Originally Posted by
Dave Noble
According to the DOT rules, it is specifically to allow you to cancel
date coming back?
Looking at QF's O fares for that date (r/t )
Code:
CHANGES
ANY TIME
CHARGE USD 250.00 FOR REISSUE/REVALIDATION.
WAIVED FOR DEATH OF PASSENGER OR FAMILY MEMBER.
NOTE - TEXT BELOW NOT VALIDATED FOR AUTOPRICING.
DATE CHANGES AND REROUTING PERMITTED. FLIGHT
CHANGES AND REBOOKING MUST OCCUR ON SAME DAY
AND APPLICABLE CHARGE APPLIES AS PER RULE.
TICKET MUST BE REISSUED. ADDITIONAL COLLECTION MAY
APPLY ON REROUTED TICKET. FARE DOWNGRADING NOT
PERMITTED. IF LOWER SEASONALITY OR FARE OCCUR AT
TIME OF CHANGE TICKET MUST BE REISSUED USING
ORIGINAL FARE AND FARE BASIS OR REISSUE WITH EQUAL
OR HIGHER VALUE. IF REBOOKING DOES NOT OCCUR AT
TIME OF CHANGE THEN CANCELLATION CONDITION
WILL APPLY.
.
.
.
..
ANY TIME
TICKET IS NON-REFUNDABLE.
NOTE - TEXT BELOW NOT VALIDATED FOR AUTOPRICING.
CUSTOMERS WHO PURCHASE A TICKET IN THE
UNITED STATES FOR TRAVEL ON QANTAS MAY
CANCEL THEIR RESERVATIONS AND REFUND
TICKET WITHOUT CHARGE WITHIN 24 HOURS
OF TICKETING WHEN PURCHASE IS ONE WEEK
OR MORE PRIOR TO DEPARTURE OF THE FIRST
FLIGHT IN THE ITITNERARY.
The fare rules explicitly state that cancellation is permitted within 24 hours where travel is > 1 week away. There is no provision for waived change fees
$300 seems like an AA agent was assuming rather than checking the applicable rules
This fare , if cancelled after 24 hours, would have no value at all
DOT only requires that a carrier offer 24-hour cancellation or a hold. AA offers (or at least at the time of the booking, would have) the hold, so there is no fee free cancellation.
Thus, what the agent offered, e.g., a change waiver, but not a cancellation waiver, was simply a customer service gesture. A very odd customer service gesture and also odd because OP says the fare was still available.
Something is just missing from OP's posts, but there is nothing which an AA supervisor can't pull out of the PNR code and provide at least factual detail which OP can then use to come back here with for advice.