Remember American’s ~HK$3500 Transatlantic Business Class Fares? Well, Someone Was Luckier Than You

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Admittedly I’m about eight months late in sharing this. Back in April, American Airlines had a lucrative ~HK$3,500 mistake business class fare from Washington to Beijing. While I wasn’t available to get to the US anytime soon due to my schedules, it was pretty fun to watch everyone meet up in Beijing and Shanghai.

Well, only today I managed to catch on something pretty interesting. Through multiple delays, cancellations and American’s reliable 777s, FlyerTalker elliottishere was rebooked from American business class to Cathay Pacific first class.

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American Airlines Boeing 777-200 Business Class

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Cathay Pacific Boeing 777-300ER First Class

Via FlyerTalk:

Having been to PVG before (this was a trip for pleasure), I decided to try a new city. I picked up a J ticket PVG-HKG-TPE with three legs on KA and one on CX. I wanted to stay oneworld in case something happened catching my connection back to AA to PVG. Sure it’s a lot of layovers, but there’s a sense of security.

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Dragonair Airbus A330-300 Business Class

Well I wake up in TPE to fly back to PVG and my flight is cancelled by KA. I was auto-rebooked in such a way that I would miss my connection on to AA. I call the CX service desk, he verified my AA record locator to prove I was actually connecting, and said he needed a supervisor. When he comes back, we are on four ways with the CX agent, his supervisor, an AA liaison, and myself. They end up amending my AA itinerary to leave out of HKG back to DFW. The AA liaison said J was booked full, so the CX supervisor instructed her to put me in F. AA said absolutely no problem. I’m already excited to go to 773 F instead of 772 J.

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American Airlines Boeing 777-300ER First Class (courtesy One Mile at A Time)

I’m on a new KA flight from TPE-HKG and the pilot says we’ll have a ramp delay. Well, I just missed my AA connection in HKG. We land in HKG and someone comes immediately on the plane, addresses me by name, and informs me to go with her. We walk down the ramp were I’m met by two CX agents and an AA agent. They all severely apologize for missing my connections and hand me a hotel voucher. They rebooked me in AA F out of HKG the next day.

I wake up in HKG the next day to see that the AA 138 had been cancelled on Apr 22. Guess I’m never getting home! I go back to the airport to sort it out. The American desk was a JOKE. The lines were insane rebooking all of those people. I just go over to Dragon Air, who rebooked me in the first place, and explain everything that had happened. The desk agent immediately says she needs a supervisor and to hold tight. About 10 minutes later I’m greeted by two KA supervisors. The one starts by apologizing, hands me a meal voucher for Starbucks, and says get a coffee while they sort it out. Cool! I get my coffee and go back to the desk. The two supervisors immediately start apologizing again because they can’t get me out that day. They did offer to send me CX economy that day, I declined. They ask if I can stay another day in HKG, at their expense. I’m on vacation and I LOVE Hong Kong. Totally fine with it.

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Hong Kong, China

Then, the other supervisor says I’ve been rebooked for tomorrow and to walk with her to get my new ticket. We walk over to the CX desk, she swipes my passport, and out comes my ticket. It was a ticket HKG-ORD in Cathay Pacific First Class. I try to hold my excitement, thank her, and take my ticket and hotel voucher.

Initial thoughts were:

  • While trying to send him out in economy was slightly irrational, everything else was so well handled by American and Dragonair.
  • That said, American definitely needs to improve on the aircraft management front.
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American Airlines Boeing 777-300ER Hong Kong Airport (courtesy San Spotter)

Anyone else lucked out?

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