What to Do if You Can't Get Through the AA Elite Phone Lines

Update 7/5/2018: American Airlines has confirmed that the "tech glitch" that was improperly routing callers has now been fixed.

We are getting multiple reports from TPG readers this weekend of an issue with American Airlines' phone system. When some AAdvantage elite members are calling their elite help desk phone number, they're being told that AAdvantage Customer Service is "closed at this time." The message directs members to call back "during business hours" before the call is disconnected.

I conference-called with an Executive Platinum member who's experiencing this issue. In his particular case, his cell phone number isn't listed in his AAdvantage profile. So, when he calls the American Airlines Executive Platinum desk, he's prompted to state his AAdvantage number. Once he does, the phone system directs his call to the AAdvantage Customer Service desk instead of the Executive Platinum desk.

While the Executive Platinum desk is manned 24/7, the AAdvantage Customer Service line is only open from Monday-Friday from 8am-7pm Central Time. That's why he's getting this message about the office being closed.

Two other elites in a Facebook group dedicated to Executive Platinum members are reporting the same issue when calling the AAdvantage Executive Platinum phone number. But, the issue isn't just limited to Executive Platinum elites. We are hearing about the same issue from an AAdvantage Gold elite who is calling the dedicated AAdvantage Gold help desk line.

I have been working with American Airlines to get more information. So far, AA has been unable to reproduce the error but is working with its technical support team to address the issue.

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The Workaround

In the meantime, AA is suggesting that elite members ensure that their phone number is listed in their AAdvantage account. That way, the system should automatically recognize your phone number and direct you to the Executive Platinum desk.

If you're still having an issue, make sure that the phone number you're calling from is only listed in one AAdvantage account. For example, it's probably not best to list your work phone number in your account, as others may have listed the same number. Instead, list your cell phone number and call from that number.

If you continue to get this error, I'd recommend calling the general reservations line (800-433-7300) and then not providing your AAdvantage account number when prompted. Unfortunately, you'll likely have to wait longer to reach an agent than if you called the elite help desk. But, once you verify status with the first agent, you should be transferred to your elite help desk for further assistance.