hi all! my roommate was meant to be taking an american airlines flight today from london heathrow but was refused entry as they threw up at the gate as they have gastroparesis (partially paralysed stomach). they were told to go to the help desks but there was no one at the desks, they tried british airways too as they were the company the flight was booked through, however they were told there was nothing they could do. they left the airport and have now been calling both airlines and they've just been bouncing them back and forth and saying unless the airport has a sick note there's nothing they can do. does anyone have any advice? they were seen to by first aid but are unsure if any documentation was taken of their visit.

All major hubs. Well, JFK sort of.

I want to defend PHL, but the cleanliness and baggage claim are terrible.

Somehow, LAX and CLT haven't made the list.

https://crankyflier.com/2026/10/15/the-a330-is-the-perfect-atlantic-airplane-and-more-fleet-tales-with-americans-cco/?utm_source_platform=mailpoet

Hi! Mom and I are flying tomorrow. It's our first time using AA (we come from Europe and now have a domestic US flight). We got assigned different boarding groups. I got 6 and she got 8. We sit together, I booked for us both at the same time.

The issue is that my mom speaks basically no English and gets very anxious easily. So I wouldn't want to leave her behind alone and potentially have to manage gate-checking bags alone either.

How likely is it that they let her board with me in group 6? Is it worth asking? Or should I go in group 8 with her instead? As I've understood it's very likely that we already have to check the carry-ons anyway even in group 6.

Thanks in advance to everyone! This whole strict boarding groups topic is very new to me as a frequent European flyer.

Hi all!

I recently applied for and received the AA Advantage card. They were offering 80K mile bonus if spending $3500 in the first 3 months.

I opened the card specifically for the miles—I am planning a trip to Disneyland in February/early March.

I made sure to spend the $3500 (we had big purchases we needed to make anyway) prior to the first statement closing date and all of my purchases posted except for one that left me $160 short of meeting bonus before the statement close.

From what I’ve read, most people get their bonus points after the statement closing in which they made bonus. Obviously, I was super disappointed that the one transaction didn’t post (and actually to this day is still pending, which is nuts!!).

All this to say, I had found flights that would be 20K round trip per person to LAX at the time we planned to go. How likely is it that these flights (4) will still be available at that price point at the end of next month?? I am super bummed. Looking for hope that I can still make it work and surprise my son and daughter with some magic at Disney! I’ve never flown with points so looking to see what is average or “normal.” Thanks!

This is a first for me. Boarding time arrives, they allow off-duty crew to board. Then nothing. After about ten mins, GA makes an announcement "we're going to be delayed as we need to get a new plane due to a maintenance issue" and the attached shows up in the app. The off-duty crew that boarded is still on the plane. I'm watching the baggage handlers continue loading bags on the plane, and catering continue loading carts on.

Did those folks not get the notice? Or are they not actually getting a new plane?

Oh the joys of AA and ORD...

I've been keeping my ear to the ground regarding a paid upgrade from Premium Economy to Flagship for a trip from ORD to LHR next week. A couple of days ago I saw the lowest upgrade purchase offer I'd seen yet, about $1350 per ticket one way. I didn't take it as my line is sub-$1000 and I'm happy to wait until last minute and buy at lounge (which some people here have suggested is the way) and also fine sticking with PE if we need to. But starting yesterday, not only did paid upgrade offers disappear, I can't even buy a first class one way ticket. This despite the fact that it shows 5 seats still remaining on the seating chart. Any thoughts on this? Does AA save some number (5 or 6) seats for non-rev or for last minute flexibility? TIA!

What would you do? A red eye at 945pm or 1035 pm from San Diego to Charlotte Sunday night or 7am on Monday. I don’t have to work monday as of right now but i’m thinking for a 7am flight i still have to get up pretty early so i’m debating here

I don’t fly AA a ton but I have a big trip coming up, and reason to fly them more in the next couple years, so I’m curious about what this trip is going to rack up in miles. typically with the other airlines I feel I can find this info somewhere, but I can’t seem to find it anywhere on either the AA app or website. is this correct? or am I just missing it somewhere?

Just buy Visa gift cards??? Is this the strat??

I’m having issues logging into my AA app on my phone. System says my AA number is needed and will be sent to email. It never arrives. I need to check-in in the morning. I’m a nervous flyer anyway and want my boarding pass on the app. I called the customer service number over 2 hours ago and was promised a call-back… in 90 minutes. Am I being impatient and anxious for no reason?

I’m AA Platinum and saw a promo match to be executive pro for four months.
I would like to do it but I also want to do a status match with Delta start of next year.
I’m wondering if moving from platinum to executive pro might remove my ability to do the delta status match later? I’m Delta Platinum. Also, if I do the executive pro match, is it going to be approved before November 10 for my next AA trip?

this is a seemingly impossible thing to search, so if anyone has any insight on whether you can do this, let me know!! I have the $125 trip credit from my aa plat card, and I am booking flight/hotel through aavacations. I don't see anywhere to put trip credit into the checkout so I am assuming it is a no-go?

Hey folks. Relatively new to AAdvantage program. Been accruing LPs and 2 weeks ago reached 60,000 LP status reward. I got an email saying that I could redeem Avis Preferred Plus status (it's not much I know, but I'll take it), with a link to activate.

Only problem is, the link in the email just takes me to my main account page, with no apparent way to activate the status. I also can't see anything under Rewards in the AA app or website, or anywhere else. Closest I've found is some fine print which says:

• To successfully verify your account and receive status in the Avis Preferred program, your Avis Wizard number, first name and last name in your AAdvantage^® account, email address and postal code must match what’s on file with Avis

All that matches, but I don't even see how to add my Wizard number in my AA account profile. Any idea how I'm supposed to make this work?

I spent two days trying to get a simple confirmation from American Airlines: Did you receive my AAdvantage name-change request?

I submitted the online form and supporting documentation yesterday. I received no confirmation email or acknowledgment. I wasn’t asking for the change to be completed immediately. I just wanted to know my request had arrived.

What followed was hours of calls, chats, transfers, and phone numbers that sent me back through the same system. After requesting a callback with an estimated one-hour wait, I still hadn’t received one three hours later.

I finally found advice through Google to say “AAdvantage customer service” when calling. That worked. It should not take an outside search to figure out how to reach the right department.

The representative listened to my frustration, and my complaint is with the process, not him. But before he could discuss my request, I had to log into my Citi account, download my statement, and locate the miles earned on that statement. Then came the more straightforward verification questions, including my address, email, and phone number.

I understand the need to protect an account. But this was an exhausting process just to ask whether a form had been received.

As an AAdvantage member who pays around $500 a year for airport lounge access, I expect better customer service. An automated acknowledgment with a reference number could have prevented this entire experience.

Has anyone else submitted an AAdvantage name-change request without receiving an acknowledgment, and how did you confirm it was received?

Flying YVR DCA tomorrow, flight YVR DFW was cancelled due to aircraft issues due to weather? Unfortunately there are very few flights out of Canada these days so had to rebook on Air Canada to get home tomorrow - shouldn’t AA pay?

I don’t know if this was just a fluke or what happed but my boarding pass had the departing time next to the word “boards.” So I showed up to board at that time and the flight was gone. They were very nice and helped me get rebooked for the next morning but it was a very expensive lesson to recheck the original time and not trust the boarding pass when all the uber rides were counted and I will get very little sleep

Originally I was supposed to be landing at 10:30PM. After boarding our flight and then being told we have to deplane because they could fix the in cabin lights, we were delayed another 2 hours. We finally arrived home around 1AM. I was tired and just didn’t inspect my luggage until the next morning, but now it’s my fault and I’m SOL? Am I being insane here and just don’t fly enough to think this isn’t okay? Please someone correct me if so.

Same airplane from Toronto to Las Vegas, almost $300 USD more to buy from AA than Porter!

Last year in November, I went on a trip to America from the UK. I did 3 flights. LHR-DFW, DFW-JFK, & JFK-LHR. All with American Airlines. I have gold on FlightRadar24 and I have found the 2 long haul flights, but no matter what I do, I cannot find my flight to JFK.

I want to find it so I can fly all of them as a VATSIM flight, request same squawk and all.

I've looked and all I can find is a morning departure. We departed in the afternoon, close to evening. We arrived in JFK around 10pm-11pm local time. Date was the 10th of November 2025. I didn't buy the ticket and I can't find the flight number.

I would really appreciate it if someone could help.

Below I have attached a google drive link of a video of me trying to find it. I have done other research before this too.

Have any of you had success getting a refund for a hotel stay when the hotel did not match the description on the AAdvantage Hotels website?

We recently stayed 3 nights at a hotel in Barcelona that was described as a 4-star hotel, had excellent reviews (9+), and was over $400/night with taxes. Upon arrival, we were shocked. This was a 1-2 star hotel at best, with none of the amenities or services mentioned in the description (concierge, spa, room service, etc.) There wasn’t even staff on site. Other hotel guests had to let us into the building and our room key was in an envelope on a table in the lobby.

We immediately called AAdvantage Hotels customer service and spoke to someone in India. We wanted to cancel and book somewhere else. He informed us that they would need to contact the hotel, so that told me we were stuck since there was no staff whatsoever at the hotel. 

The next day when the receptionist arrived we spoke to her and she laughed when she saw the hotel description on AAdvantage Hotels website. She said, “we’re just a simple hotel”. Our room was basically a bed with 2 plastic chairs and two metal tables that even Goodwill wouldn’t sell. The bathroom was tiny. It was neat and clean, but calling it 4-stars was ridiculous.

A few days later, we received an email from AAdvantage Hotels with an offer of 10% refund because it “didn’t meet our expectations “. I wrote back with more color as to why their description was absurd and requested a full refund. They upped their offer to 15%.

This was a gross misrepresentation of the hotel on the AAdvantage Hotels website and IMO, constitutes fraud.

I'm just interested to see if anyone else has had an experience where the hotel did not come close to the description on the website and if they were successful in getting a refund (partial or full) and what channels they used: AA customer service? Social media? Others?

We were ready to take off and we got some electrical fault. They waited a few minutes and reset it. We take off and lose all communications including radio and transponder. We circled for a while and eventually landed with a 7700. They should have not let us back up after the first issue.

My mom had an incredibly frustrating experience with American Airlines at DFW on October 15, 2026. I’m posting this because I’m curious whether anyone familiar with airline operations can explain how this was handled.
I have screenshots of her boarding passes, flight notifications, gate assignments, and delays.
First flight: AA3348 (DFW to Austin)
My mom’s original flight was AA3348, scheduled to depart DFW at 6:10 PM and arrive in Austin at approximately 7:18 PM.
Boarding was scheduled to begin at 5:40 PM.
Her boarding pass initially showed Gate B29, which was subsequently changed to B25.
She boarded AA3348 successfully. Her boarding pass was scanned, and she was physically on the aircraft.
After everyone boarded, American Airlines announced that the aircraft was experiencing mechanical issues and instructed passengers to deplane.
Everyone exited the aircraft.
At 6:55 PM, American Airlines sent her a text explaining that maintenance needed to ensure the aircraft was ready for takeoff. The flight’s updated departure time was 7:17 PM, with Gate B28 listed.
At 7:12 PM, she received another notification confirming her seat assignment.
The mechanical issue was eventually addressed, and passengers began reboarding.
However, when my mom returned to the gate, the other passengers had already reboarded, and American Airlines refused to let her back on the aircraft.
AA3348 ultimately departed without her.
This is important because she wasn’t someone who arrived late to the airport or missed the original boarding process. She had already boarded the aircraft and was instructed by the airline to get off because of a mechanical problem.
Second flight: AA2707 (DFW to Austin)
After AA3348 departed without her, American Airlines rebooked my mom on AA2707, originally scheduled to depart at 8:28 PM.
This is when all the repeated gate changes started.
Here’s the timeline based on her boarding passes and flight notifications:
Initially: Gate D34 — scheduled departure 8:28 PM.
7:46 PM: Gate changed to B18 — departure delayed to 10:00 PM.
8:14 PM: Gate changed to B16 — departure delayed again to 10:13 PM.
8:26 PM: Gate changed to B9 — departure remained 10:13 PM.
8:48 PM: The American Airlines app showed Gate D18 in the flight details, while her boarding pass simultaneously showed Gate B9.
9:01 PM: Her boarding pass finally updated to Gate D18.
My mom also reported being directed to Gate D18 on two separate occasions throughout this ordeal.
She repeatedly traveled between Terminals B and D using the Skylink train because the airline kept changing her departure gate.
At one point, the airline’s own app was displaying two different gates for the same flight at the same time.
Imagine trying to make your replacement flight after already being left behind once, only to have the airline repeatedly send you between terminals.
Three American Airlines agents, and none could tell her where to go
What bothers me just as much as the delays is how American Airlines employees treated her.
My mom approached three different agents for assistance.
Agent #1 — Approximately 8:20 PM, Gate B18
She asked why she had been left behind on AA3348 and tried to verify her replacement flight information.
The agent reportedly told her:
“We assumed you had gotten on another plane.”
How does that make sense?
She had already scanned her boarding pass and boarded AA3348. Why would American Airlines assume she boarded another aircraft instead of verifying what happened?
Agent #2 — During the gate changes
My mom approached another agent because she was confused about which gate she needed to go to.
According to my mom, the agent rudely told her she should have arrived at the airport an hour early, then walked away.
She had already boarded her original flight! This had absolutely nothing to do with arriving late.
Agent #3 — Another attempt to get assistance
She approached a male American Airlines employee, who told her he couldn’t help and that “these things happen.”
Not one of these three employees could verify which departure gate she needed to be at.
She eventually had to rely on the airport’s departure monitors because the airline’s own app was providing conflicting information.
The delays
Her original flight, AA3348, was scheduled to arrive in Austin at approximately 7:18 PM.
Her replacement flight, AA2707, was eventually showing a departure time of 10:13 PM and an estimated arrival of 11:21 PM.
That’s an arrival approximately four hours later than originally scheduled, assuming those estimates held.
The initial problem with AA3348 was attributed to aircraft maintenance. The subsequent delays affecting AA2707 were attributed to air traffic control restrictions.
I completely understand that mechanical problems, air traffic control restrictions, and flight delays happen.
What I don’t understand is how a passenger who already boarded an aircraft can be instructed to deplane, subsequently refused reboarding, and then told that airline employees simply assumed she boarded another plane.
And after all that, she’s sent back and forth between terminals because of repeated gate changes, while three different employees can’t provide a straight answer.
This was also her first of many anticipated business trips.
We’re preparing a formal complaint to American Airlines and have screenshots documenting the timeline.
A few questions for airline employees or frequent flyers:
When an entire aircraft is deplaned due to maintenance, what is the normal procedure for notifying passengers that reboarding has resumed?
How could American Airlines assume she boarded another aircraft when she had already boarded AA3348?
Why would the airline’s app show two different gates simultaneously for AA2707?
Given everything that happened, would requesting a travel credit or AAdvantage miles be reasonable?
I’m interested in hearing whether anyone else has experienced something similar and how the airline handled it.

Thanks, American, for bumping me from Main Extra to the back five minutes before boarding. It’s a good reminder of the kinds of experiences that took my weekly commute to a different airline.