Refund of award late booking fee (consolidated)
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 6
Refund of award late booking fee (consolidated)
Can someone give me some advice on how to escalate this issue?
I booked an AA reward ticket within 3 weeks of travel, and paid the extortion $75 late booking fee. However, my flight was canceled due to impending Hurricane Ike. I was unable to rebook a departure for many days and therefore canceled the trip altogether.
I understand that the $75 is 'not refundable' under normal circumstances, but it seems there should be a caveat for flights that AA chooses to cancel. All of the other majors waited until later in the afternoon before canceling their flights. The airport remained open and operating for hours after my flight was scheduled to depart.
What's particularly irritating, is this is a fee for a service that has absolutely no actual cost to AA. Baggage Fees make sense to me, since they represent an actual cost to the airline. And charge me for the awful turkey sandwich should I be desperate enough to eat it. But this is just an example of the airline figuring out a way to stick it to you and devalue the miles I earned before there was such a fee (yes, that long ago).
I have been bounced from Advantage reservations to Advantage Customer Service like a ping pong ball. An email from Advantage Customer Service contained the boilerplate 'the $75 is non-refundable' answer. My request to escalate the issue was ignored.
Does anyone have a suggestion of what I can do to try to escalate this? Thank you.
I booked an AA reward ticket within 3 weeks of travel, and paid the extortion $75 late booking fee. However, my flight was canceled due to impending Hurricane Ike. I was unable to rebook a departure for many days and therefore canceled the trip altogether.
I understand that the $75 is 'not refundable' under normal circumstances, but it seems there should be a caveat for flights that AA chooses to cancel. All of the other majors waited until later in the afternoon before canceling their flights. The airport remained open and operating for hours after my flight was scheduled to depart.
What's particularly irritating, is this is a fee for a service that has absolutely no actual cost to AA. Baggage Fees make sense to me, since they represent an actual cost to the airline. And charge me for the awful turkey sandwich should I be desperate enough to eat it. But this is just an example of the airline figuring out a way to stick it to you and devalue the miles I earned before there was such a fee (yes, that long ago).
I have been bounced from Advantage reservations to Advantage Customer Service like a ping pong ball. An email from Advantage Customer Service contained the boilerplate 'the $75 is non-refundable' answer. My request to escalate the issue was ignored.
Does anyone have a suggestion of what I can do to try to escalate this? Thank you.
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: MSY (finally); previously NYC, BOS, AUH
Programs: AA EXP, 6MM; BA GLD
Posts: 17,248
You might try disputing the charge with your credit card company. They may not rule in your favor, but there's no harm in trying.
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: SJC/VCE
Programs: AA PLT (2.9+ MM), HH GLD, Hyatt Diamond, SPG PLT
Posts: 10,161
Can someone give me some advice on how to escalate this issue?
I booked an AA reward ticket within 3 weeks of travel, and paid the extortion $75 late booking fee. However, my flight was canceled due to impending Hurricane Ike. I was unable to rebook a departure for many days and therefore canceled the trip altogether.
I understand that the $75 is 'not refundable' under normal circumstances, but it seems there should be a caveat for flights that AA chooses to cancel. All of the other majors waited until later in the afternoon before canceling their flights. The airport remained open and operating for hours after my flight was scheduled to depart.
What's particularly irritating, is this is a fee for a service that has absolutely no actual cost to AA. Baggage Fees make sense to me, since they represent an actual cost to the airline. And charge me for the awful turkey sandwich should I be desperate enough to eat it. But this is just an example of the airline figuring out a way to stick it to you and devalue the miles I earned before there was such a fee (yes, that long ago).
I have been bounced from Advantage reservations to Advantage Customer Service like a ping pong ball. An email from Advantage Customer Service contained the boilerplate 'the $75 is non-refundable' answer. My request to escalate the issue was ignored.
Does anyone have a suggestion of what I can do to try to escalate this? Thank you.
I booked an AA reward ticket within 3 weeks of travel, and paid the extortion $75 late booking fee. However, my flight was canceled due to impending Hurricane Ike. I was unable to rebook a departure for many days and therefore canceled the trip altogether.
I understand that the $75 is 'not refundable' under normal circumstances, but it seems there should be a caveat for flights that AA chooses to cancel. All of the other majors waited until later in the afternoon before canceling their flights. The airport remained open and operating for hours after my flight was scheduled to depart.
What's particularly irritating, is this is a fee for a service that has absolutely no actual cost to AA. Baggage Fees make sense to me, since they represent an actual cost to the airline. And charge me for the awful turkey sandwich should I be desperate enough to eat it. But this is just an example of the airline figuring out a way to stick it to you and devalue the miles I earned before there was such a fee (yes, that long ago).
I have been bounced from Advantage reservations to Advantage Customer Service like a ping pong ball. An email from Advantage Customer Service contained the boilerplate 'the $75 is non-refundable' answer. My request to escalate the issue was ignored.
Does anyone have a suggestion of what I can do to try to escalate this? Thank you.
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: MSY (finally); previously NYC, BOS, AUH
Programs: AA EXP, 6MM; BA GLD
Posts: 17,248
The fee for an "expedited" award ticket is either 50 or 100. Why did you have to pay 75.00?
*When multiple awards are claimed at the same time, each additional award is subject to a $25 charge.
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 6
Blumie that was my point - there is no incremental cost to the airlines for booking within 21 days vs greater than 21 days in advance of the flight. This is a fee that never used to exist and in fact was, for me, the best perk of the FF programs - last minute travel.
When I booked this flight, the charge was $75. I suppose it must have gone up in the past couple of months?
Does anyone know how to escalate this within AA? Thanks.
When I booked this flight, the charge was $75. I suppose it must have gone up in the past couple of months?
Does anyone know how to escalate this within AA? Thanks.
#6
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: AA 1.5 MM Exec Plat, WN A-List, DL Silver, UA nonrev
Posts: 2,593
While I can't offer you any details how to escalate, if this fee was charged for you (a SINGLE award ticket), you can at least get back a portion of the money.
The fee is supposed to be:
$50 for travel ticketed 20 - 7 days prior to departure, and
$100 for travel ticketed 6 days to 2 hours prior to departure
Source (as already provided by bdemaria):
http://www.aa.com/aa/i18nForward.do?...ardDetails.jsp
The fee is supposed to be:
$50 for travel ticketed 20 - 7 days prior to departure, and
$100 for travel ticketed 6 days to 2 hours prior to departure
Source (as already provided by bdemaria):
http://www.aa.com/aa/i18nForward.do?...ardDetails.jsp
#7
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Houston, TX, USA
Programs: UA 1K, AA Lifetime Platinum, DL Platinum, Honors Diamond, Bonvoy Titanium, Hertz Platinum
Posts: 7,969
and in fact was, for me, the best perk of the FF programs - last minute travel.
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,231
It seems pretty simple to me. If AA canceled the flight, for whatever reason, they owe you a complete refund, no questions asked -- it's in the conditions of carriage. If you purchase a non-refundable ticket, and they cancel the flight, they will refund the ticket price. So describing this booking fee as "non-refundable" is not an excuse.
It's very disappointing that AA is not cooperating on this matter. As for the best way to escalate this? I would try disputing the charge with the credit card company, though they tend to be in bed with the airlines and it's usually very difficult to dispute an airline charge in the absence of fraud. Then maybe small claims court.
It's very disappointing that AA is not cooperating on this matter. As for the best way to escalate this? I would try disputing the charge with the credit card company, though they tend to be in bed with the airlines and it's usually very difficult to dispute an airline charge in the absence of fraud. Then maybe small claims court.
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: MSY; 2-time FT Fantasy Football Champ, now in recovery.
Programs: AA lifetime GLD; UA Silver; Marriott LTTE; IHG Plat,
Posts: 14,518
It's been around for awhile. Actually, I think it's been around since the days of paper award tickets. That was in fact the reason for it: ticketing got moved to the front of the work queue and they were sent out via overnight express - that's why there was a charge. Once they went to electronic ticketing, they just kept the fee in place as a source of revenue even though the extra cost went away.
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: SJC/VCE
Programs: AA PLT (2.9+ MM), HH GLD, Hyatt Diamond, SPG PLT
Posts: 10,161
You would be well served to keep the two issues separate: the fee paid for the expedite award is standard and has been for some time, there is nothing to escalate.
However, you were unable to take the trip due to Hurricane Ike. Speak to AA Customer Service and focus on getting the $$ back b/c of this event, not b/c you think the fee is unfair. You had an option to not book the award ticket when you were told about the fee. I'll be honest, I don't think it will work.
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 6
OK, thanks for the feedback. It looks like the fee was $100 and the point about it being an irritating fee was just me venting. I do not remember paying this fee 20 years ago; perhaps it was waived for Elite members. But obviously I agreed to pay it as part of the deal. However, I would feel less justification to ask for the refund, if the airline had actually incurred a cost associated with that fee. I really find it amazing that they would feel justified in not refunding it. They cancelled the flight.
And yes, Steve M, I agree - Southwest has a great program and a great sense of customer service. I also think that Continental's Elite program is eons better than AA or DL. I really avoid AA when I can, and after this, I hope I can avoid giving them another penny.
Thanks again to all. Perhaps I will try customer service one last time. It's funny how everyone I speak to on the phone agrees with me, but says they cannot personally handle it.
And yes, Steve M, I agree - Southwest has a great program and a great sense of customer service. I also think that Continental's Elite program is eons better than AA or DL. I really avoid AA when I can, and after this, I hope I can avoid giving them another penny.
Thanks again to all. Perhaps I will try customer service one last time. It's funny how everyone I speak to on the phone agrees with me, but says they cannot personally handle it.
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SJC
Programs: AA EXP, BA Silver, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 33,533
Cheers.
#14
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Where the West begins !
Posts: 987
I have been bounced from Advantage reservations to Advantage Customer Service like a ping pong ball. An email from Advantage Customer Service contained the boilerplate 'the $75 is non-refundable' answer. My request to escalate the issue was ignored.
Does anyone have a suggestion of what I can do to try to escalate this?
Does anyone have a suggestion of what I can do to try to escalate this?
My suggestion is if this is not true you should continue your effort to receive a refund and I believe you will be successful.
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,231
I guess it's possible that the original poster (note that I spell out words for a new member) may have accepted the booking several days later and then "voluntarily" canceled the trip. However, he is not complaining about being charged the $100 mileage re-deposit fee so I would venture to guess that wasn't the case.