Oh My dear!!!! American Airlines you really let me down this week in so many different ways. We started off our trip where we were not allowed to go into the Admirals Club. We have the Executive credit card which is supposed to allow us entry into the Admirals Club. We have been allowed access before with my card but on this particular day the lady at the counter said my computer says I can’t let you and your two kids in because you are not the primary on the card. WHICH IS RIDICULOUS!! We spend a lot of money it shouldn’t matter who is the primary plus they usually let us in!!!!!. My kids left the with their feelings hurt.
Then when we were boarding our plane and they called for Executive/priority/status to get on the plane, the attendant taking tickets told me that I wasn’t supposed to get on yet. I told her I have the executive card and she said well you can get on with group one not this group. Well when they call group one they never say Executive can get on with group one so I’ve always gone when they call executive or priority. It’s supposed to be another perk of the credit card.
On the way home now that was the real series of unfortunate events. There was a delay on our flight which I travel a lot and understand that is normal. I guess there was a warning light on the plane but they let us all get on the plane anyway. We are sitting on the plane and we start watching TV on the TV in front of us. We get through one whole show and the captain comes on and says we are waiting on maintenance to show up to check out our plane. Ok no biggie, until 15 minutes later he comes on again and says this plane can not be used they have to find us another plane. Ok, well that takes about two hours for them to find another plane. We get on the plane and watch another entire show. That’s when I realize there is something else wrong. Someone spilt gasoline on the tarmac and it would take more than 15 minutes to clean up and our copilot had to be in the air within 15 minutes or he can’t work. So we had to find a new co-pilot. We sat on the plane a while longer and finally they said we can’t find anyone you guys will be spending the night in a hotel. We were supposed to fly out at 7:50 it was now midnight.
I was sure we were going to be flying so while I was on the plane I gave my son and daughter a melatonin. Miles passed out it was almost impossible to get him off the plane. When I did, I just told him to go sit down in a seat with his sister so I could wait in line. He laid down on the floor and passed out. They had one person waiting on over a plane full of people and in front of us was probably the last of another canceled flight. It took at least 30 minutes before they got another person helping us with hotel assignments. When I finally got my hotel assignment, I found out it was a hotel that was really far away. Not only that it was a disgusting hotel. It was a casino, full of smoke, even my room was smoky. The kids didn’t feel safe, I didn’t feel safe but did everything I could to make them feel safe. Oh and I should mention by this time it was 2:00 AM. And we had to get up at 6:30 to catch our shuttle back to the airport. I was not happy.
On the way to the hotel I talked to the other people in our same situation and everyone was really upset with the way American handled the situation. Some people got flight vouchers, I did not. I was told that vouchers would be mailed out to me. Which in all honestly I do not believe. We have been advantage members my kids included for years. I used to enjoy flying on American but over the last two years service has gone down and down. I slept all day yesterday instead of getting on the phone with American I do plan on calling them today to see if they really do plan on mailing us vouchers. My kids were so tired last night they went to sleep at five and no one asked for dinner.
One person I spoke to was forced to give his bag on the first airplane we bordered because the overhead baggage was full and they wouldn’t let him get the stuff he needed/wanted for the flight. Which was wrong since we sat on that plane for over 45 minutes. SO when we were told we were staying in a hotel he asked for his bag back and they said it would take six hours to find his bag. No one was patient with us. No one went above and offered anything other than hotel, and food. Only those that complained a great deal got something on the spot. I was told we will mail you vouchers which didn’t make any sense when others received them on the spot.
I’m very upset over how the situation was handled and that it took four hours to decide to cancel a flight. That there was only 1 person helping so many people. That I wasn’t offered any compensation and that I have to call for it. No one was kind until the flight home. And you put us in a hotel very far away from the airport and it was a casino, not ok for children and full of smoke. I left there smelling like smoke and feeling awful as did my children. My whole family is really unsure about ever using American again.
Leave a Reply