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Transportation e- and paper Voucher / vouchers / "MCO" FAQ and master thread

Old Jun 13, 2013, 6:55 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: Prospero
Transportation Voucher, "MCO" FAQ

Transportation eVouchers
Link to aa.com eVouchers Terms and Conditions page
Link to aa.com eVoucher page

General Information
Glossary: MCO - Miscellaneous Charges Order

AA issues e-vouchers to those in US 50 states, US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico as of 28 Nov 2019. Printed green vouchers are still used for those residing elsewhere at this time.

Transportation vouchers issued by American Airlines or American Eagle are valid for travel on American Airlines, American Eagle and American Airlines codeshare flights (AA*).

These vouchers are also valid for travel on oneworld itineraries (including oneworld affiliates that must be booked as a codeshare flight marketed by a oneworld carrier) where American Airlines or American Airlines codeshare flights (AA*) is the international carrier.

Note: For oneworld itineraries, international flights are defined as transatlantic, transpacific and flights to and from South America. Flights to and from Alaska, Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, or Central America are not included.

Travel agents may accept American Airlines vouchers (042/043) for full or partial payment for a ticket as an "exchange" document/ticket. If the voucher is less than the ticket the additional monies are collected. If the voucher exceeds the ticket cost an MCO will be issued for the difference as a residual indicating non-refundable and for American Airlines transportation only. Valid one year from date of issue ((you must encumber the voucher before one year has expired since issuance*). There is no change fee / ASC associated with using a voucher. Updated 18 Feb 2015.)

The original post, provided by member IceTrojan, has been placed here so members can edit and update as necessary. Information below has not necessarily been updated; be aware.

FAQ: AA Vouchers

Q. How do vouchers work on AA?

They are treated just like cash towards valid purchases.

Q. What can I use the vouchers on?
  • Airfare on American Airlines (inc. American Eagle), codeshares, and oneworld itineraries where AA is the international/"governing" carrier.
  • 500-mile domestic upgrade stickers (at the airport only).
  • Co-payments for upgrades or reduced mileage awards.
  • Excess baggage fees.
  • Special handling fees (e.g. checked pets), with a traveling passenger (i.e. not cargo).
  • Change fees, provided an additional collection of the fare is also being made.
There are special considerations if you are located in the following countries (may not be up to date):
  • In the UK, Belgium, Germany and France, vouchers are accepted for Net fares.
  • In Switzerland, vouchers are accepted on Q and L class Net fares only.
  • In Ireland, vouchers are accepted in Q, O and L class Net fares only.
Q. Can I use American Airlines travel vouchers to purchase a vacation package from AAVacations?

Yes, travel vouchers can be used toward the American Airlines and American Eagle flight portion of your trip, but may not be used to purchase any of the non-flight components of your trip such as hotels, rental cars, transfers, activities or insurance. Travel vouchers are not currently accepted online, but may be redeemed by calling AAVacations at 1-800-489-4810.

Q. Can I use the vouchers for ANYTHING else?

No.

Q. Really?

Yes, really.

Q. Are there restrictions on purchasing airfare?

Unlike other airlines that place restrictions on certain fares/dates/times/routes, AA vouchers are just like cash, so you can use them to buy all fares that are available for purchase.

Q. How long do I have to use the vouchers?

One (1) year from date of issuance.

Q. I can't use my voucher in time. How can I extend the expiration date?
AA automatically extended the expiration of some vouchers in 2021. If your expiration date was between January 1, 2021 and May 31, 2021, the new expiration is March 31, 2022.

If you still need to extend the expiration, spend at least part it on any of its valid uses listed above. For example, pay for a cheap throwaway ticket, a speculative ticket, or a 500-mile upgrade certificate. Any unused amount will be sent to you as a new voucher with a new 1-year expiration date.

Q. What if I lose a voucher?

Sorry, you're out of luck. Treat your vouchers like cash.

Q. Can I use the vouchers to buy tickets for someone else?

While vouchers are non-transferable, you may buy a ticket in someone else's name, so long as you are the one presenting the voucher (either by phone or personally at a ticket counter/office). If someone else presents the voucher, the ticket MUST be issued in the name of that on the voucher.

Q. Is there a fee for using the vouchers?

It appears that ticketing at an airport ticket office is still subject to a charge of $30, unless you are EXP.

Note that if you are EXP, these "booking" fees are waived (and any Agent that tells you otherwise is wrong). (thanks SquareDanceGuy)

Note that if you have booked the ticket online and go to the airport to apply a voucher, there are no fees either, regardless of status. (thanks RogerD408)

Q. What happens to the taxes?

This depends on the type of voucher. The following voucher codes are exempt from some of the taxes: Basically, if you use these vouchers to pay for the whole cost of your fare, you will lower the overall costs as some of the taxes do not apply. (thanks uncle wiggly) If you make a partial payment with vouchers, then the associated taxes will likewise be reduced by the same proportional amount. (thanks marshall)

OU is the only voucher taxable, as it's issued against the unused portion of a ticket that has been exchanged (amongst other things). (thanks hillrider)

Q. What if the value of my vouchers exceed the value of my fare? Do I lose it? (thanks ffay005)

Unlike some* other airlines, you do NOT lose the residual value of your vouchers. If the residual value is more than $5, AA will mail you another voucher back as change, and this voucher is valid for one (1) year after its issuance. (thanks whynotfly) *golfmad added the word "some" based on post #440.

Q. How many vouchers can I use at one time?

According to one AAgent, nine (9) was the maximum number of vouchers accepted by the system.

Q. I bought AA tickets from a 3rd party (e.g., travel agent, internet travel site, Priceline/Hotwire). Can I use the vouchers retroactively?

No.
Q. How long does it take to process the vouchers?

After they receive the vouchers, AA will process them within 1-3 days, so it's really dependent on how long it takes the mail to arrive to Florida. AA reservations will accept the vouchers for a phone booking, if the reservation made is at least 12 days prior to departure. It's recommended that if you need to ticket within 2 weeks that you go directly to an Airport Ticket Office, which can process your voucher/s immediately.

Q. How do I apply vouchers to a reservation I have on hold on AA.com?
  1. Call Web Services at 1-800-222-2377 or 1-918-832-1384 (6:00 AM - 2:00 AM CT, 7 days a week). In the UK, call 08-45-601-0619 (8:30 AM - 5:00 PM UK time, Monday-Friday).
  2. Give them the PNR and tell them you would like to apply vouchers.
  3. They will give you instructions on how to send the vouchers in.
  4. Pay any balance with a credit card.
Q. What's the address where I send my vouchers to?
US: up-to-date in March 2021, UK: up-to-date in January 2022

American Airlines
M.D. 8A701
Fort Worth, TX 76155
USA

The return address for those in the UK and the rest of Europe, who have agreed to send their voucher(s) to AA in the UK, is:

American Airlines
100 Old Hall Street
The Plaza, 7th floor
Liverpool L3 9QJ
United Kingdom

On the envelope under the return address, write:
<Date of first flight, in DD Month format (e.g. 01 Jan)>

Attach a sticky note to the vouchers with the following details:
<First flight number, e.g. AA1234>
<Last name>
<Booking record locator, AKA booking reference>

(Notice: vouchers are not processed sequentially based on date of the voucher/s being received by AA, but rather on flight dates. Flights may show as "Ticket Pending" once the voucher has been applied, and at some time prior to flight (two weeks is usual) it will show "Ticketed" and you should be able to see your ticket number, beginning with "001", in your receipt from your itinerary at aa.com or in your e-Ticket. Also notice that you should photocopy your voucher/s prior to mailing them.)

Q. What if I entered a Business Extra number?

You will have to contact Business Extra to apply the vouchers. Their number is 1-800-433-1790, and they are available 5:00 AM - 12:00 PM, CT, 7 days a week.

Q. What if I live outside the United States and I want to use vouchers?

As the vouchers are in US Dollars, it's probably most convenient to call the US reservations number for a new booking denoted in US Dollars, thus avoiding any currency conversion, except any associated with your credit card. You can call your local reservations number or visit a local Airport Ticket Office (ATO). Beware that there's not a large network of ATOs.

In all likelihood, you will be asked to mail your voucher(s) to AA, so if time is of the essence, you should consider going directly to an ATO, who can process it/them immediately.

Obsolete posts from 2014-2015 have been archived to: ARCHIVE: Transportation Voucher / vouchers / "MCO" FAQ and master thread.
Older obsolete posts from 2013 and before, can be read in: ARCHIVE: Transportation Voucher / vouchers / "MCO" FAQ and master thread (consol.).
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Transportation e- and paper Voucher / vouchers / "MCO" FAQ and master thread

Old Feb 21, 2017, 2:32 pm
  #391  
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,815
Originally Posted by RogerD408
I call BS on all three of those AA agents. For the airport agents, just because they haven't heard of it doesn't mean it doesn't exist, especially since we know it does. If you should do this again, ask them to READ the instructions online and available to them.

And there is NO rule that you have to book and ticket at the airport. And that has no been my experience of many years. I would suggest calling again and see if you get an agent that will help get the taxes back. But on a $128 ticket, that's not going to be much.
And add AA customer care as well as reservation supervisors to that group from my experience.
I was told I was completely mistaken, that of course there are taxes. They don't charge tax, they collect them for the government.
YoungBubbie is offline  
Old Feb 21, 2017, 10:25 pm
  #392  
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The only people who do the taxes thing correctly in a reliable manner are the ticket by mail people.
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Old Feb 24, 2017, 7:49 am
  #393  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Posts: 199
I don't know, the Platinum rep didn't recite the tax answers to me from memory, she did a search and read the terms she was seeing online. I can also see on my ticketed receipt that the airport reps did classify my voucher correctly and to their point, since my reservation was already on hold from the online booking all tax info populated automatically.

When reading through this thread I did not see an account where taxes were waived but the person had put the res on hold online first, if someone has had this experience do feel free to chime in.
maewest is offline  
Old Feb 24, 2017, 7:53 am
  #394  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Originally Posted by RogerD408
I call BS on all three of those AA agents. For the airport agents, just because they haven't heard of it doesn't mean it doesn't exist, especially since we know it does. If you should do this again, ask them to READ the instructions online and available to them.
Also, if anyone has a link to the instructions online where the tax info is specifically detailed, please post. I don't think pulling up this FlyertalkWiki for the agents would fly
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Old Feb 24, 2017, 3:06 pm
  #395  
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
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Ticket Status

The wiki states: (Note: vouchers are not processed sequentially based on date of voucher received at Milton Pensacola, but rather on flight dates. Flights may show as "Ticket Pending" once the voucher has been applied, and at some time prior to flight (two weeks is usual) it will show "Ticketed" and you should be able to see your ticket number, beginning with "001", in your receipt from your itinerary at aa.com or in your e-Ticket.)

I'm a bit confused as if a ticket is booked a few months in advance, if they receive the voucher now, would they not ticket until 2 weeks before the flight?
MarkP24 is offline  
Old Feb 24, 2017, 3:42 pm
  #396  
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
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Posts: 13,209
Originally Posted by MarkP24
The wiki states: (Note: vouchers are not processed sequentially based on date of voucher received at Milton Pensacola, but rather on flight dates. Flights may show as "Ticket Pending" once the voucher has been applied, and at some time prior to flight (two weeks is usual) it will show "Ticketed" and you should be able to see your ticket number, beginning with "001", in your receipt from your itinerary at aa.com or in your e-Ticket.)

I'm a bit confused as if a ticket is booked a few months in advance, if they receive the voucher now, would they not ticket until 2 weeks before the flight?
It's entirely dependent on the volume of vouchers they receive. If there is a backlog then they are processed based on the date of the first flight which is why it's important (as stated in the Wiki) to write the date of the first flight on the envelope. If there's no backlog it will probably be processed straight away even if your first flight is some time away.
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Old Feb 25, 2017, 6:05 pm
  #397  
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC/ NJ
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Posts: 2,191
Originally Posted by golfmad
It's entirely dependent on the volume of vouchers they receive. If there is a backlog then they are processed based on the date of the first flight which is why it's important (as stated in the Wiki) to write the date of the first flight on the envelope. If there's no backlog it will probably be processed straight away even if your first flight is some time away.
Thanks! That's helpful!
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Old Feb 26, 2017, 9:03 pm
  #398  
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: LAX/IAD
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just called in to apply my voucher for a flight on hold. The lady said to put my departure date, flight number, passenger name, and record locator under the return address. A bit different than the wiki
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Old Feb 27, 2017, 12:28 am
  #399  
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Originally Posted by maewest
I don't know, the Platinum rep didn't recite the tax answers to me from memory, she did a search and read the terms she was seeing online. I can also see on my ticketed receipt that the airport reps did classify my voucher correctly and to their point, since my reservation was already on hold from the online booking all tax info populated automatically.

When reading through this thread I did not see an account where taxes were waived but the person had put the res on hold online first, if someone has had this experience do feel free to chime in.

I always put my tickets on hold online, and the ticket by mail folks adjust the taxes.

It's very reliable, and the only way I'll use an AA paper voucher.
channa is offline  
Old Feb 27, 2017, 8:01 pm
  #400  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Posts: 199
Originally Posted by channa
I always put my tickets on hold online, and the ticket by mail folks adjust the taxes.

It's very reliable, and the only way I'll use an AA paper voucher.
So I assume that you extend the 24 hour online hold and mail in the voucher?
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Old Feb 27, 2017, 8:52 pm
  #401  
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
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Originally Posted by maewest
So I assume that you extend the 24 hour online hold and mail in the voucher?
If you call in and say you have a voucher to apply, they will extend the hold indefinitely, as long as you have a voucher number to give them. This will change the ticket to pending until the voucher is processed.
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Old Feb 27, 2017, 10:10 pm
  #402  
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Originally Posted by maewest
So I assume that you extend the 24 hour online hold and mail in the voucher?
Yup, as described above. I call and tell them I'm going to mail, they capture some voucher data (credit card info if it's going to go over, or if they think it's going to go over), and it flips to Pending. Mail the voucher, and a week or two later, the e-receipt shows up.

Probably did a half dozen tickets in the past year like this. Taxes were reduced every time, without exception.

Just don't question them if they ask for a payment. I had a ticket that was a few bucks over (some like $506 for a $500 voucher), they wanted a CC for the $6, I just gave it to them. When they received the voucher, they processed the ticket, didn't charge me the $6, and mailed me a residual voucher for my change.

As I said, the ticket by mail people do it right. Doesn't matter what the phone people say.
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Old Mar 9, 2017, 2:38 pm
  #403  
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 486
Possible to extend validity of voucher from VDB?

I took a bump nearly a year ago, and haven't used the voucher. It's expiring soon. Is there any way to get value out of it when I don't have any firm travel plans on AA/OW? What if I book a ticket that allows date changes on a route I know I will fly at some point?
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Old Mar 13, 2017, 9:42 am
  #404  
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Programs: British Airways
Posts: 1
Best use of a $200 American Airlines voucher from the UK?

Hi all,

On my recent LHR to CLT flight, there was an issue with the in-flight entertainment so I complained via Twitter and will receive a $200 American Airlines paper voucher.

This is great, except that I live in the UK so am trying to work out the best use of this voucher. I thought that I could redeem it on a BA flight within Europe but turns out the voucher can only be used on flights with an AA code, and AA does not operate any codeshare flights in Europe.

I also have about 30,000 or so BA miles. So I thought I could use both the miles and the voucher to subsidise a trip to NY for me and the missus, ie use the voucher to pay for half of a ticket, and the BA miles to pay for the other ticket, but given high taxes etc using miles to pay for a long-haul economy flight seems very poor value as you only get around of value 0.004 per mile.

Any ideas on how best use this voucher? I am open to any suggestions. I would hate to waste it!

Thanks,
R
Roberto Robles is offline  
Old Mar 13, 2017, 12:36 pm
  #405  
 
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 214
How to use denied boarding voucher?

I'm trying to book a flight using a voluntary denied boarding voucher for this week. If I cannot make it to the airport to redeem the voucher and it will take too long to mail in the voucher to Dallas and have it processed, are there any other options? They should make these vouchers redeemable online...
Finsup72 is offline  

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