Thread: Curious question about AA nonrev booking

Hi everyone,

I'm a relatively new AA employee and just started using the travel planner for booking flights, and read the travel guide on the ins and outs. But I had a question about something I noticed getting a family member a non-rev trip over this holiday weekend and I was curious and thought I would ask the experts.

Looking at the busy weekend I began studying the priority lists after checking-in my family member traveling. I noticed the available seats and eyeballed the other non-revs on the list and trying to figure out whether my pax was going to make it on. I noticed a family of 4 traveling out the same flight as my pax, and I started checking other flights later in the day to and from the same destination.

I then noticed the same non-rev family of 4 was booked and checked in on every other flight for the rest of the day, and also on every flight the next day. Probably booked and checked-in on 8 flights - definitely the same folks. When the gate started working the priority list for the original flight, the non-rev family of 4 was a no-response when the gate called them for seats and others down the priority list got on the flight.

Then, I was checking for my persons return trip and noticed the same non-rev family of 4 booked and checked-in on at least 8 of the days return flights (split between nearby departing airports and returning here).

I am puzzled why they would do this?

I am also trying to also learn how best to use my nonrev privileges, wondering if there is something they were doing that makes sense (although it escapes me at this point).

I guess they were doing this to have the pick of flights without having to show-up at the airport or having to take a flight they didn't want they didn't want? Or gaming their best option for 1st (holiday flights are so full that would never happen).

I am not understanding why you'd simultaneously book and check-in on 16 different flights? I am puzzled that AA's non-rev travel planner system would allow this as I never thought until now you could hold res/check-in on many disconnected flights at one time (I know the rev system flags and prevents this). Not that it bothers me all that much I am just puzzled why they'd do this?

I had not thought of doing it myself, but then again I have zero experience booking personal non-rev travel.

Thoughts or comments from the experts?