American Airlines 4+

I’m nearly frustrated enough to throw this out the window... all because of a crummy user interface.
I tried to reset my unrecognized password but the site wouldn’t acknowledge the answers to my security questions. I know that I entered the correct answers but since Siri added a blank space after each of my answers, their site assumed that I had an incorrect answer. Strike One!
Then when the person in the customer service department helped me figure out my error, I created a “new” password. (New isn’t exactly correct as I simply recycled my previous PW). The app wouldn’t let me login as it said I had a password error. Apparently I didn’t think to use the full assortment of uppercase, lowercase and numbers. But it appeared to work when I originally created it. Strike Two!
After fixing the uppercase/lowercase issue, I still couldn’t get in. This time it was because I had miscounted the number of characters. Again, their site appeared to change my password but wouldn’t accept it when I tried to login. Strike Three! Don’t these programmers try to imagine what it’s like for a human being to try to use their app? Except for the UI, this is otherwise a mediocre app. I only have it so I can have my boarding pass on my phone.

Of all the airlines I fly in the US and even abroad, the American app is the best to me. It rarely glitches on my device. I am able to book paid and award tickets. Check-in, change seats, request upgrades, and navigate the airport. The airport maps help when I have to quickly make a connection but need to coordinate a quick food or rest stop before deplaning. Push notifications work well and the travel advisories on the home screen have helped me with rebooking/cancelling travel on more than one occasion.

I would like to see the upgrade list view come available sooner than like 2 hours before departure and have the ability to download airport maps to my device. Sometimes when traveling internationally my data signal is not great so I can’t view the airport apps unless on WiFi.

Also, when using the onboard entertainment feature you have to have the app plus it opens a window or two in safari to bring the entertainment up. I wish the app could coordinate all the flow of the entertainment more smoothly.

I read through the reviews and took issue with most of them. People qualify themselves as frequent fliers and then mention that this app is dysfunctional...as an Executive Platinum member (i.e.- I fly), I find this app highly capable.

I find it useful in every way that I need it to be. I’m able to book revenue and award tickets, I’m able to select my seats, and when my upgrade processes I’m able to recheck my seat in the new cabin. I’m able to check-in and I find the app to be very useful in receiving flight updates. My company uses concur, and the moment my flight is reserved in concur it shows up in the app. I’m able to understand if my flight may be impacted based on the app-provided “inbound” flight, and I’m able to live-track my baggage in the event that I check bags.

I’m not sure what people expect from an app, but in reading the reviews it seems that people are hoping that the app somehow will solve all of their travel nightmares, but I’m afraid those are classic weather, mechanical, and customer service issues.