Domestic Airlines are known for their terrible customer service. There are countless stories of lost bags, hidden fees, and cancelations that make it is easy to forget the good experiences we have when dealing with an airline. I want to quickly commend American Airlines on my recent travel mishap, as we often do not take the time to pause and share stories of positive customer service experiences.
It all began earlier today when looking to book a weekend flight to St. Louis. Using google flights to price out my flights, I clicked through to American Airline’s website to book the flight. American Airlines allows travers to “hold” an itinerary for 24-hours, but because they have this option once the flight is paid for they do not have a 24-hour cancelation policy. United on the other hand does not offer a 24-hour hold, but allows free cancelations/changes without penalty within 24 hours of paying for the flight. When the ticket confirmation arrived, I realized the mistake that was made. I paid for flights the weekend after I needed to travel. I had to accept the fact that I would most likely end up paying $200.00 to cancel/change my non-refundable ticket, which cost $307.00. I would also have to pay an additional $370.00 to book flights on the weekend I actually had to be in St. Louis.
I called American Airlines and hoped to catch a lucky break. When I called and explained the situation and was told by the phone agent that she would waive the $200.00 fee and only charge me the difference in fare. It was an unbelievable break! American has been my choice airline for several years and today was a friendly reminder of why. Technically, American Airlines could have easily charged the $200.00 fee or simply made me eat the cost of my mistake, but they were extremely generous and forgiving. I will continue to fly American and look forward to my flight!
If you’ve had a positive experience, please share in the comments below. If you’ve had a negative experience, you can also comment, but I recommend you also Tweet or Facebook Message the airline as their social media customer service is fantastic.
Safe Travels!
