OP Here. AA approved my refund yesterday. The basis for my refund request was "change of carrier."
Main takeaways:
1. Call center agents are not empowered to handle these situations so calling the call center is not likely to be a good use of one's time.
2. Change of carrier appears to be a valid reason for refund and people who work in the refund group seem to be able to process this information accurately.
Unresolved question: do you really need a 4+ hour schedule change to be eligible for a refund? I don't know because in my refund request I only invoked the change in carrier.
I thank everyone for their advice in this matter!
If you are wondering where the 4 hour requirement is mentioned, it is listed in the AA Conditions of Carriage --
https://www.aa.com/i18n/customer-ser...f-carriage.jspNon-refundable tickets
We don't refund cash for non-refundable tickets. But if you cancel your trip before departure, we will then cancel the ticket and issue a credit you can use toward future travel on American. You'll need to book a new trip with your credit within 1 year (a change fee and any difference in ticket price may apply).
We will refund a non-refundable ticket (or the value of the unused segment of your trip) to the original form of payment if:
- You cancel within 24 hours of booking (and booked at least 2 days before departure).
- We cancel your flight
- We make a schedule change that results in a change of more than 4 hours to your departure time
- A passenger or their travel companion dies. (Supporting paperwork is required)
- Military orders require you to cancel your trip. (Supporting paperwork is required)
If you bought your ticket through a travel agency or another booking source, contact them for a refund.