Originally Posted by
TomWinMD
In reading them, I think what bothers me the most about this is the fact that I paid for a service, and the vendor I paid is determining when and how long I had to use that service. If you buy a computer from Dell, and cancel the order, you get your money refunded/don't get billed. If I put money down on a car, I can get it back if the sale isn't completed.
In this case, a transportation vendor is dictating how long I had to use the service I paid for, without regard for whatever my travel plans (or lack thereof) were - that is not their call.
Not necessarily. If you put a deposit down on a car, house etc. and walk away outside of the agreed upon period, you forfeit whatever was paid. Earnest money on a house, a cruise, exhibition space at a conference etc. are a few examples that function the same way. As part of purchasing x service, there is an mutually agreed upon set of terms that can vary. AA and other airlines do offer full refundability and flexibility, albeit at a higher cost.
In this case, AA went beyond the agreed terms and extended credits etc. multiple times.