We have business awards ticketed via AA on BA and AA originating in IST (IST-LHR-BOS). No plans to cancel, but given all the crazy mishaps I'm reading about, I want to make sure I understand the AA award cancelation policy so I can purchase appropriate travel insurance. According to AA's website, we should be able to cancel any time before departure from IST and get all the points and fees/taxes back. Is this correct? My hesitation relates to the fact that the trip starts outside North America.
Canceling flight awards and reinstating miles
If your plans change and you no longer wish to travel, you can cancel your trip anytime on aa.com. We’ll reinstate your miles and refund eligible taxes and fees up to 1 year after the ticket issue date, but you have to cancel your trip before the first flight departs. If you cancel your trip on aa.com, your miles will be reinstated and your refund will be requested automatically in most cases. There is no fee to reinstate your miles.
Find your trip
Contact Reservations for help reinstating miles on a trip that:
Has already started
Involves travel on partner airlines
Was booked outside the U.S. or on an international version of aa.com
Has been changed since the ticket was originally issued
Contact Reservations
Refunds of taxes and fees will be issued in full amounts, less:
Sale-imposed nonrefundable taxes
Taxes we must pay whether or not you travel
Some countries have different rules about refunds, and if so, we will follow those rules.