macabus

How is leaving from a different city from the one you arrive in different from arriving at a different one from the one you left?

cxfan1960

AA should accept the itinerary on the ticket issued. However, when the ticket needs to be re-issued, AA was given a chance to rectify their mistake. As suggested, OP can close the final open jaw and buy a ticket to fly to the intended destination, or to keep the current ticket as is.

brp

I think that distinction that Mark_T is trying to make is this:

If one goes A->B, C->A that's open jaw in the middle of the itinerary.

However, if one goes A->B, B->C, then the open is at the end, after which one is not flying on the itin any more.

Not sure if it would make any difference, but it is a different scenario.

Cheers.

AAaLot

I have had AA ticket flights that later in the process were found to be against the rules.

In the cases with only AA flights, AA has stuck to what was ticked.

In cases were other airlines are involved it depends.

Even though I think AA should stick to what was ticketed in this example, I doubt they will. However, they may give you extra miles, or be extremely flexible with other requests such as opening up inventory, etc.

macabus

I agree that the scenarios you cite are different, but the definition of an open jaw can apply to both situations.

According to the all-knowing Wikipedia:

"An open-jaw ticket is an airline ticket in which the traveler returns from a city other than the one he or she arrived at, OR in which the final destination is not the same as the original departure city."

Plato90s

Both are open jaws.

On a larger note, the fact that this comes up with only 1 week before departure is a major issue because other airlines have to sign off on the itinierary.

Mark_T

I don't dispute that by other definitions it is an open-jaw, that is why I said by the terms of this award since they don't use a definition that is as wide.

It is a fine point, no question, but with 1 week to go anything that gives the OP an edge may be useful in persuading AA that he should get what he originally booked.

I may be lacking in sympathy but that doesn't mean I can't try to help even if it is a bit of a reach

brp

Oh, I'm sure they are. I was just trying to help clarify the point of confusion, even if it makes no difference in terms of rules.

Cheers.

tt7

Your point is well taken, even if others wish to spend time debating the meaning of "open jaw".

The ticket rules clearly say that only one open jaw is permitted. However, what is less clear - as it doesn't appear to be addressed - is whether you have to return to your point of origin. On some tickets (xONEx and xCIR22 for example) there is no requirement to return to the point of origin provided you return to the country of origin (with some exceptions e.g., US/Canada is ok).

I have always assumed - perhaps incorrectly - that oneworld award tickets, being mileage-based, simply allowed you to fly that number of miles .... basically, you fly until you run out of miles. If I happen to be half way across the world when I run out of miles, so what? Technically, that's an open jaw and presumably the answer may well be that it's ok - but that's your one allowed open jaw. Conversely, if the itinerary ends when I run out of miles, there is no "open jaw" at the end - the itinerary simply finishes and in the ticketed itinerary, there is only 1 open jaw and that's KIX-NRT.

I would at least pursue that interpretation with AA. Beyond that, the OP is SOL. The OP clearly knew the rules going in (despite protestations about FT advice being unreliable etc.) and rolled the dice one too many times. It doesn't matter how many times AA ticketed and re-ticketed it - once they realize it doesn't meet the rules, you've had it. The only way around that may be to appeal to them simply on the basis that it's being brought up at a very late stage, all other arrangements are in place and will they make a one-time exception? All it presumably requires is a supervisor to say 'ok' and to annotate the record accordingly.

troyb

Update -

I received a voicemail stating that they would make an exception and let me fly as originally ticketed. OK, this is good news. Unfortunately, they also said that any changes I make would cause it to be repriced at the higher mileage level. It hasn't been reticketed yet, but hopefully that will happen tomorrow.

I do have to say, although this works for now, what if I want to change dates or COS, as the rules of the ticket state? This means I can't, pretty frustrating.

I appreciate the positive comments. I do not appreciate the comments effectively stating that I tried to swindle AA somehow because I knew this was an invalid routing. I didn't know for sure, which is why I asked AA, however some on here just refuse to comprehend that and continue to place the blame on me for this.

In any case, the situation appears to be mostly rectified, so I am happy. I'm not thrilled with the initial responses I got from AA over the past couple of days, but the end result works, I guess.

brp

Well, at this point you fully well know that this is an illegal routing, regardless of what went on before. While the could simply have refunded the miles, and left you out any non-refundable plans, they did the right thing and let it go. I wouldn't talk about "what the rules state" since you already know (now) that you're violating some of the main rules. Yes, it means you can't take advantage of the rules you do want since you're violating others. Seems you're just going to have to live with AA's nice gesture here.

Cheers.

macabus

Darn glad to hear it worked out for you.


That stands to reason given the circumstances.

Don't get greedy now. You know the score.

Ummm, you've been a member of FT for how long? You must know that every thread will have supporters and naysayers. Besides, you admitted in your OP that you knew it was a risky proposition.

No blame on you for trying. Heck, I always try to bend the rules. But you pressed your luck man, several times over.

I am genuinely happy for you.

I went through this with AA too, so I know how you feel. The end result is that this really won't be an issue anymore with the pending OneWorld changes.

r415

Glad to hear that AA did the right thing and let you fly as originally ticketed. While I certainly don't think you were swindling AA, it is worth pointing out that AA will still let you change dates or COS, they will just charge you more miles. I don't really see how this is unfair. They let you get the original ticket (plus several changes) you wanted for less miles than they should have.... this is their mistake, not yours, as you have pointed out. But they have no obligation to keep making the same mistake if you want to reticket it. While the rules of the ticket may let you change dates/COS, the rules of the ticket also state that they should charge you more mileage for the ticket, so if you want to follow the rule letting you change dates/COS, they will also make you follow the mileage rules.

You CAN change these things, you just have to pay the officially required mileage for it, just like everybody else. If you choose not to, AA will let you keep your old ticket, because it was their mistake of allowing an illegal routing. If you were to book a new ticket, surely you would not expect them to make the same mistake, just because they had done it before.

neptuno3

If it was me I'd rebook legally and to be able to change dates and COS. I'd just buy a flight within the itinerary to remove the second jaw. No way I'd take out business class miles and fly coach, nor would I waive the best part of mileage tickets -- ability to change dates.

troyb

Uhh, after receiving a voicemail from the supervisor stating that I was good to go, receiving new ticket numbers, and confirming with 2 additional agents that I was good to go - I received a call this afternoon saying that the issue has still not been rectified.

Apparently, although AA says they will honor the ticket, they tell me that since its under a contract with Oneworld, other airlines may not let me travel. Great. The supervisor also told me that they pulled the wrong amount of miles for my ticket and that it should actually be in a higher award class because I have more than 20,000 flown miles. After walking her through the rules, she finally agreed that only miles between stopovers and not connections should count. I volunteered to return to LA instead of SEA, which would remove one of the open jaws, however it would put me over the 20,000 limit. The easy solution to this would be for them to deposit the difference in miles required per ticket in my account and reissue the award. She said she needed approval to do so. I feel like that is a reasonable compromise, with no benefit at all to me. In fact, it's really causing me a bit of trouble returning to a different city.

I'm at wits end with this thing - any other other suggestions? Time is ticking I only have a few days left and now its the weekend. HELP PLEASE.