‘I’m So Upset I Literally Could Cry’: American Airlines Customer Buys The Number Of Miles They Say She Needs To Cover Her Flight. Then She Tries To Book It

Navigating the world of airline miles and getting a good deal on flights requires some careful study. Points aren’t as straightforward as cash, and flight prices fluctuate from one minute to the next.

One St. Petersburg, Florida woman, TikTok creator Katie Rose (@katierosestpete) says that trying to figure it out left her feeling like she ended up getting scammed.

In her video explaining the situation, Katie says the issue happened when she tried to book an American Airlines flight for her cousin’s graduation.

What Happened When She Tried to Book With Miles?

“I got scammed by American Airlines,” she begins. “And if you’ve been in the situation, please let me know what to do, because I’m so upset I literally could cry.”

She says she’s an AAdvantage member and used to travel for work through Dallas-Fort Worth, which is one of American Airlines’ hubs. Because of that, she says she had accumulated miles over time.

When she went to book the graduation flight, however, she realized she did not have enough miles to cover it.

“The flight was going for probably like 240, 250-ish range,” she says. “Or I could buy more [miles].”

Katie says she used American’s mileage calculator, which told her she needed around 6,000 more miles. Then, she says, she saw an offer to buy 9,000 miles for $300.

At the time, it sounded like a good deal. “I’m like, well, the flight’s like 200 and whatever. So I’ll get more miles and have some left over,” she says. “Yes, girl math, smart Katie.”

Katie says she trusted that the airline’s system was steering her in the right direction. But after buying the miles, she says she wasn’t able to book the flight.

“I go to book my flight after I buy these flight miles, and it said, ‘sorry, you don’t have enough,’” she says.

Thinking it would take a while to process the miles, she decided to wait and check again.

Was She Able To Book With The Miles?

A week later, Katie went back to book the flight. By then, however, both the dollar and miles price had gone up.

“I am so far from having enough miles,” she says. “I even do the calculator again, and this time I’m 12,000 miles short.”

That confused her because she had just purchased 9,000 additional miles after only needing around 6,000.

The cash price had also changed. Katie says the flight was now $338, which was more expensive than when she first looked, but still far less than what she should have had to spend to make the miles work. “But I already spent $300, so I wanna use them,” she says.

The problem, she says, is that American’s system would not let her use the miles she had and simply pay the remaining balance.

When she checked how much it would cost to buy enough miles to fully cover the flight, she says the price was $362 on top of what she had already spent.

Katie didn’t respond to an inquiry from BoardingArea.

What Did American Airlines Say?

Katie decided to call the customer support line, and says she was transferred several times before finally reaching someone.

“I’m just really upset about the situation,” she says she told the agent before explaining what happened.

According to Katie, the agent put her on hold to talk to a supervisor, then came back with bad news.

“Our policy is you only get a refund if you called within 12 hours,” she recalls him saying. “It’s been a week.”

But Katie says she wasn’t necessarily asking for a refund. She wanted American to either help her book the flight, give her the miles she needed, or apply the $300 she had already spent toward the cash ticket.

“I’m really feeling scammed here because if I were to get more miles, it’s double the cost of the flight if I’m gonna buy cash,” she purportedly told the agent.

The agent allegedly kept checking with a manager before returning, repeating that there was nothing that could be done.

She says she tried to explain that spending more than $600 in miles for a flight that cost $338 in cash made no sense, especially because she had already paid $300 for miles she now couldn’t use.

“Can you refund me what I spent so I can use that to buy my flight?” she says she asked. “I’ll even pay the $38 difference. Please just help me.”

“No, sorry,” the agent reportedly responded.

Then she addresses the airline directly in the video.

“American Airlines, you might be losing a really loyal customer,” she says. “I’m just gonna use those flight credits when they get me somewhere, and then I’m done with you because I don’t waste 300 bucks.”

American Airlines didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Is Buying Miles Ever Worth It?

Buying miles can be worth it, but only in very specific situations. It’s important to remember that most of the time, airlines sell miles for more than they’re actually worth, which means buying them at full price is often a bad deal.

The most important rule is to do the math before you buy. If the cash ticket is $200, but you would need any more than that to buy enough miles to cover it, paying cash is always going to be the better option.

Buying miles usually makes more sense during a promotion, especially if you’re using them for a high-value redemption, like an international business-class seat that would cost thousands in cash. Even then, it only works if the seat is actually available and you’re ready to book right away.

Otherwise, just like Katie learned, prices can change, and points no longer have the same value as when you bought them.

@katierosestpete I have a bone to pick with you @American Airlines – never been treated more horrible and I was so loyal 😭 #tampa #DFW #advantagemember #flightmiles ♬ original sound – KatieRoseStPete