Originally Posted by
furnace
My understanding (and experience) is that you need to book a new trip with the value of the trip credit or higher before it expires and that the new flight must be after the original trip credit's expiration date. You then need to wait until the trip credit would have expired before canceling the new flight. If you cancel the trip after the original trip credit expires, you will be issued a new trip credit with an expiration date one year from the date you canceled it—effectively extending the credit.
It may not get back a trip credit. I reported upthread that a ticket booked with full value of trip credit + $11 CC payment. At cancellation (passed the original trip credit expiration), got a FLIGHT CREDIT instead. Worse, the cancellation email only gave ticket number, without the value or the expiration date.
Calling AA the agent at first was surprised that a Flight Credit was issued instead of a Trip Credit. After contacting Help Desk she came back to inform me because the canceled ticket was purchased with a Trip Credit, at cancellation, ONLY FLIGHT CREDIT would be issued. THIS, of course, contradicted with all previous DPs, especially that "adding an extra $ above the trip credit value" method that has been working for very long. I dont know whether AA has plugged the loophole or it is one of those inconsistent things AA system generates.
Though I strongly suspect if you do a CHANGE first whether it is for refare or for same fare but different flights, thus triggers a reissuance of ticket, then cancel the reissued ticket - chances are good that you would get back a New Trip Credit. I should have done a Change first then cancel because a previous refare then cancel, resulted to a Trip Credit on the fare difference, AND a Trip Credit on the canceled ticket. Both of course have new expiration dates.
I have written to Refund Request to ask for reissuance of Trip Credit because the original passenger is old aged, and has existing health conditions with the doctor advised him to cut down on long distant air travel. 2 weeks later got a response from Customer Relations with a Request reference number.
After haven't heard anything for another week, I decided to submit a request using Customer Relations online form under Complaint / Travel Credit. This channel after 3 email exchanges was successful in getting AA reissued a Trip Credit that is forfeited due to Ticket Office agent error in the past.
Update today 08.07.24
AA Customer Relations came thru. Received an email and Trip Credit to replace the Flight Credit.
