AA screwed me over on a complex trip I had planned from Boise, Idaho, to Geneva, CH, departing on the 13th of Dec. and returning just after Christmas. I set this trip up to get maximum BA "Tier Points," but it was a real trip where I was going to meet up with friends in Europe and also spend a number of days in Burgundy visiting favorite restaurants. Every segment was in 1st Class, including RT Transcon A321 T flights between LAX and JFK, plus 777-300 ERs between JFK and LHR, also in 1st. BA canceled my LHR-GVA segment on the outbound, so I called into AA expecting to have them change me over to one of the remaining flights on that route. Instead, the agent told me that he couldn't do that, he would have to rebook my entire outbound. First he offered me a BA nonstop flight between LAX and LHR a day later than I was originally scheduled for, and told me that it was in 1st. Later, it turned out that the flight was actually in business, not 1st. I had plans for my first day in Europe which I didn't want to cancel, so he looked for other options and came back with an itinerary from San Diego to LHR, which he also said was in First Class. I asked him what would happen if I just showed up at the airport with my original ticket and he told me that my original outbound had already been canceled "on their side."

So he sends me what I thought would be an itinerary to look at but instead it was an actual rebooking, and the long haul flight on BA turned out to be in Business Class; my original ticket was in 1st. I told him that was unacceptable and then he tried to convince me that my original ticket was in Business, which it most definitely was NOT, and I told him that I would NOT accept what he had sent me, the business class itinerary. He then said that I had no choice other than to accept that or to get a refund. I told him I'd take the refund. So he cancels this replacement itinerary which I never accepted (all of this happened within the space of a single phone call, the new itinerary, my rejection of this, and the cancellation notice, which was a cancelation of the new itinerary not of the original one.)

I filed online for a refund 5 days ago. Everything I can pull up on the website gives me the impression that they are "considering" giving me a refund and they will get back to me. After 5 days of this nonsense, I have filed for a chargeback on my credit card. There is no one to call, only an indication that I can send them a letter by USPS or a Fax (who on earth has a fax machine in Dec. 2021?)

Is there anything else I can do with these people? I have no experience with AA, and given this experience it will be a long time, probably forever, before I try to fly them again. AA ruined my trip, cost me hundreds of dollars in hotel and other cancelation fees, and now they won't refund my ~$4K in ticket fees when they canceled my itinerary for a 1.5 hour flight at the end of a long itinerary?

I'd hate to have to take them to small claims court, but I will do so if they don't refund my ticket and if my Visa card bank doesn't honor the chargeback.

Any suggestions?