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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 Apr 1, 2018, 10:58 pm
  #541  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: LAS/DXB
Programs: LH HON
Posts: 1,193
Originally Posted by RogerD408
Many of these are issued at the gate and printed on ticket stock. The hope is you will lose the voucher and they won't have to pay it out. Probably sames them thousands of dollars a year. There's been talk of going electronic for a few years, but I'm sure the redemption rate is much higher so they have no incentive to force the change.

Another data point is it seems they know if/when a voucher has been redeemed. If you mail in the voucher and they don't receive it, they can apply the voucher to get the ticket issued. Hmmm???
And here we go. Called EXP hotline to make a reservation, mentioning the vouchers, Received an address in Hong Kong (presumably ticketing office) and sent them via mail, but AA claims they have never received them. It's currently being escalated to higher management, as I call ........ on this. It's 3x600 USD voucher, so we're not talking peanuts.
ckx2 is offline  
Old Apr 2, 2018, 8:21 am
  #542  
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Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: South Florida
Programs: AA LTG (EXP), Hilton Silver (Dia), Marriott LTP (PP), SPG LTG (P) > MPG LTPP
Posts: 11,329
Originally Posted by ckx2
And here we go. Called EXP hotline to make a reservation, mentioning the vouchers, Received an address in Hong Kong (presumably ticketing office) and sent them via mail, but AA claims they have never received them. It's currently being escalated to higher management, as I call ........ on this. It's 3x600 USD voucher, so we're not talking peanuts.
Good luck, hopefully you will get someone that looks beyond the first paragraph of rules. I hope you made a copy, and did you send it with any sort of delivery acknowledgement (if that's available)? Given the number of pieces they get, having one or two go missing is not outrageous, just sucks when you're one of those. If you have a copy, then you should be able to give them the number and they can still process it blocking any further use. I'm sure their game plan is that we will misplace these or just forget we have them and that's money in their pocket. Going electronic is a step forward. The next step is to account for them online and offer them up the next time we try to buy a ticket. But I'm not expecting that anytime soon.
RogerD408 is offline  
Old Apr 3, 2018, 1:35 pm
  #543  
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: HYI/AUS/SAT originally TTN/EWR/PHL
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards, Jetblue TrueBlue, American Advantage
Posts: 1,189
My parents just got an email from AA w subject "AA eTDS notification" they were issued a refund voucher for the difference after they used a paper voucher to book a flight. Does this mean they were issued a evoucher for their refund or is this just a confirmation that a paper voucher has been issued
Jerseyguy is offline  
Old Apr 5, 2018, 8:30 am
  #544  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: New Orleans (MSY)
Programs: AA EXP, IHG PLT, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Explorist, Amtrak, WN
Posts: 2,617
Originally Posted by Jerseyguy
My parents just got an email from AA w subject "AA eTDS notification" they were issued a refund voucher for the difference after they used a paper voucher to book a flight. Does this mean they were issued a evoucher for their refund or is this just a confirmation that a paper voucher has been issued
For me, this was just a confirmation that a paper voucher was issued. I received a paper voucher in the mail about two weeks later.
brewdog11 is offline  
Old Apr 6, 2018, 12:36 pm
  #545  
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: TPA
Programs: BA Silver; Hilton Diamond; IHG Diamond; Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,806
Unhappy AA software screws up again

I booked a trip a little after 11PM and put it on hold because I had a voucher to use. I called AA and after several minutes (around 1120) got through to an agent who told me it had been cancelled, due to exceeding 24 hours. It seems that booking and holding that close to midnight local time causes AA software to get confused?

I waited until after midnight to try again, and was more successful that time.
SpammersAreScum is offline  
Old Apr 8, 2018, 1:21 pm
  #546  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 1,855
Had a wonderful experience using an 11 month old bump voucher today. Zero sarcasm, I could not have asked for a better result. I arrived at FLL at a little before 3p, and there was no line for the bag / ticketing agent. I had the flight I wanted to book in mind, and he was able to pull it up immediately. He warned me that I might see a discounted price, and he'd have to charge me more, but it came up at the same absurdly low price. He did try to sell me on 'upgrading' to regular economy, but an extra $133 for a $53 flight didn't appeal to me in the least. I no longer have any status with AA, but I was not charged an in person fee, despite not putting it on hold before approaching the counter.

He had my receipt and residual voucher printed in no time. I think it may take longer for me to type this than it did to complete the entire process. As a somewhat unexpected bonus, the residual voucher is valid for a year from today, rather than from the date of the original voucher. We were going to have to take an unplanned trip to use the remaining value, now we can wait for some great deal in the future. Kudos all around.
synergistic is offline  
Old Apr 8, 2018, 1:53 pm
  #547  
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 7,887
The last 2 vouchers I sent were ticketed within 24 hours of receipt. I used priority mail to Pensacola if that matters. Maybe it was just luck.
rrgg is online now  
Old Apr 11, 2018, 11:44 pm
  #548  
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: WN CP & A-List, National ES
Posts: 163
I put a flight on hold and ticketed at the airport using a voucher today but I think I need to change or cancel the flight. I am still within 24 hours and the flight isnt for 2 months. Can I claim the 24 hour refund? What will happen? Will I get a new paper voucher for the amount? Will it be an evoucher? Anyone have any experience with this? Thanks.
kpott is offline  
Old Apr 12, 2018, 6:23 am
  #549  
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: AA PLT, IHG Spire
Posts: 547
Originally Posted by kpott
I put a flight on hold and ticketed at the airport using a voucher today but I think I need to change or cancel the flight. I am still within 24 hours and the flight isnt for 2 months. Can I claim the 24 hour refund? What will happen? Will I get a new paper voucher for the amount? Will it be an evoucher? Anyone have any experience with this? Thanks.
You should still have your 24 hr cancellation window, I can't say what type of voucher you would get, but I would be expecting one.

If you know what change you need to have made, call up AA and I think they can process it as an exchange transaction without issuing a voucher. Unless your new flight is cheaper, then your change would be in a voucher form.
MathMusic is offline  
Old Apr 12, 2018, 10:06 am
  #550  
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 49
Can I still extend voucher's expiration date by booking/canceling a refundable flight

I went through the voucher's master thread and I stumbled upon contradicting posts: while some of the early ones suggested that by canceling a fully refundable ticket purchased with a voucher I could extend its expiration date by a year, the later post claimed that the new voucher issued after the cancellation would have the original expiration date. Mine is due to expire in a month so I have to make a decision soon.
tenant13 is offline  
Old Apr 13, 2018, 5:06 pm
  #551  
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: TPA
Programs: BA Silver; Hilton Diamond; IHG Diamond; Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,806
Originally Posted by SpammersAreScum
I booked a trip a little after 11PM and put it on hold because I had a voucher to use. I called AA and after several minutes (around 1120) got through to an agent who told me it had been cancelled, due to exceeding 24 hours. It seems that booking and holding that close to midnight local time causes AA software to get confused?

I waited until after midnight to try again, and was more successful that time.
I mailed my voucher to Pensacola on Apr 6, Certified / Return Receipt. On Apr 11 I got email with trip confirmation. Can't complain about that. Maybe living near Tampa knocked a day or two off the mail delivery time.
SpammersAreScum is offline  
Old Apr 13, 2018, 7:41 pm
  #552  
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 7,887
I used a voucher to gift a ticket to a family member. Shes across the country and will visit next month.

AA issued a new voucher in my name for the remainder but mailed it to her! Is this normal? I never mentioned her address in my letter sent with the voucher. AA pulled it from her aadvantage account.
If thats their policy it is idiotic.
rrgg is online now  
Old Apr 17, 2018, 11:46 am
  #553  
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 11
I'm in the same situation as tenant13. My paper voucher expires at end April, so I'd be grateful to know what will happen if I buy a refundable ticket with it, and try to claim a refund in future. Thanks.

Last edited by minkeygirl; Apr 17, 2018 at 11:47 am Reason: typo
minkeygirl is offline  
Old Apr 17, 2018, 12:31 pm
  #554  
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Kansas City, MO
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 3,643
Can I use e vouchers in 2 different names for one ticket? I have $500 voucher and my husband has a $500 e voucher. Can I buy myself a $1000 ticket and use both vouchers to cover it?
Would I have to call in to do this or can it be done online?
susiesan is offline  
Old May 1, 2018, 2:07 pm
  #555  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: New Orleans (MSY)
Programs: AA EXP, IHG PLT, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Explorist, Amtrak, WN
Posts: 2,617
Anyone know what happens if I called AA to put a ticket on hold to use a voucher but don't want to fly anymore? I haven't mailed the voucher yet, so it's still in my possession. Will any penalties be incurred?
brewdog11 is offline  

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