unifer

In January I booked JFK-DOH-DEL // MAA-DOH-JFK on Qatar business class. For 9/22 on outbound and 10/23 return. All was well.

Then I called up last week to change the outbound flights to JFK-HKG-DEL on Cathay business because of better timing. This was fine and I paid the extra taxes. I went online a day later to check after not receiving a ticketed email and saw my reservation was listed as cancelled. I called and AA apparently simply cancelled everything. I asked for this to be fixed and was told that the short hops were done but the over water portions were no longer available and AA would have to request with their partners.

Called back today, was told that Qatar denied the request, but that they booked me on Etihad flights on the return instead. I checked and the flight out of MAA is an overnight with recliner seats. I said this was unacceptable and that I wanted my original flights that AA lost. I was then told I could fly on 10/24 instead. I said I work that day and I'd also overstay my tourist visa. They said that was my only option. I asked if they could purchase a revenue ticket since they messed up. They promised a "manager" would call (I was already on the phone with a supervisor) who of course never did. I'm worried the same thing will happen with the Cathay flights as is happening with the Qatar flights. I already paid for my Indian visa.

I'm so frustrated. What can I do here?

Often1

First, give the manager a full business day to call you back. Reaching someone in authority at QR can take that long given the time difference. At that point, call AA back and ask for a supervisor and explain that the manager never called and ask if one can be located for you. This make take endless cycles, so do this when you can put your phone on speaker + mute and multi-task.

Second, CX may or may not force space for you. But, every flight is different so don't worry just yet.

Third, if you had to, could you extend by a day and is there an accommodation to be had with your visa? What would it cost? Not that you should have to pay anything, but just look at what you might seek from AA.

Fourth, to the extent that you have an acknowledgement that AA erroneously cancelled your tickets, push hard for the revenue seats. What happens if AA will only put you back in what you had as that is what was ticketed?

Spilt milk for OP, but for the benefit of others, the risk to these changes is that agents should not cancel the original reservation until the new reservation is both confirmed and ticketed. While that can be instant, other carriers have up to 72 hours to confirm and it is common to take that on award tickets.

This one will take a lot of patience. Unfortunately, you need the help of the people who screwed this up.

bedelman

You might think carefully about how you'd prove AA error if it came to that. If AA argued your instructions were imprecise or you requested the cancellation, how would you prove them wrong and you right? I would begin recording every call for your protection and for possible dispute resolution.

JonNYC

You can rule out that option as a possibility, it's not gonna happen.

percysmith

Been there, done that https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/cath...practices.html . Sounds like QR's tight (possibly <=24h) reissue deadlines strike again.

Was contemplating taking CX to HK Small Claims to try and force them to buy QR revenue but CX CoC says CX only has to get me there and not necessarily on originally confirmed route. What does AA CoC and DoT regs say?

(My case was eventually resolved by flying out one day earlier, using new Qatar redemption availability.)

Thumper

Partner awards through AA are at best tolerated by the other airlines.

The minute a flight is canceled or equipment changed, you are on your own.
My understanding is the obligation is to get you there on the next available transport, regardless of the class of service. (usually downward)
AA will assist you in checking what the current stock of award seats is, and not much more.

Like many many others, I had some vacation plans ruined, others shredded due to partner awards.

unifer

Thanks all for the responses - they at least are making me feel a bit better! The manager did call me eventually, right now I'm stuck on the revised Etihad flights, with the Cathay flights still in limbo. For my troubles she gave me 25k AA miles - so at least that's something in compensation.

Often1

I would be extraordinarily careful about that. Some states require a specific warning (which is why vendors such as AA play a notice that your call may be recorded) before a call is recorded because they require both parties to a call to consent.

This can get extremely ugly, especially since the only time you would be using such a recording is in a proceeding against AA.

It's always possible that AA did record the call and has it available and that if you did sue, you are in a court which permits discovery (and you are willing to pay for it).

A better approach is to be painfully clear in your instructions and to have the agent read them back and then tell you at the end what he has done.

JonNYC

Nope, not necessary to be.

BostonFlyer1624

Hi all,

I have a BOS-DOH-CPT flight booked next year on QR, and used AA miles for the flight.

Hypothetically, if QR cancels service from Boston, and the flight is cancelled, will I be rebooked on BA though LHR? If so, will I have to pay the fuel surcharge? Or, will AA just refund the miles and I'm on my own for a flight?

Thanks

AAExecPlatFlier

Since QR is potentially causing the problem, I am guessing that they would book you out of NYC and shuttle u down to NYC. If u do end up on BA, and it isn't your choice -- you shouldn't have to pay any BA surcharges

Mark_T

If QR don't handle it these is a good chance that AA will simply refund.

They would not have any ability to force availability for an award on BA anyway so it may not be possible even if they wanted to...

3Cforme

AA can rebook the OP on available partner inventory. It can open inventory on its own flights. It can route a traveler to a nearby alternate airport. It can refund a ticket if it can't reach mutual agreement on a re-route with the flyer.

To the Mods: How about a sticky thread with a wiki, and moving all subsequent inquiries to it? This type of question gets posed daily - even by people with a lots of miles behind them and ample FT experience.

hightide

I have an AA award on EY with a DOH-AUH segment scheduled to fly in a few weeks. Right now the status is still confirmed. If I just leave it as it is and it gets cancelled by EY, do my AA miles automatically get redeposited or do I have to actually call AA to redeposit them? Can I call after the cancelled flight's date to do so without penalty?

DeltaFlyingProf

It will not be automatic.
I would not wait. Call AA and explain that because of political events this flight will not happen and ask them to work it out with EY if necessary, but that you should be able to recover the miles without fee.