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Reader Experience: Lessons Learned from a Misbooked Avios/American Award

July 25, 2013
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3 min read
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Reader Experience: Lessons Learned from a Misbooked Avios/American Award
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TPG reader Eric wrote to me this week about a very frustrating experience he just had with British Airways and American Airlines.

As a background, Eric's sister was visiting him in Miami and he had purchased her an award ticket home on American Airlines using 7,500 Avios. Once she arrived at the airport, however, American told her that there was no record of her flight and the only way she could fly that night is if she paid $400 for another ticket. Even though she showed the representative her confirmation from British Airways, they said they could not help her and weren't budging.

Be aware the Executive Club closes at 8pm ET.
Be aware the Executive Club closes at 8pm ET.

Eric tried getting in touch with British Airways, but was directed to the Executive Club since it was award ticket. Since it was just after 8pm, the Executive Club line was closed until the morning so Eric and his sister were left with no other option than to just return home for the night and figure it out from there since there was no way they were going to pay over $400 for the same ticket.

The next morning Eric took up the issue with the Executive Club and calmly explained the situation. They responded telling him that there should have been a ticket number from American on the confirmation and since there wasn't it was the fault of Eric. After pushing back on that and showing that he's never had the ticket number on his BA confirmation in the past, the representative agreed to help Eric, though there was only one flight with one seat left which was First Class for 22,500 miles. Finally, after refusing to the redeem the extra miles and requesting to get a supervisor involved, the representative caved and booked Eric's sister in the First Class seat for no additional miles.

Although I frequently book award tickets through British Airways and have never had an experience like Eric's, there are three important things we should take away from this:

1. If you book with a flight using Avios on an airline other than British Airways, call the BA Executive Club line at 800-452-1201 to make sure you have been ticketed and ask for your ticket number and a confirmation number with the other airline. Other TPG readers also suggest that once you make your reservation, you should be sure to upload it to your account on AA.com and send yourself an e-ticket ticket as well as picking your seats on AA.com. Once you have an AA confirmation number, ticket and seat assignment, you should have no issues like this.

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2. Should you ever be in the same situation in which my Eric's sister found herself, make sure you call the Executive Club line and be empowered by the knowledge that they are aware of their own system glitch. Don't let them tell you that YOU did something wrong.

3. Phone agents CAN help you in this situation. Do not shell out any additional Avios points if you miss a flight due to this glitch.

I had a similar situation last year with United and Swiss that is still unresolved after numerous attempts to contact United. Bottom line: always make sure that you have a ticket number and you can pull the reservations up online, especially when booking partner airlines with frequent flyer miles.

Has anyone else had a similar situation?

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  • Intro Offer

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  • Annual Fee

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  • Recommended Credit

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.