I wrote yesterday about American Airlines CEO Robert Isom lamenting that “it has never been harder to operate an airline,” but it also has “never been harder” to get through to an agent with AA’s horrific automated phone system. This is among the low-hanging fruit that AA must fix if it wants to become a top-tier carrier.
American Airlines Website And Phone System Still Broken In Many Ways
We can certainly discuss AA’s macro strategy (or lack thereof) but so much of customer satisfaction comes down to an easy-to-use website, mobile app, and phone support system. It’s the little things that make a difference and it is the little things that AA is still not doing well.
To its credit, the website has improved…you can now redeposit your miles online and as of this week, request systemwide upgrades online. That’s a good thing…it’s about time!
But let me demonstrate why there is still so much aggravation in trying to do basic things with American Airlines…the sort of things that no longer happen with United or Delta and that waste time and cause needless stress.
I booked a ticket for an Award Expert client from Rochester to Boston…AA flies nonstop on the route and I just booked directly on the AA website. Client decided to change his departure date, leaving one day earlier. No problem, right? I pulled up the reservation, clicked on modify, chose the new date (price was the same), and clicked confirm:
The computer says no…
I then figured I would just cancel the trip and rebook. Easy, right?
Nope…
So I called up American Airlines and the new automated phone system is just pathetic. Over and over the system says, “I didn’t catch that.” It was beyond aggravating trying to reach an agent…and then there was a 60-minute wait on top of that. The system often does not recognize keypad inputs, so there is no way to avoid the broken voice recognition system.
“I didn’t catch that.” Worthless automated phone system @AmericanAir. Absolute rubbish.
— Matthew Klint – Live And Let’s Fly (@LiveandLetsFly) November 11, 2024
AA’s call center is also separated into domestic and international and (without fail) even if you specify you are calling about an international itinerary, the system always transfers you to a domestic agent, who is forced to apologize and transfer you to the international help desk, often doubling your hold time.
This is 2024. AI has come a long way. This is pathetic. It is unacceptable.
And it shows me that AA truly does not have a strategy concerning anything. United Airlines tirelessly invested in its technology during the pandemic and it shows: I have not had to call an agent in several months. But even when I do, the process is not nearly as torturous as AA (even when calling for a client without status and having to wait in the general queue).
It matters because if AA cannot get these little things right, it cannot (and should not) be trusted with the big things. Fixing the website and phone system are such low-hanging fruit. I’m tired of wasting my time dealing with systems that are broken. That itself drives away business. It’s why I don’t do business much with Aviaicna LifeMiles as well… despite better rates. It’s just not worthwhile…
AA is facing an existential crisis, but it must start by fixing the little things. Start with the website and phone system, please.
