The OP says that she and her husband are having trouble with Expedia but the points she makes confuse me. A change fee would apply if she decided to take a different flight. This is not what happened. Instead, she says that they were booked onto a more expensive AA flight - there is no change fee that could be refunded so why expect it? The amount collected by Expedia for a flight that was not booked seems to be the issue that needs clarification. I've found that Expedia does their job and will go to a higher level if needed. I would put the story in writing and send a letter to Expedia and insist on receiving a written response. Multi-hour phone calls have no clear record and things easily get misunderstood despite good intentions. Expedia is a reputable organization - they do slip up but they should want to correct their errors.