Ticket partially paid for using AA GC, does refund have to be as vouchers?
Jan 28, 2013, 10:12 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 144
Ticket partially paid for using AA GC, does refund have to be as vouchers?
My friends cajoled me into making a boys-only trip to LA, Feb 16th - Feb 18th.
So I looked up the fares and put a $720 domestic first RT on hold, intending to purchase it once I got back home.
Once I got home and purchased it, paying $400 in AA GC and rest with my Citibank AA card. To my horror, I realized that I had booked the return date as March 18th instead of Feb 18th.
Immediately called up AA and an agent told me that my transaction has not gone through yet so he could re-route my return flight. He put me on LA-LAX-DFW for Feb 18th. I never asked if there would be a fare difference, nor did he mention anything.
I hung up and checked my revised itinerary and realized that the cost now was $2000 and my CC was showing a charge of $1600!
Called up AA again. The second agent told me that because my transaction was still being processed when I requested for the date change, the first agent was able to change it without the system prompting him for my CC and CVV number.
She then asked me to put a new itinerary on hold and give her the record locator number which she proceeded to book for me. It ended up costing me $900. The reminder, around $1100 would be refunded to me in form of vouchers. I asked if I could get the remaining credited to my CC and she said no.
I probably will end up using the voucher at some later date. But in the meantime, do I have any other option of converting this voucher to CC credits?
So I looked up the fares and put a $720 domestic first RT on hold, intending to purchase it once I got back home.
Once I got home and purchased it, paying $400 in AA GC and rest with my Citibank AA card. To my horror, I realized that I had booked the return date as March 18th instead of Feb 18th.
Immediately called up AA and an agent told me that my transaction has not gone through yet so he could re-route my return flight. He put me on LA-LAX-DFW for Feb 18th. I never asked if there would be a fare difference, nor did he mention anything.
I hung up and checked my revised itinerary and realized that the cost now was $2000 and my CC was showing a charge of $1600!
Called up AA again. The second agent told me that because my transaction was still being processed when I requested for the date change, the first agent was able to change it without the system prompting him for my CC and CVV number.
She then asked me to put a new itinerary on hold and give her the record locator number which she proceeded to book for me. It ended up costing me $900. The reminder, around $1100 would be refunded to me in form of vouchers. I asked if I could get the remaining credited to my CC and she said no.
I probably will end up using the voucher at some later date. But in the meantime, do I have any other option of converting this voucher to CC credits?
Jan 28, 2013, 10:57 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SJC
Programs: AA EXP, BA Silver, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 33,533
You're effectively getting a change-fee-free refund of what I assume to be a non-refundable fare. These are refunded to vouchers. I guess you could try to push further to try and get the CC credit but, as it seems that these were your mistakes, and not AA's, it may be more difficult to persuade them.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Jan 28, 2013, 11:52 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 144
I guess getting the CC refund option is out of question now. And I agree, I am responsible for getting into the mess.
I was just wondering if there are any other ways to liquidate the vouchers besides actually travelling.
I was just wondering if there are any other ways to liquidate the vouchers besides actually travelling.
Jan 28, 2013, 12:09 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, AS MVPG, HH Diamond, NCL Platinum Plus, MSC Diamond
Posts: 21,422
It is rather odd for a ticket agent not to inform you of a fare difference.
Jan 28, 2013, 2:19 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 144
Yes, it is.
When I called the second agent, she first asked me how was it possible that there was a fare difference and I was not asked to provide consent as I would need to provide the CVV number atleast.
I reiterated the fact that no, I was not told about the fare difference. At this point, she put me on hold for 15 mins. Then she came back and told me that this happened because my original transaction was still being processed in the back-end, allowing the first agent to re-route and re-price. I guess because there was no prompt for the CVV, the first agent did not realize that I would end up being charged extra.
EDIT: I remember the first agent telling me that he will put me on another flight on the date I wanted but it has to be done in the same fare class that my original booking was on.
When I called the second agent, she first asked me how was it possible that there was a fare difference and I was not asked to provide consent as I would need to provide the CVV number atleast.
I reiterated the fact that no, I was not told about the fare difference. At this point, she put me on hold for 15 mins. Then she came back and told me that this happened because my original transaction was still being processed in the back-end, allowing the first agent to re-route and re-price. I guess because there was no prompt for the CVV, the first agent did not realize that I would end up being charged extra.
EDIT: I remember the first agent telling me that he will put me on another flight on the date I wanted but it has to be done in the same fare class that my original booking was on.