FLY AMERICAN AIRLINES.Get jar of Vaseline<<
 

This happened to me this past week! Remember this when making holiday travel plans!!!
AMERICAN AIRLINES from Houston Hobby to Detroit
Cost of ticket: 597.13
Seat Selection HOU to DFW: 25.00
Seat Selection DFW to DET: 25.00
Check Bag Fee: $25.00
Seat Selection DET to DFW: 25.00
Seat Selection DFW to HOU: 25.00
Check Bag fee: $25.00
Additional Bag fee (5lbs overweight): $100.00
Total cost of ticket: 847.13
Big Jar Vaseline: free to AA Advantage members
I am sorry SOUTHWEST. I am returning to you for my weekly business flights.
Is there any wonder most all SOUTHWEST flights are full and AA flights are not!!!
Our corporate travel web site says "support of travel partners" one of which is AA... Wait until they open their e-mail Monday morning and see this!!!

AA system wide load factor is about 83% Southwest about 86% not sure where you get the idea AA flights are not full, especially given how much more comprehensive and complex AA's is.
If you fly weekly as you claim in two months you'd earn Oneworld status on segments so you'd get free seat selection, free bag and upgrades to first class. Yeah, genius idea to fly with Southwest.

I have been on SW flights 5 of the last 7 weeks. Phoenix to Hobby, Albuquerque to Hobby, Harlingen to Hobby, New Orleans to Hobby and every one had been full. AA to Detroit from Hobby was less than half full in both legs of the trip (Hobby to DFW, Dfw to Detroit). Don't give a crap about what load factors say, just what I see. First time in over 2 years on AA (and last). And in the 3 passenger seat area I was in, all agreed, last time AA.

Predatory Practices
 

AA and other who charge $200 "change fee" regardless of the circumstance is a clear cut case of GOUGING. I'm asking people to write their government agencies to look into these practices. Also get your vaseline out when you book online and clearly get screwed by no longer having a live person to handle your reservation. Try to speak to one of the "agents" at the gate and have them smile at you while they screw you out of doubling the ticket price. I checked online and I could have bought another entire ticket for what I paid to "change" my date. It was a clear case of booking issues and I am a regular traveler with AA. I wonder if gate agents are incentivized to screw customers at the gate. They agent nailed me with a 200 change fee plus another 200+ for price difference in fare when I know the ticket didn't change. Predatory to say the least. Very underhanded. AA=AbsoluteAnus