American Airlines – Oneworld Sapphire Benefits (RJ)

[P790TP]

Hi All – I have recently obtained Oneworld Sapphire status through the Royal Jordanian status match.

I have an upcoming booking on American Airlines, for which I have added my RJ club number, but it is not letting me select seats. I contacted AA through Twitter and they said that the status is not coming through on their end and that I need to contact RJ. The status is working successfully for my upcoming BA flights. I have contacted RJ by email, but they have not been very helpful at all.

I am not so worried about the seat selection, but would like the additional baggage allowance that comes with the status, so my questions are:

Does anyone know the best steps to get this resolved so my status comes through correctly with AA?

If it is not resolved, will I still be able to show my status card and obtain the additional baggage allowance at the airport?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[strickers]

Similar situation for me with Alaska Airlines, the FF number is on the booking but the status isn’t showing. I’d hoped it was just a delay but seems to be more than that.

[executiveclubber]

Have you tried going to manage my booking with Royal Air Maroc and entering your booking ref there?

[P790TP]

executiveclubber wrote:

Have you tried going to manage my booking with Royal Air Maroc and entering your booking ref there?

The booking reference won’t work on any other Oneworld airline – I assume it is because American Airlines use a different IT system to the rest.

[strickers]

Yes, it will let me select seats but they don’t stick. I’m assuming it something to do with the fact I booked on BA using points and that I think they use different booking systems, Amadeus for BA and I’m not sure which for Alaska?

[Lyn]

@P790TP, AA’s booking references are completely different to BA/RJ’s. This is going to sound simplistic, but it may be worth contacting AA again and asking them to temporarily remove your RJ number and then add it back in. Just in case it resets something or somehow wasn’t entered correctly in the AA system in the first place.

[Lyn]

@strickers, I think Alaska uses the SABRE system, like American.

[strickers]

@Lyn Thanks. I have both booking references. I’m assuming it’s something in the way the data has copied over. I have reasonable seats, hopefully the proof of status will be enough for everything else?

[Lyn]

@strickers, let’s hope so, and it should, but personally I’d prefer to see it show up on Alaska’s system. Would it be a risk to your currently assigned seats to try my recommendation above of asking Alaska to temporarily remove your RJ number and then add it back in again for you, or have they already done this? I do realise it sounds simplistic.

I can see how the fact that it was booked using BA points on BA’s system could, as you say, make a difference. For one thing, your BA booking would necessarily have your BA frequent flyer number and that would originally have been passed on to Alaska during the booking process. Perhaps Alaska is still picking up your BA status and it hasn’t been overridden by the RJ number and status that you or Alaska added? I believe some systems have different slots for frequent flyer numbers, like the one used to pay with points, and another for status if it is different.

[strickers]

@Lyn They’ve removed it and added it back 3 times! I’ll get to check in early and head the business class queue with my OW Sapphire and argue my case. At the end of the day, this was an added bonus, 4 LH and 2 SH seat selections made it well worth while.

[9xolaereht]

How did it go? I am also in a similar situation. I booked an AA flight using Avios on British Airways, and added my RJ number to the booking, but AA are saying that they cannot recognise the number.

[joecontini]

Anyone else got this solved? I had the same situation but kinda weirder. Short flight with BA (booked through AA) and connecting to a long flight with AA. BA recognised the status on their flight, AA didn’t. AA tells me to figure it out with RJ as they can’t do anything, meanwhile RJ sees no issue and I don’t blame them since BA also recognised the status… Really don’t know how to come out of this as I have the return flight by AA in a few days

[9xolaereht]

I still don’t have this solved and I’ve experienced the same sort of thing – nobody seems to want to take responsibility to fix it.