Hold / Held Reservation repriced when using different currency at purchase
Dec 19, 2011, 12:14 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: YUL land of 'em frenchies
Posts: 196
Hold / Held Reservation repriced when using different currency at purchase
I put on hold, for the first time, a booking that morning for 430USD, which last night was around 675USD and now is back at 750USD, so it's entirely possible that is was a pricing mistake and all, but I still put it on hold, as I figured that's what ''hold''ing was for...
Now I go to pay and ta-dah ''Your itinerary has been re-priced in the currency related to the country in your credit card billing address.'' at 831.64CAD
It's still supposedly on hold until midnight tomorrow, so is there any chance/way I would be able to get it for 430 USD? I'll trek to the airport before tomorrow if I have to, but if it's pointless then I'll just stay in bed...
Also, then what is the point of holding if they re-price it anyways when you try to pay?
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MODERATOR'S NOTE
While the caveats regarding fare rules and hold expirations posted downthread are correct, this particular issue results from a special case in which the currency used for purchase does not match the currency used for the original reservation hold. The fix was posted downthread by the OP:
For general information on Hold Reservations, please see the FAQ:
• How long can I hold a reservation at a guaranteed price? / What can I do if my held reservation reprices at purchase?
dstan
AA Forum Co-Moderator
Now I go to pay and ta-dah ''Your itinerary has been re-priced in the currency related to the country in your credit card billing address.'' at 831.64CAD
It's still supposedly on hold until midnight tomorrow, so is there any chance/way I would be able to get it for 430 USD? I'll trek to the airport before tomorrow if I have to, but if it's pointless then I'll just stay in bed...
Also, then what is the point of holding if they re-price it anyways when you try to pay?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MODERATOR'S NOTE
While the caveats regarding fare rules and hold expirations posted downthread are correct, this particular issue results from a special case in which the currency used for purchase does not match the currency used for the original reservation hold. The fix was posted downthread by the OP:
Hi,
It was indeed the currency thing. I called AA reservations where I was told that if the currency of the held booking does not match the CC currency, then it was re-priced as if a whole new booking, so at current prices. He also told me that I could call web services and for a 25$ fee, they could simply convert the 430USD to 441 CAD(excellent rate really, a few pennies away from the XE.com rate :-
, which they did, but I was not even charged the 25$ fee!
Very good experience all in all
It was indeed the currency thing. I called AA reservations where I was told that if the currency of the held booking does not match the CC currency, then it was re-priced as if a whole new booking, so at current prices. He also told me that I could call web services and for a 25$ fee, they could simply convert the 430USD to 441 CAD(excellent rate really, a few pennies away from the XE.com rate :-
, which they did, but I was not even charged the 25$ fee!Very good experience all in all
• How long can I hold a reservation at a guaranteed price? / What can I do if my held reservation reprices at purchase?
dstan
AA Forum Co-Moderator
Last edited by dstan; Dec 20, 2011 at 3:11 pm
Dec 19, 2011, 12:50 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
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Posts: 21,587
I've had that happen a couple of times. I just called AA and the agent corrected the pricing for me back to the held price.
Dec 19, 2011, 4:36 pm
#3
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Ireland
Programs: AA PLT 2MM, IHG Plat
Posts: 3,566
I have a Euro denominated credit card with a UK address. When I've tried to pay for a US$ held itinerary using this card it reprices it in GBP. Not a big deal when it hasn't changed but a nuisance when you've snagged a deal. In the past I've got around it by calling AA reservations who charge the US$ held amount to the card when ticketing over the phone.
Dec 19, 2011, 5:15 pm
#4
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: DFW
Programs: AS, BA, AA
Posts: 3,670
You might call web services. They seem to be able to occasionally work a little magic when things go awry with a held reservation on AA.com.
Dec 19, 2011, 5:21 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Location: NYC, USA
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Note that when you hold a reservation on AA.com, the fare is "guaranteed for up to 24 hours".... not necessarily the full 24 hours.
Try booking a PNR right now and putting it on hold. Check the bottom of the screen and that's what it will say.
If the fare changes within the 24 hours, you MIGHT be able to get Web Services to restore the original fare. But then again, you might not.
IMHO, the price is not truly guaranteed until you pull the trigger.
Try booking a PNR right now and putting it on hold. Check the bottom of the screen and that's what it will say.
If the fare changes within the 24 hours, you MIGHT be able to get Web Services to restore the original fare. But then again, you might not.
IMHO, the price is not truly guaranteed until you pull the trigger.
Dec 19, 2011, 5:55 pm
#6
Join Date: Aug 2010
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 599
Had this happen the other day and realized it was my fault (hold repriced on ORD-SFO at midnight CST, but I'm in PST and overlooked), but they fixed it anyway by allowing me to ticket over the phone with web services at held price.
Dec 19, 2011, 6:04 pm
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,738
The 24 hours is based on the departure city's time zone - so be careful on that.
Web service almost always is able to restore the held price when the price changed at ticketing. Not guarantee but I have not had any failure so far, knock on wood.
Web service almost always is able to restore the held price when the price changed at ticketing. Not guarantee but I have not had any failure so far, knock on wood.
Dec 19, 2011, 6:20 pm
#8
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Agreed. Done it literally dozens of times, never had a problem restoring the price.
Dec 19, 2011, 6:48 pm
#9
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Dec 19, 2011, 7:44 pm
#10
Moderator: New York City and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2007
Programs: AA PLT, Natl EC
Posts: 10,855
The issue here is that you held it in US$ and tried to pay with a Canadian credit card. If you had selected your country of residence as Canada it wouldn't have been an issue and your itinerary would have been held at the CA$ equivalent of US$430.
I have a Euro denominated credit card with a UK address. When I've tried to pay for a US$ held itinerary using this card it reprices it in GBP. Not a big deal when it hasn't changed but a nuisance when you've snagged a deal. In the past I've got around it by calling AA reservations who charge the US$ held amount to the card when ticketing over the phone.
I have a Euro denominated credit card with a UK address. When I've tried to pay for a US$ held itinerary using this card it reprices it in GBP. Not a big deal when it hasn't changed but a nuisance when you've snagged a deal. In the past I've got around it by calling AA reservations who charge the US$ held amount to the card when ticketing over the phone.
Good catch - we'll hope to hear back from the OP to determine whether this is a foreign currency issue, which would certainly merit keeping the thread separate, or a run-of-the-mill Hold repricing/expiring issue, for which there are solutions provided in the FAQ and by helpful members above.
/Moderator
Dec 20, 2011, 7:31 am
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: YUL land of 'em frenchies
Posts: 196
Good catch - we'll hope to hear back from the OP to determine whether this is a foreign currency issue, which would certainly merit keeping the thread separate, or a run-of-the-mill Hold repricing/expiring issue, for which there are solutions provided in the FAQ and by helpful members above.
/Moderator
It was indeed the currency thing. I called AA reservations where I was told that if the currency of the held booking does not match the CC currency, then it was re-priced as if a whole new booking, so at current prices. He also told me that I could call web services and for a 25$ fee, they could simply convert the 430USD to 441 CAD(excellent rate really, a few pennies away from the XE.com rate :-
, which they did, but I was not even charged the 25$ fee!Very good experience all in all
Dec 20, 2011, 7:55 am
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold, AA EXP, UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21,587
It was indeed the currency thing. I called AA reservations where I was told that if the currency of the held booking does not match the CC currency, then it was re-priced as if a whole new booking, so at current prices. He also told me that I could call web services and for a 25$ fee, they could simply convert the 430USD to 441 CAD(excellent rate really, a few pennies away from the XE.com rate :-, which they did, but I was not even charged the 25$ fee!
Very good experience all in all
, which they did, but I was not even charged the 25$ fee!Very good experience all in all
Last edited by SFO777; Dec 20, 2011 at 8:01 am
Dec 20, 2011, 2:56 pm
#13
Moderator: New York City and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2007
Programs: AA PLT, Natl EC
Posts: 10,855
Hi,
It was indeed the currency thing. I called AA reservations where I was told that if the currency of the held booking does not match the CC currency, then it was re-priced as if a whole new booking, so at current prices. He also told me that I could call web services and for a 25$ fee, they could simply convert the 430USD to 441 CAD(excellent rate really, a few pennies away from the XE.com rate :-, which they did, but I was not even charged the 25$ fee!
Very good experience all in all
It was indeed the currency thing. I called AA reservations where I was told that if the currency of the held booking does not match the CC currency, then it was re-priced as if a whole new booking, so at current prices. He also told me that I could call web services and for a 25$ fee, they could simply convert the 430USD to 441 CAD(excellent rate really, a few pennies away from the XE.com rate :-
, which they did, but I was not even charged the 25$ fee!Very good experience all in all
Edited to add: And now it's done and a note has been added to the OP and the thread retitled for clarity.
Last edited by dstan; Dec 20, 2011 at 3:22 pm
