Reader Experience: Lessons Learned from a Misbooked Avios/American Award
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.
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.
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?
[card card-name='The Platinum Card® from American Express' card-id='22504813' type='javascript' bullet-id='1']
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | 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. |
| 4X | 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. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
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 $8,000 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.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.