Originally Posted by Often1

First question is whether your friends each had an e-ticket number. Not a confirmation or itinerary, but an e-ticket. If they have an Amex confirmation # and not an e-ticket, then it really is on Amex to get them home. Whether Amex does that by using its back channels to get the original reservation reinstated and at the price it would have paid or by some other means is not your friends' concern.

Thank you for clarifying. I’ll send this to them.

Getting all of this done is going to take a lot of time, patience and Skype.

Yeah...

Any chance that $800 fare is available on the way back? If so, might seem to be a great deal and might be an outstanding result.

I’m glad you asked that. It seems JetBlue is dumping some really cheap fares close to departure, but I could be wrong. Currently some $800 fares back in the next day or two. Will be interesting to see if that continues. They’re trying to fly home from CPT on the 4th and it legitimately might be the busiest day of the year at that airport. All the long-hauls appear to be at or near Y0.

Star Alliance is typically best for releasing close-in award space so I’m keeping an eye on that as well in hopes of getting them a saver award flight home. These are all backup plans to AmEx making it right.

For the benefit of others, always check that you have e-tickets with a 17-digit e-ticket number covering all segments of the itinerary. It takes about 30 seconds to review what typically arrives via email or which can be pulled up online from the ticketing carrier. Never rely on any other document as it is the e-ticket which the carrier uses to get paid.