American and United now let you text to chat with an agent
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, airline customers have faced extraordinary wait times when attempting to reach an agent — if they're able to get though to one at all. This month, American and United each made it easier to get help, thanks to new chat tools in the latest versions their mobile apps.
To access AA's chat tool, head to the American app and swipe up to show more options. Click "Contact American" at the bottom of the page, then select the "Chat with us" feature. From there, it took a bit of work for me to actually get through to an agent.
First, I selected the option to change my flight, which simply provided instructions to change my trip myself online or to call a reservations agent on the phone, at AA's 1-800 number. Next, I chose the option for "Check in help," which resulted in a message prompting me to, again, call American for help. Finally, I selected "Bags," and after choosing "Something else" twice, I was added to the queue, where Mimi answered my chat in about two minutes.
To reach United's chat tool, open up the app then tap the three parallel lines in the top left corner. On the next page, select "Contact us" and then the "Message us" option. As the app notes, agents are available between the hours of 9 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. ET.
I followed the same flow as I did with AA, first selecting the option for "Reservations," followed by "Change my trip." From there, the app presented an option to chat with an agent, which I selected. I was connected with Rex in about three minutes.
Flying another airline? Delta has offered messaging since last June, when it launched a chat tool via Apple's Messages app, which is available at the bottom of the "More" tab in the Fly Delta app. I wasn't able to reach an agent quickly there, though, as many have experienced when attempting to contact the carrier's call centers as well. Otherwise, be sure to check out our detailed guide for the best option to reach an agent at your airline.
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Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
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Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month