Rojo 19,327]

Friend of mine flew from DFW to CLT and back last week on AA. He said there were at least 100 people on both flights. People in middle seats, about 40% mask usage,  half the plane hacking and sneezing. He says he's 99% sure he's going to get the Covid after that. 

[Guest Lobo]

Damn straight, masks is for queers!  Dallas was a beacon of manners and etiquette once upon a time, now it's the home of "take your middle seat, take off your mask, and shut the hell up!"  What a glorious chapter in Texas air travel.  

[Telegraph_it 3,353]

Im furked. 
 

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[Beantown Express 2.0 6,531]

I was curious to get opinions from the Surl on my situation with American Airlines.  I had a business trip scheduled for Prague in April.  I decided to take my wife (I know first mistake) so I bought her a ticket for about $4K.   In March the conference was canceled due to Covid 19 so I called back in March and American said they wouldn't refund the money but instead gave me a voucher that had to be used by the end of the year and all the money could only be used on my wife in the future. Now in May I realize travel may not be possible for the rest of the year so last week I emailed American asking for a refund and they just responded that the flight was non refundable and you have a voucher.   My question is would it be wrong to call my credit card company and explain the situation and see if they will reverse the charges?  Not sure the credit card company would even do this.  I am so glad American took all that bail out money yet won't refund money to customers like me even though I am a million miler with them and Executive Platinum every year for a decade or more now.  

[gecko 1,104]

Beantown, I'd call the exec platinum line and speak with a rep.  I assume you can get through more easily than the poors.  I'd expect you won't be successful but you could then ask who you should speak to to escalate your request.  I've had success with this strategy in the past (not with AA but just in general).  Keep asking to speak to the next level of authority up from the person who couldn't help you.  I never get mad, I just keep escalating.  Maybe at a minimum you can at least get a more general voucher, not in your wife's name.

[kevwun 15,594]

Some of the airlines have extended the deadline for using the vouchers through 2021 or even 2022.  That is probably your best bet with American.  They straight up don't give a fuck.

[Beantown Express 2.0 6,531]

58 minutes ago, gecko said:

Beantown, I'd call the exec platinum line and speak with a rep.  I assume you can get through more easily than the poors.  I'd expect you won't be successful but you could then ask who you should speak to to escalate your request.  I've had success with this strategy in the past (not with AA but just in general).  Keep asking to speak to the next level of authority up from the person who couldn't help you.  I never get mad, I just keep escalating.  Maybe at a minimum you can at least get a more general voucher, not in your wife's name.

I started with the Exec Platinum desk and they told me to fill out the form online and submit it.  I am still tempted to just call my credit card company and tell them to reverse the charges and see if that works.

[Beantown Express 2.0 6,531]

15 minutes ago, kevwun said:

Some of the airlines have extended the deadline for using the vouchers through 2021 or even 2022.  That is probably your best bet with American.  They straight up don't give a fuck.

You got the "don't give a fuck" part right.  Can't speak for all airlines but the customer service side of American Airlines and their overall attitude towards their customers would cause them to fail if they were a restaurant or any other business in the service industry.  As an airline they have a monopoly at least on the Dallas market so they treat their customers like shit and no they can get away with it.  

[Telegraph_it 3,353]

Boeing CEO seems to think one major airline is going out of business in the fall. The most likely airline, if this prediction holds true, would be AA. I'd work to get that refund. Voucher may not be worth anything soon enough.