Jan 14, 2015, 11:06 am
Last edit by: JDiver
Free 24 hr. Hold For Reservations Made Within 7 Days Of Travel No Longer Offered
Note: AA no longer refunds tickets purchased within the seven days of flight time frame when one cancels within 24 hours, as of 12 June 2015.
Please follow that topic / policy here: AA No more Refunds within 24 hours if booked inside 7 day window
The 24-hour reservation requirement is mandated by the Department of Transportation’s consumer rule “Enhancing Airline Passenger Protections” (14 CFR 259.5(b)(4), 76 Fed. Reg. 23110, 23166, Apr. 25, 2011) and applies to all reservations made seven days or more prior to the flight’s scheduled departure time.
1) Allowing one to "hold" a booking for 24 hours rather than purchase immediately. Unfortunately, some may not know this and purchase thinking they can cancel within 24 hours free of fees or cost.
Q: How do I "Hold" a reservation?
A: You may place your reservation on hold for 24 hours if you are booking your reservation seven or more days prior to departure. When you make a reservation on aa.com for American Airlines flights, including American flights operated by codeshare partners, look for the “Free 24 hour hold” option on the “Review and Pay” page during the booking process.
AA Reservations FAQ - Link
A: You may place your reservation on hold for 24 hours if you are booking your reservation seven or more days prior to departure. When you make a reservation on aa.com for American Airlines flights, including American flights operated by codeshare partners, look for the “Free 24 hour hold” option on the “Review and Pay” page during the booking process.
AA Reservations FAQ - Link
Hold Your Reservation On aa.com (Link)
As a convenience for your travel planning, aa.com offers hold* options during booking. You may place your reservation on hold for up to 24 hours for free, or you may pay to place your reservation on hold for an extended time period. When you make a reservation on aa.com for American Airlines flights, including American flights operated by codeshare partners, look for the "Hold" option on the "Review and Pay" page during the booking process.
Hold your reservation for 24 hours or more
Book your flight now!
* Actual hold period depends on fare rules. Some fares require purchase by a specific time.
As a convenience for your travel planning, aa.com offers hold* options during booking. You may place your reservation on hold for up to 24 hours for free, or you may pay to place your reservation on hold for an extended time period. When you make a reservation on aa.com for American Airlines flights, including American flights operated by codeshare partners, look for the "Hold" option on the "Review and Pay" page during the booking process.
Hold your reservation for 24 hours or more
* Did you find a good fare, but need more time? Hold your trip.
Here's how it works: * All holds are free for the first 24 hours.
* If you choose to hold longer, you’ll be charged after 24 hours.
* Hold charges are non-refundable.
* When you’re ready, go to the confirmation email or My Trips to pay for or cancel your trip.
* Be sure to pay with a credit card from the same country you used to hold your trip or your fare may change.
Once you select the Hold option, the Free Hold and Extended Hold offers will display:* If you choose to hold longer, you’ll be charged after 24 hours.
* Hold charges are non-refundable.
* When you’re ready, go to the confirmation email or My Trips to pay for or cancel your trip.
* Be sure to pay with a credit card from the same country you used to hold your trip or your fare may change.
Book your flight now!
* Actual hold period depends on fare rules. Some fares require purchase by a specific time.
Link to PDF USDOT "Guidance on the 24-Hour Reservation Requirement"
Updated 1 July 2015
No More Free 24 hr. Hold For Reservations Made Within 7 Days Of Travel
Mar 26, 2014, 11:11 am
#46
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: LAX, PHL, SAF
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 301
I think the post was referring to people buying refundable tickets to hold seats . Then when they asked for a refund those biz or first seats would open up. This is something discussed in another thread( but I don't know how to link it, sorry)
Mar 26, 2014, 11:14 am
#47
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: LONDON
Programs: CX DM, BA G4L, QR PLT, EK PLT, Hyatt CourtesyC, HH DM, SQ PPS, BonvoyTit, UK, VS, UA, DL, AA
Posts: 1,715
major cut...
Mar 26, 2014, 11:16 am
#48
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 523
Fitch7600, I am of the same opinion -- except I expect the money amounts will be higher.
I book most of my tickets within 7 days of departure. This month, all my own flight tickets have been purchased within a day of start of trip on the ticket.
I hope the DOT revises the rule to cover even same day ticket bookings.
I book most of my tickets within 7 days of departure. This month, all my own flight tickets have been purchased within a day of start of trip on the ticket.
I hope the DOT revises the rule to cover even same day ticket bookings.
Mar 26, 2014, 11:19 am
#49
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 523
These companies should get creative. I would pay $50 (maybe $100) yearly to allow me to hold reservations for 24 prior to 7 days. They should adding payable features to your aadvantage account.
Other things like a non refundable $500 unlimited change fee package for the year. Use it or lose it kind of thing.
How about $125 unlimited drinks in coach use ir or lose it?
Other things like a non refundable $500 unlimited change fee package for the year. Use it or lose it kind of thing.
How about $125 unlimited drinks in coach use ir or lose it?
Mar 26, 2014, 11:21 am
#50
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,353
If "free" holds are causing too much spoilage, I wonder if switching to a UA-style policy (pay now, then refund within 24 hours) would reduce some of the speculative holds. For all of the issues with UA, this actually works pretty well; there's no stated close-in restriction, and the cancel/refund can be done online and is actually refunded quickly IME.
Mar 26, 2014, 11:33 am
#51
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Mar 26, 2014, 11:39 am
#52
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: LAX
Posts: 3,639
I keep trying to get people to refer to the new airline as "USdbaAA"...
Mar 26, 2014, 11:41 am
#53
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 5,270
From a pure revenue standpoint, being able to collect more change fees within 7 days must be orders of magnitude larger than any "inventory spoilage" caused by an infinitesimally small fraction of customers.
Mar 26, 2014, 12:00 pm
#54
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: AUS
Programs: BAEC Gold, AA PPro, Hyatt Globalist, Amex Plat
Posts: 7,043
I'm starting to grow so weary of this line. It's a merged airline, done, game over, get over it.
In the current economic environment, if you don't believe that "AAdbaAA" would be capable and willing of making similar business decisions and cutting benefits, exactly as United and Delta are doing, you are absolutely fooling yourself.
In fact there is a case to made that they may have played "follow the leader" even faster if they had not merged and merely mimicked several of UA/Delta decisions (e.g. revenue based elite qualification, etc.) much sooner, but that they have throttled back some of that change purely because of the chaos of the merger.
Regards
In the current economic environment, if you don't believe that "AAdbaAA" would be capable and willing of making similar business decisions and cutting benefits, exactly as United and Delta are doing, you are absolutely fooling yourself.
In fact there is a case to made that they may have played "follow the leader" even faster if they had not merged and merely mimicked several of UA/Delta decisions (e.g. revenue based elite qualification, etc.) much sooner, but that they have throttled back some of that change purely because of the chaos of the merger.
Regards
Mar 26, 2014, 12:02 pm
#55
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
I'm starting to grow so weary of this line. It's a merged airline, done, game over, get over it.
In the current economic environment, if you don't believe that "AAdbaAA" would be capable and willing of making similar business decisions and cutting benefits, exactly as United and Delta are doing, you are absolutely fooling yourself.
In fact there is a case to made that they may have played "follow the leader" even faster if they had not merged and merely mimicked several of UA/Delta decisions (e.g. revenue based elite qualification, etc.) much sooner, but that they have throttled back some of that change purely because of the chaos of the merger.
In the current economic environment, if you don't believe that "AAdbaAA" would be capable and willing of making similar business decisions and cutting benefits, exactly as United and Delta are doing, you are absolutely fooling yourself.
In fact there is a case to made that they may have played "follow the leader" even faster if they had not merged and merely mimicked several of UA/Delta decisions (e.g. revenue based elite qualification, etc.) much sooner, but that they have throttled back some of that change purely because of the chaos of the merger.
Mar 26, 2014, 1:17 pm
#56
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Manhattan Beach, California
Programs: BMI Diamond Club Gold forever
Posts: 6,367
I figured out how to use my company booking tool to create an AA reservation that, pursuant to our TAs contract, allows holding until midnight the following day. I am trying this today, highly likely to purchase, normally just would buy refundable tickets but since the savings here is over $1k I figure I'll try it while I sort my schedule over the next 24 hours. Will be interesting to see if my upgrades clear, the window opens in a few hours.
Mar 26, 2014, 1:21 pm
#57
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 523
I figured out how to use my company booking tool to create an AA reservation that, pursuant to our TAs contract, allows holding until midnight the following day. I am trying this today, highly likely to purchase, normally just would buy refundable tickets but since the savings here is over $1k I figure I'll try it while I sort my schedule over the next 24 hours. Will be interesting to see if my upgrades clear, the window opens in a few hours.
Mar 26, 2014, 1:33 pm
#58
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: LAX
Posts: 6,769
As I previously stated.....The new policy is not as much of a concern to me (though I disagree with this as a concept and it will, from time to time, cause me an inconvenience). what is more concerning to me is the fact that AA is not communicating any of these changes to us, their most frequent flyers. Especially of note (to me) was the recent change to choice essential and choice plus bundles....... which (to my knowledge) was never announced...... nor (to my knowledge) was any communication attempt made to inform us (their most frequent fliers) of this change.
Change, change, change.......
Change, change, change.......
Mar 26, 2014, 1:36 pm
#59
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
+1. I couldn't agree with you more. I rely heavily on getting updates on AA policies from FT, because I don't trust I'll get it communicated to me by AA. I don't like being surprised when I've spent time planning and counted on something being true, only for it to have changed without notice.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/14202343-post10.html
never really panned out
Mar 26, 2014, 1:37 pm
#60
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: LAX
Posts: 6,769
Yep. It's almost as if this:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/14202343-post10.html
never really panned out
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/14202343-post10.html
never really panned out