American Airlines...Never Again!

This is a letter of complaint that I wrote to American Airlines. This was one of many dark clouds over our trip to the USA this time.

Re:
December 22, 2005
NRT → ORD Flight 154
ORD → GRB Flight 4367
January 2, 2006
DEN → LAX Flight 1469
LAX → NRT Flight 169

A few years ago, we made the decision to be loyal to American Airlines. One reason was obviously to build up mileage, but other reasons related to the customer service and airplane accommodations that I felt surpassed other airlines, which we had experienced. Unfortunately, our feelings have changed drastically due to the experience my husband and I had during our last trip to the USA.

On December 22, 2005, we traveled from Japan (NRT) to Ohare Airport and then on to Green Bay, Wisconsin. We had purchased our E-tickets back in September, and had even chosen our seating assignments via the Internet. We had a short layover at Ohare, and we felt worried that we would not make it to our next plane, but after going through immigration & customs, the re-booking agent assured us that we could make it if we hurried. She took our luggage to be rechecked in, and we were on our way.

Fortunately for us, the flight to Green Bay had been delayed by about thirty minutes, and we made it to the gate with plenty of time to spare. We boarded the plane with our boarding passes in hand, and a couple of hours later, we arrived at the airport in Green Bay, claimed our luggage at the carousel and were on our merry way.

Little did we know that American Airlines proceeded to cancel our return tickets, so that when we showed up at the Denver International Airport on January 2, 2006, we would be told that there were no reserved tickets under our names.

Why?
Because there was no record that we boarded that plane from Ohare Aiport to Green Bay on December 22.

Why?
Because the ticketing agent had booked us onto a different flight without issuing new boarding passes and without communicating this to us.

Why?
Because when a passenger does not show up for a flight, the policy of the airline is to cancel the remaining reservations for their trip.

The agent in Denver was nice enough to call Ohare or Green Bay and find out what happened from the perspective of American Airlines. She was also nice enough to admit that it was the fault of American Airlines. She explained that when it is the fault of the airline, they HAVE to accommodate the customer.

So, how were we accommodated? Let me paint a picture for you.
We were assigned seats on our original flight from Denver to LAX. Of course, these were not the seats we had originally reserved, but hey, at least we got seats. These new seats were in the very last row, the tail of the plane, the most uncomfortable seats EVER, and there was no window. It was nice that the captain pointed out the wonderful views of the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, etc. over the PA System, but we couldn’t see a thing! And, if you have ever sat in the tail without a window to bring you back to reality, you would understand how it what it feels like to be “landing” for two hours straight.

I was nervous (not to mention nauseous) during this flight because we had been told that we had no seating assignments for our flight from LAX to Narita. In place of “boarding pass”, the words “priority verification” were typed on our pass, and according to the agent in Denver, they would be asking for volunteers to give up their seats so that we would be able to get on that flight from LAX to Narita.

By the time we deplaned at LAX, our flight to Narita was already in the process of boarding. We hurried to the gate so that we could check in with the agents there. With no explanation, they told us to wait for our names to be called. There were others standing around who were also waiting for their names to be called. Knowing that our original seats had been taken, we could only hope for the best, and we braced ourselves for the long ride to Narita.

Our names were called, and we were assigned seats in the middle section of the plane. My seat was exactly in the middle, two people on either side of me. My husband was next to me. At the time, I felt relieved to be able to get on the flight. I just wanted to get home, but my husband proposed that we complain and try to get upgraded. I could see how busy and overwhelmed the agents and flight attendants at the gate were (it’s a busy time of year!), and I didn’t want to add to their stress.

I really regretted my decision when we boarded the plane though. When I realized that my seat was in the middle (NO ONE would choose a seat like this on their own volition!), I regretted not complaining, but then I felt it was too late. Oh, I saw how full business class was when I walked past, and I knew there was no hope for us anymore.

I regretted getting on that plane in the first place. Here is why:

• It was the most uncomfortable flight I have ever been on.
• I was hard pressed to get any service. Flight attendants who served food/drinks skipped over me, possibly thinking that I would get served on the other side, or that I had already been served. In plain English, I was blatantly ignored most of the time!
• I could not get up to go to the lavatory or stretch out without wreaking havoc for the two strangers on either side of me.


So, I have some questions for your airline.
• Why would someone’s entire flight be cancelled without notice if that person does not show up for one leg of his/her flight?
• Why do flight attendants and agents at the gate run every person’s boarding pass through a machine before they board the plane? Is it to check that everyone is boarded? Is it so that checked luggage can be cross-checked with the passengers who have actually boarded the plane? If so, then why would there be any confusion over which flight my husband and I had taken from Ohare to Green Bay on December 22nd?
• Why would flights be so overbooked that when computer mistakes like this one are made, the customers can only be accommodated by putting them through hell?
• Why would a complete stranger (not even related to the events at hand) be compensated if they volunteer to give up their seats through the use of $600 travel vouchers, hotel stays and food vouchers, so that the affected customer can go through 10 hours of hell?
• Why are flight attendants so commonly rude and unfeeling when it comes to customer-relations? (I have had bad experiences on flights, including this one, so this is more of a general complaint.)
• Why would flight attendants feel that it is okay to blatantly ignore customers who are sitting in the middle seat of the middle row of a 777?

I sincerely doubt that my husband and I are the only people who have gone through such an experience with American Airlines. I am not writing this letter in order to get a handout. In other words, I don’t want an upgrade the next time I fly; I don’t want more miles added to my account, food vouchers or hotel stays. What I want is simple: better service and a more sincere commitment to the customers.

In the meantime, I am going to let everyone, including my large network of foreign friends and colleagues in Japan, know about my experience with American Airlines. Then, I am going to encourage everyone to start shopping for an airline that offers better service. Finally, I am going to wait for a sincere reply from your company along with some proof that services will and are improving.

In closing, I would like to say that I did have one rather pleasant experience on a flight I took in 2004. After that, I told a few people about it. However, as a general rule of life, “When something good happens, we tell our friends. When something bad happens, we tell anyone who will listen.”