$15 fee at airport for voucher???

 
Old Dec 15, 2005, 3:19 pm
  #1  
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$15 fee at airport for voucher???

Has anyone else run into this? I used a voucher from being bumped off a flight. The only way to redeem these is through the mail or at an airport. They charged me $15 to purchase the ticket at the airport (was told $10 if I mailed it). I have used vouchers before and never run into this!!!
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Old Dec 15, 2005, 3:24 pm
  #2  
 
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From AA.com

AA.com - NO FEE APPLIES. (Select the purchase button to pay online using one of our convenient payment options)
AA Reservations - A $10 USD fee applies in the US and $15 GBP in the UK. Call AA Reservations with your itinerary information.
AA Airport Ticket counter - A $15 USD fee applies. Visit an AA Airport Ticket Counter and provide your itinerary information.
AA Travel Center - A $15 USD fee applies. Visit an AA Travel Center and provide your itinerary information.
Western Union - A $14.95 USD fee applies. After placing your reservation on hold, visit a Western Union Agent location in the United States or select international countries (Argentina, Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Uruguay) and provide the total price of your reservation and your record locator. Western Union can only process up to $5,000 USD per transaction.
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Old Dec 15, 2005, 3:30 pm
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This has been discussed in numerous threads...started about a year ago. Very frustrating as there is no other way to redeem but by mail or in person - wouldn't be so bad if you could use them online with no fee.
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Old Dec 15, 2005, 3:32 pm
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This is one thing that really 'grinds my gears' about AA. You do them a favor by altering your travel plans because they overbooked the flight, and sure, you get a voucher, but unless there's some incentive they're not going to knock anyone off the flight. Then they decide to charge you $8-15 depending on how you use the voucher because they haven't made a way to use vouchers on their website.

In my opinion, if they can't find a way to make vouchers usable on aa.com they shouldn't penalize their customers for doing them a favor.

If AA would fix this along with returning to show fares including taxes up front (at least make it an option!) I'd be a happy man. It's the little things, I guess...
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Old Dec 15, 2005, 3:51 pm
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Talking Be Thankful You Are in the USA

AA Reservations - A $10 USD fee applies in the US and $15 GBP in the UK. Call AA Reservations with your itinerary information.
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Old Dec 15, 2005, 4:46 pm
  #6  
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Thanks everyone. I guess I'm not the only one that thinks they should find a way to redeem these online!!! I hate driving to the airport to stand in line to buy a ticket. Online is so much better. That way you don't have to deal with the incompetent people at the ticket counter.
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Old Dec 15, 2005, 5:03 pm
  #7  
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Buy ticket online, put on hold, call aa.com tech support, follow instructions. Lots of detail in many existing threads. It works.
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Old Dec 16, 2005, 10:20 am
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You may get an agent at the airport who won't charge you, because they have enough common sense to realize the voucher can't be redeemed online. I've had one agent charge me and one let it slide. ^ YMMV.
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Old Dec 16, 2005, 1:51 pm
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As BBD noted, once in a while an agent will waive the fee. But I've never found an accurate way to determine whether the agent will be willing to do so until I am too far into the transaction to bow out gracefully. Anyone have any suggestions?
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Old Dec 16, 2005, 2:16 pm
  #10  
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Let me be more specific. After you buy your ticket online and put in on hold, call aa.com tech support at 800 222-2377. (This is a published number.) They will give you an address in Florida to mail the voucher to and tell you exactly what to write on the outside of the envelope to have it credited to the right ticket. Total cost is 37 in the U.S. unless you also have to buy an envelope, in which case it's about 40 depending on your taste in envelopes and how many you buy at a time. (Both of those go up by 2 early next year.) There is no need to pay any fee, let alone get to an airport, unless you're flying within the next few days.
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Old Dec 16, 2005, 2:30 pm
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Originally Posted by Efrem
There is no need to pay any fee, let alone get to an airport, unless you're flying within the next few days.
Sorry... my question was a bit vague. Didn't mean to sound so dense or to imply I was ignoring your helpful advice. Speaking to tech support, then mailing the vouchers per their directions does indeed avoid the fee. However, there have been a few times I wanted to use a voucher yet there wasn't time to mail it to FL. I guess I was just (foolishly) hoping that someone knew the secret to finding a sympathetic agent... oh, well. <shrug>
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Old Feb 21, 2006, 7:48 am
  #12  
 
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First time got the voucher because of over booking.
I tried to search the forum to figure it out how to use it.
2 questions.
1) My voucher value is $200. If I want to book a ticket to LHR for about $500 on AA.com. I put it on hold. Call AA tech support. Support will give me the address to mail the voucher. Then what should I do the the rest of $300 balace? Pay by credit card? When will be the ticket available? After they get the voucher? Or after I pay $300?
2) Can I use voucher to purchase AA gift card?
Thanks
yuchung5
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Old Feb 21, 2006, 8:17 am
  #13  
 
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Originally Posted by yuchung5
1) My voucher value is $200. If I want to book a ticket to LHR for about $500 on AA.com. I put it on hold. Call AA tech support. Support will give me the address to mail the voucher. Then what should I do the the rest of $300 balace? Pay by credit card? When will be the ticket available? After they get the voucher? Or after I pay $300?
I can answer #1. Yes, put the ticket on hold, call aa.com tech support, pay the difference with a credit card.

IIRC your reservation will be marked *purchased* immediately and it will then show *ticketed* once the voucher is processed.
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Old Feb 21, 2006, 9:40 am
  #14  
 
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Originally Posted by oklAAhoma
I can answer #1. Yes, put the ticket on hold, call aa.com tech support, pay the difference with a credit card.

IIRC your reservation will be marked *purchased* immediately and it will then show *ticketed* once the voucher is processed.
Thanks
Do I need to pay the ticketing fee in this situation?
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Old Feb 21, 2006, 9:43 am
  #15  
 
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Originally Posted by yuchung5
Do I need to pay the ticketing fee in this situation?
According to post #10 in this thread, no.

Mike
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