American Makes It Harder for Agents to Rebook Coach Passengers on the Competition
Skift Take
It's reasonable to ask whether airline re-accommodation agreements still make sense in 2018. In how many industries will one company happily hand you over to the competition after a slight service hiccup? But road warriors love these deals. It means they can get home, or to an important meeting, even when their favorite airline screws up.
American Airlines is making it tougher for average economy class passengers to reach their destinations when the carrier delays or cancels flights for maintenance, weather and other reasons.
According to American's new policy, first reported by the blog, View From the Wing, American no longer permits airport agents to rebook coach passengers on competitors during what are called irregular operations. American agents may still put coach passengers on the airline's partners, such as British Airways or Japan Airlines, but that isn't helpful for most domestic itineraries, as American has just one larger partner in the United States, Alaska Airlines.
American is allowing agents to rebook the airline's best customers — elite frequent flyers — on United Airlines and Delta Air Lines and other non-parnters airlines. American's highest-level flyers can rebooked amidst short delays, according to the policy, while other elite flyers must wait for a five-hour delay. Customers seated in premium cabins also will have an easier time with rebooking.
An American spokesman said the policy is flexible, and noted other airlines also have intricate r
