AirlineComplaints.org - Customer Service Charged for Preferred Access BUT Did Not Offer It

On May 11, 2015, I was traveling on American Airlines' US Air division from Tennessee to Florida with a plane change in Charlotte, North Carolina. At the Nashville airport, I was offered the opportunity to purchase Preferred Access for the entire trip (both flights) for $20. Since I was traveling with a carry-on containing important papers and I didn't want to run the risk of having to check it if the overhead bin space ran out, I made the purchase. Both boarding passes clearly stated Preferred Access under my frequent flyer number. On the flight from Nashville to Charlotte, Preferred Access was called after first class when the preferred Citi Credit Card passengers were called. However, in Charlotte, the gate agent never called Preferred Access and after the first class and premium credit card passengers were called, since the flight was running late, she simply called Zones 1 and 2 and there was a rush to the gate from all directions. As I handed her my boarding document, I mentioned that Preferred Access was never called and she didn't know what it was.

I emailed American Airlines customer relations and recounted my experience and requested that since I paid $20 for Preferred Access for two flights and it was not offered on one of the flights, I would like a refund of $10. On May 15, I received a response from Dalila Reade stating they could not offer a refund. She concluded her email by stating "Please use it to fly with us again soon" however there was nothing attached and this seemed to be a fragment from a form letter inserted by mistake.

I again emailed American Airlines customer relations and politely requested a reconsideration of my request since they charged me for a service they did not provide. On May 28 I received a response from Robert Vaseg in which he provided a thorough explanation of what Preferred Access is and even provided an example that if one was traveling from Los Angeles to Philadelphia with a change of planes in Charlotte, then the one fee paid in Los Angeles would cover both flights. Apparently, he had not read my email which was simply stating I did pay one fee and they did not offer Preferred Access on my second flight, so I should receive a partial refund. He concluded his email by writing, "we have a responsibility to decline compensation requests when we feel it is not appropriate."

I next wrote an old-fashioned letter to American Airlines CEO Doug Parker and included copies of the previous email correspondence. On June 10 I received a phone call from Siegfried Leal stating they regretted my situation but could not offer a refund. He again began explaining Preferred Access and seemed taken aback when I asked why he was calling if it was simply to say they could not offer a $10 refund for a service they sold and did not provide. He then sent an email explaining Preferred Access and using the same Los Angeles/Charlotte/Philadelphia example used in the previous email I had received.

On June 18, I phoned my bank to dispute $10 of the $20 charge since the service was never provided. My bank said that to dispute a charge with American's bank would be very difficult as the transaction did not involve merchandise, however, since I had been such a loyal customer of the bank for so many years, they were more than happy to give me a $10 courtesy credit as I was clearly due something. I took it and urged them to try and collect it from American Airlines if at all possible. This may seem very petty over $10; however, I do not appreciate being sold a service not provided nor do I choose to make a $10 contribution to American Airlines. All they needed to do was either refund my $10, provide me with a $10 voucher for future travel, provide me with a voucher for complimentary Preferred Access on my next trip or provide me with some AAdvantage miles.