Originally Posted by
USFlyerUS
Got it. Then it appears aa.com is a bit outdated or misleading, which of course won't surprise any of us.
This means that ANY unused ticket then can effectively be reused for anyone? Is that really the case?
I'm not sure if it is true in every case, but it does seem that this is the case for more flights now than before. I've had some random cases that resulted in paper vouchers, so not confident in saying it's definitive.
It makes my life a lot easier as I plan and purchase the flights for my extended family, so being able to easily roll the credits around and use them myself is great.
Originally Posted by
USFlyerUS
Something did change. There is a screen shot of the prior version of the table here:
https://onemileatatime.com/guides/am...light%20credit. "Canceled" moved from the flight to the trip column. However, I'm unclear what the difference is then between a "cancelled" ticket and an "unused" ticket, except of course that an "unused" ticket is one still attached to an active reservation. But, then why would you need a flight credit for an active reservation? Either I'm missing something obvious or the table is confusing (or both).
Edited to add: Someone in the comments at the onemileatatime link said that cancelling via aa.com results in a trip credit yet cancelling via a phone call to Reservations results in a flight credit. Is this true?
Yea, it appears that the distinction is where the flight was canceled from. From the FAQs:
I have a non-refundable ticket; can I use it for future travel?
Yes, you can apply the unused value of your ticket towards future travel on American, depending on the fare rules.
- If you cancel your trip on aa.com before departure, we will cancel your ticket and issue a Trip Credit. Your Trip Credit will be valid until the date listed on the credit.
- If you cancel your trip through any other channel, we will cancel your ticket and issue a Flight Credit. When using your Flight Credit travel must begin within 1 year from the date your ticket was first issued. You may be charged a change fee and any difference in ticket price.