DKM

Hi:
I'll try to keep this concise. Flew into MIA with a connection 2.5 hours later to EYW. It was cancelled and they booked us on a flight 8 hours later than cancelled flight. We decided to drive and retrieved our checked bags. I'm lifetime PLT of many years, over 5 million miles, and have never asked for compensation. This time I did - I asked to be reimbursed for the cost of the rental car ($215). Got a response saying no, but they've authorized the appropriate credit. That was two weeks ago. I assumed when I wrote that they would do this for both me and my friend, as I paid for both tickets. I realize now I should have mentioned both ticket numbers, etc. and I see now I should have file two complaints and somehow linked them.
They make this very difficult and I'm not sure what to do now. Should I send another email to CS, under my friends name and reference the number they gave in their response to my original complaint? Or call CS for advice? Or wait until three weeks from now and ask for help in the AAdmiral's Club? Any advice or assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
DKM

Often1

This is not about compensation, it is about a refund for the cancelled flight. Anyone is entitled to that. Easiest and cleanest is for your friend to send in a webform asking for a refund. It will be issued to the original form of payment which is presumably your CC.

Dave Noble

Was the total cost of hire car $215 for the 2 of you?

If so, I don't see what the relevance is of telling AA about the other passenger since there was only one car hired, so only one reimbursement would be due

If it has authorised reimbursement of the $216, I would leave it a bit longer and then if still not received, contact back the same department. I don't see what the Admirals Club would be able to do in getting the reimbursement paid

Dave Noble

I don't see that it is. Passenger was travelling A-B-C and got from A-B and then took a car to complete B-C due to a delay and is asking for reimbursement of the additional cost of getting from B-C by car

Shawn02139

Did they tell you what the refund will be? It could be really minimal

Dave Noble

The amount seems to be given in the OP; the customer requested reimbursement of the additional expense of $216 which seems to have been agreed to

Exec_Plat

Airline was responsible for getting to pax from B to C. Airline didnt.

Taking a bus, hitchhiking or chartering a G4,... whatever OP used to complete the trip doesnt matter- the ONLY thing the airline is (potentially) responsible for it their failure to move two people from B to C.

Airline seems to have agreed, saying 'we wont reimburse' for the rental, but we will 'give a credit' for not getting the OP to C.

OP, contact them via a new complaint form and ask for the second passenger to receive the same refund.

Dont be surprised if it is $25.

Dave Noble

I may have misread it that the airline agreed to pay the car hire amount in form of a credit - unless "appropriate credit" is referring to something else

MSPeconomist

IMO it's almost fraudulent to expect the airline to pay both passengers for a rental car when it was shared. The total cost of the car seems to have been $215 (which is a lot for this time and distance, bu presumably OP had no choice and has a receipt), not $430 = 2 X $215.

Exec_Plat

My interpretation was that since the airline said 'we wont do that, but we will give you a credit', they were declining the car hire reimbursement but would credit for not fully transporting.

IMO it is ALWAYS better to have the airline do a notation in the record that you will receive an Involuntary Refund due to failure to transport you to the destination in a reasonable time. NOTE(!!!) this is something you ask for, and most agents would be willing to put this into the record. Now we can argue about 'when is it involuntary, and can they force you to wait 8 hours'

Dave Noble

I suppose it depends on the credit. If the credit is for $216 then I do not see that there is any reason at all to try claiming for the other passenger and would agree with MSPeconomist that it could be fraudulent to do so

If the credit is just some amount that may relate to difference in fare, then would agree that that both passengers should be credited

Often1

I do not read the OP as suggesting that AA will reimburse for the car rental. That would be fairly extraordinary.

But, when OP's flight was cancelled he was entitled to a refund of the unused segment (which might not be much). That is a refund to the original form of payment, not simply a credit against future travel. His friend is entitled to the same, but as the friend was the passenger, it is the friend who makes the request. The refund will go to OP's CC.

If the two ticket segment refunds do not equal the cost of the car or better, OP claim that against his travel insurance.

Dave Noble

Not really imo ; I have had AA refuse to reimburse a taxi fare where flight delay made it too late on arrival into London to take public transport but offered a voucher for that same amount

This would seem consistent with the statement

"I asked to be reimbursed for the cost of the rental car ($215). Got a response saying no, but they've authorized the appropriate credit"

If the "appropriate credit" being offered is not $215 but some small amount of difference of fares, then I agree that both should get paid.

To the OP, what value voucher did AA agree to provide?

Often1

I guess that the answer is that we are all speculating until OP provides a clear statement as to what he means by "credit".

How much, what was it for and was it a credit to his CC or a funny-money voucher for use on AA only. Similarly, if his friend applies, and it's a voucher, it will be in his friend's name not his.

DKM

Hi All:

OP here. To clarify, they denied my request for rental car reimbursement, but said this:

"We cannot assume financial responsibility for our customers' time lost or for out-of-pocket expenses incurred as a result of operational problems. Therefore, we must respectfully decline reimbursement of your rental car. However, this doesn't mean we do not care what happened and can sympathize there was not an earlier flight available for your rescheduling and you drove instead.

Regarding your unused ticket segment, we've authorized personnel in our Passenger Refunds department to issue the applicable credit.Once the adjustment is processed by the accounting specialists in that department, a credit will be issued to your credit card account. Depending on your bank billing cycles, it could take up to 2 cycles for the credit to be reflected on a statement. In addition, you can track the status of your refund via AA.com at the following link: https://www.refunds.aa.com (please allow 2 weeks before checking progress)."

While I'm not surprised they declined reimbursement for the car, I do think they could have offered a voucher, some miles...something. Be that as it may, I waited two weeks and checked the refund site. It states that their records indicate that no refund has been requested. Oy. So, now I guess I'll have to fill out the refund form - again - for me and also have my friend do the same. I usually don't get too bent out of shape over flight-related problems, but this annoys me. It really makes one think it's made purposely difficult. I wish they had an ombudsman one could call.

DKM