Jan 1, 2015, 4:40 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
(ARCHIVE) 2015 Questions about, guide to, and listing of, compensation (consolidated)
Welcome to the "2015 Guide to, and listing of, compensation" thread!
In keeping with tradition, we'd like to ask members to report their compensation in the following format:
- Date
- AAdvantage Status
- Fare class
- What happened
- Compensation
- Comments
• JGR01 has created a spreadsheet parsing posts in this thread from 2003-2007, available for download here
• AA's official policy regarding compensation for delays, cancellations, and diversions is as follows (thanks to tom911 for posting):
DELAYS, CANCELLATIONS AND DIVERSIONS
American Airlines will provide customers at the airport and onboard an affected aircraft with timely and frequent updates regarding known delays, cancellations and diversions and will strive to provide the best available information concerning the duration of delays and to the extent available, the flight's anticipated departure time.
We are not responsible for any special, incidental or consequential damages if we do not meet this commitment.
When cancellations and major delays are experienced, you will be rerouted on our next flight with available seats. If the delay or cancellation was caused by events within our control and we do not get you to your final destination on the expected arrival day, we will provide reasonable overnight accommodations, subject to availability.
In extreme circumstances, it is possible that a flight will cancel while on the ground in the city to which it was diverted. When this happens you will be rerouted on the next American flight with available seats, or in some circumstances on another airline or some other alternative means of transportation. If we are unable to reroute you, reasonable overnight accommodations will be provided by American, subject to availability.
American will provide amenities for delayed passengers, necessary to maintain the safety and/or welfare of certain passengers such as customers with disabilities, unaccompanied children, the elderly or others to whom such amenities will be furnished consistent with special needs and/or circumstances.
American Airlines will provide customers at the airport and onboard an affected aircraft with timely and frequent updates regarding known delays, cancellations and diversions and will strive to provide the best available information concerning the duration of delays and to the extent available, the flight's anticipated departure time.
We are not responsible for any special, incidental or consequential damages if we do not meet this commitment.
When cancellations and major delays are experienced, you will be rerouted on our next flight with available seats. If the delay or cancellation was caused by events within our control and we do not get you to your final destination on the expected arrival day, we will provide reasonable overnight accommodations, subject to availability.
In extreme circumstances, it is possible that a flight will cancel while on the ground in the city to which it was diverted. When this happens you will be rerouted on the next American flight with available seats, or in some circumstances on another airline or some other alternative means of transportation. If we are unable to reroute you, reasonable overnight accommodations will be provided by American, subject to availability.
American will provide amenities for delayed passengers, necessary to maintain the safety and/or welfare of certain passengers such as customers with disabilities, unaccompanied children, the elderly or others to whom such amenities will be furnished consistent with special needs and/or circumstances.
Contrary to the belief of some, airlines are not required to compensate passengers for “damages” when flights are delayed or canceled. Compensation is required by law only when you are “bumped” from a flight that is oversold. Airlines almost always refuse to pay passengers for financial losses resulting from a delayed flight. If the purpose of your trip is to close a potentially lucrative business deal, to give a speech or lecture, to attend a family function, or to be present at any time-sensitive event, you might want to allow a little extra time and take an earlier flight. In other words, airline delays and cancellations are not unusual, and defensive planning is a good idea when time is your most important consideration.
Also see (FT) EC261 / EC 261/2004 complaints, compensation and AA (master thread)
(The other compensation threads are archived and closed, but can easily be accessed for reading here:
2014 Questions about, guide to, listing of, compensation (consolidated - archived)
2013 Questions about, guide to, and listing of compensation (archived)
Guide to, and listing of, compensation (2012 - archived)
Guide to, and listing of, compensation (2003 - 2011 archived)
AA Forum Moderator Team
ARCHIVE: 2015 Questions about, guide to, and listing of, compensation (consolidated)
Jan 1, 2015, 4:35 pm
#1
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
ARCHIVE: 2015 Questions about, guide to, and listing of, compensation (consolidated)
Happy (and fully compensated 
)New Year.
The previous threads, now archived, are listed in the wiki, above.
The 2014 archived thread is http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...-archived.html
)New Year.The previous threads, now archived, are listed in the wiki, above.
The 2014 archived thread is http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...-archived.html
Last edited by JY1024; Jan 1, 2015 at 6:09 pm
Jan 2, 2015, 6:26 pm
#2
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AA EXP, IHG Diamond, IC Amb
Posts: 5,510
MX Compensation Question
Hello!
I flew over 200,000 miles last year...however none of it on AA.
My girl was scheduled on the 3:55 SFO-DFW-MSY tonight on the last flight that would allow her to connect to the last DFW-MSY flight to get her home tonight.
35 minutes from departure they announced a two-hour delay for mechanical issues. She will thus miss her DFW-MSY flight.
AA routed her on a direct SFO-MSY flight with United, now leaving at 10pm and getting her into MSY at 5am.
AA gave her a $12 meal voucher. Even though she has no status I told her to ask for compensation since it is MX--the gate agent declined.
Should we email AA directly? I know that MX causing an overnight will always get a voucher on DL.
Thanks!
I flew over 200,000 miles last year...however none of it on AA.
My girl was scheduled on the 3:55 SFO-DFW-MSY tonight on the last flight that would allow her to connect to the last DFW-MSY flight to get her home tonight.
35 minutes from departure they announced a two-hour delay for mechanical issues. She will thus miss her DFW-MSY flight.
AA routed her on a direct SFO-MSY flight with United, now leaving at 10pm and getting her into MSY at 5am.
AA gave her a $12 meal voucher. Even though she has no status I told her to ask for compensation since it is MX--the gate agent declined.
Should we email AA directly? I know that MX causing an overnight will always get a voucher on DL.
Thanks!
Jan 2, 2015, 6:30 pm
#3
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,600
There is no entitlement to compensation for the delay
The airline met its obligations by rebooking the passenger to the destination and also giving a food voucher
If an overnight stay had been required, the airline would have provided a hotel
If the passenger was to write in about it, it is possible that the airline may throw a few AA FF miles at her
The airline met its obligations by rebooking the passenger to the destination and also giving a food voucher
If an overnight stay had been required, the airline would have provided a hotel
If the passenger was to write in about it, it is possible that the airline may throw a few AA FF miles at her
Jan 2, 2015, 6:57 pm
#4
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AA EXP, IHG Diamond, IC Amb
Posts: 5,510
There is no entitlement to compensation for the delay
The airline met its obligations by rebooking the passenger to the destination and also giving a food voucher
If an overnight stay had been required, the airline would have provided a hotel
If the passenger was to write in about it, it is possible that the airline may throw a few AA FF miles at her
The airline met its obligations by rebooking the passenger to the destination and also giving a food voucher
If an overnight stay had been required, the airline would have provided a hotel
If the passenger was to write in about it, it is possible that the airline may throw a few AA FF miles at her
It's been so long since I've travelled without any status (and I've never flown AA) so I figured I'd ask!
Jan 2, 2015, 8:58 pm
#5
Senior Moderator and Moderator: American AAdvantage & TravelBuzz
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: AA EXP, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 10,417
Merged with our existing compensation thread so that we can keep these types of questions/experiences in one place for others to access more easily throughout the rest of the year. Thanks. /Moderator
/Moderator
Jan 11, 2015, 2:02 pm
#6
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 113
cancelled LAX-OGG
i had 3 z class tix on flight 161 12/30. Used 112,500 AA miles and $240 for them. Flight was cancelled due to mechanical (windshield) and was booked z the next day. Lost a $600 room in Maui and had to pay for the car rental along with a lost day of my families biggest vacation to date. was only offered a budget hotel and no food. Can i request additional compensation from AA? Possibly getting some if not all of my points back?
Last edited by Lekuxs15; Jan 11, 2015 at 8:01 pm
Jan 11, 2015, 4:39 pm
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: SJC/VCE
Programs: AA PLT (2.9+ MM), HH GLD, Hyatt Diamond, SPG PLT
Posts: 10,161
i had 3 z class tix on flight 161 12/30. Used 112,500 AA points and $240 for them. Flight was cancelled due to mechanical (windshield) and was booked z the next day. Lost a $600 room in Maui and had to pay for the car rental along with a lost day of my families biggest vacation to date. was only offered a budget hotel and no food. to make matters worse i was originally scheduled on a HA flight from LAS but decided to reroute to this flight on WN to make sure we did not miss time in Hawaii (my buddy Al Roker was sure Vegas was going to get snow and close everything). i walked away from the HA flight and used LUV points to get family to LAX. Can i request additional compensation from AA? Possibly getting some if not all of my points back?
Am I correct: your 12/30 LAX-OGG flight was cancelled so you traveled LAX-OGG on 12/31. There's no way you are going to get all of your miles (not points by the way - points have no redeemable value on AA) back. Nor do I believe you will get the $600 for missed day in Maui. Usually a delay of this length will result in some miles being credited to an AAdvantage member's account automatically. If you haven't rec'd some miles already, then contact AA customer service and state clearly that you were delayed 24 hrs.
Jan 11, 2015, 8:02 pm
#8
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 113
Updated post to make it less confusing. Sorry about the "points" reference.
Jan 11, 2015, 8:23 pm
#9
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Benicia CA
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold 75K, AA 3.8MM, UA 1.1MM, enjoying the retired life
Posts: 31,849
bdemaria has covered it pretty precisely. You can explain to AA that you lost out on an expensive hotel and car rental, but in the end you're probably only going to get some miles in your account. Tell them you were disappointed not to arrive the first night, spell out what happened, and just sit back and wait for their response. Mention you were not provided with meal vouchers and had out of pocket meal costs - maybe they might offer some consideration there.
I would ask you one question, though. Did you call the hotel and try to cancel the room due to the damage to the plane? I had an international delay last month due to e mechanical issue and did not expect to arrive and use my SFO hotel, and I was able to cancel without any penalty. It was a franchise I have elite status with, so that could have had some bearing.
In a second case, due to a weather delay and forced overnight in a different city, AA Vacations refunded my first night of a 3 night hotel stay after submission of paperwork. They would not make any commitment other than to send the paperwork in and they would look at it. Being on an AA air itinerary probably had some bearing here.
Did you call the hotel and explain what was going on with your flight?
I would ask you one question, though. Did you call the hotel and try to cancel the room due to the damage to the plane? I had an international delay last month due to e mechanical issue and did not expect to arrive and use my SFO hotel, and I was able to cancel without any penalty. It was a franchise I have elite status with, so that could have had some bearing.
In a second case, due to a weather delay and forced overnight in a different city, AA Vacations refunded my first night of a 3 night hotel stay after submission of paperwork. They would not make any commitment other than to send the paperwork in and they would look at it. Being on an AA air itinerary probably had some bearing here.
Did you call the hotel and explain what was going on with your flight?
Jan 11, 2015, 8:39 pm
#10
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 113
It was the Westin Ka'anapali and they would not cancel the evening because i had 5 nights there, and it was after 5pm local time once AA finally cancelled the flight instead of delaying it. I emailed them and was nice about the whole ordeal, didn't place specific blame and simply asked as an act of good faith to credit my account the miles. I didn't ask for the $240 in booking fees or the cost of the hotel room or rental car, and did mention that i was not given a meal voucher. i was more upset with the lost vacation day and i made that clear i was missing out on family activities. I will post the outcome once it plays out.
Jan 16, 2015, 11:38 am
#11
Join Date: Jun 2009
Programs: DL GM,Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Gold, Marriott Titanium, NEXUS
Posts: 281
Compensation Questions
I flew to Florida on American before Christmas. We flew YYC-DFW on December 22nd and were scheduled to fly DFW-TLH on the morning of December 23rd. The flight to DFW went fine. The flight to TLH was a mess. About 30 minutes before departure, the flight was cancelled. No weather, no mechanical issues. I ran to the Admirals club and there weren't many options. We were re-booked though another airport the next day scheduled to arrive over 24 hours late. Since I was flying with my grandparents who are both in their mid-80's, I didn't want to leave them waiting another day with the possibility of another cancelled flight.
The closest flight was into JAX, so we flew there, and were to rent a car and drive to our destination (a 5 hour drive away). The Admirals club rep had me wait around for about 20 minutes while she took care of our bags. We were told they would be on the flight to JAX. Of course, we get to JAX and the bags aren't there. We spend nearly an hour filing a claim due to their system having issues. I'm told the bags would be in TLH and delivered the next day.
I called the following day in the afternoon to check the status of the bags. One bag was in TLH, but wasn't yet scheduled for delivery. I was told the bag would be delivered soon. Of course, the next morning no bags had been delivered. I drove 2 hours to the TLH airport, and as of 2pm on the 25th, one bag was still sitting there (not out for delivery after 24 hours in TLH) and the other bag had just arrived on the carousel from DFW.
So, in summary, what can I expect for compensation for the following:
1. Flight Cancelled. Flew to JAX instead (a cheaper flight by $200 per person at time of booking.) Rented a car at a cost of $120 + gas. The flight was not cancelled due to WX/MX. AAgent said there was no reason code for the cancellation. Over a period of 1 week, AA had cancelled at least 12 flights between DFW and TLH. If they are going to sell a flight, they had better be willing to operate that route.
2. Delayed baggage. 3 days wearing the same clothing. Had to drive 4 hours round-trip to pickup bags since it was obvious that there was no scheduled delivery and AA baggage would not call TLH to check the status.
The closest flight was into JAX, so we flew there, and were to rent a car and drive to our destination (a 5 hour drive away). The Admirals club rep had me wait around for about 20 minutes while she took care of our bags. We were told they would be on the flight to JAX. Of course, we get to JAX and the bags aren't there. We spend nearly an hour filing a claim due to their system having issues. I'm told the bags would be in TLH and delivered the next day.
I called the following day in the afternoon to check the status of the bags. One bag was in TLH, but wasn't yet scheduled for delivery. I was told the bag would be delivered soon. Of course, the next morning no bags had been delivered. I drove 2 hours to the TLH airport, and as of 2pm on the 25th, one bag was still sitting there (not out for delivery after 24 hours in TLH) and the other bag had just arrived on the carousel from DFW.
So, in summary, what can I expect for compensation for the following:
1. Flight Cancelled. Flew to JAX instead (a cheaper flight by $200 per person at time of booking.) Rented a car at a cost of $120 + gas. The flight was not cancelled due to WX/MX. AAgent said there was no reason code for the cancellation. Over a period of 1 week, AA had cancelled at least 12 flights between DFW and TLH. If they are going to sell a flight, they had better be willing to operate that route.
2. Delayed baggage. 3 days wearing the same clothing. Had to drive 4 hours round-trip to pickup bags since it was obvious that there was no scheduled delivery and AA baggage would not call TLH to check the status.
Jan 16, 2015, 11:57 am
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: SJC/VCE
Programs: AA PLT (2.9+ MM), HH GLD, Hyatt Diamond, SPG PLT
Posts: 10,161
Once you determine that, review the various dedicated compensation thread for 2015 or for 2014 for insights into what you might receive.
Jan 16, 2015, 12:24 pm
#13
Join Date: Jun 2009
Programs: DL GM,Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Gold, Marriott Titanium, NEXUS
Posts: 281
Then what was the reason you were given for the cancellation?
Once you determine that, review the various dedicated compensation thread for 2015 or for 2014 for insights into what you might receive.
Once you determine that, review the various dedicated compensation thread for 2015 or for 2014 for insights into what you might receive.
The plane destined for TLH ended up going to a new destination about 40 minutes later that our scheduled departure.
Jan 16, 2015, 12:29 pm
#14
Senior Moderator and Moderator: American AAdvantage & TravelBuzz
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: AA EXP, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 10,417
Merging with our 2015 Compensation thread so that we can gather discussion and experiences in one place. Thanks. /Moderator
/Moderator
Jan 16, 2015, 1:22 pm
#15
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: AA, onePass
Posts: 317
Was to fly out of TYR Jan 8 at 1048... Flight was delayed almost 4 hours due to MX and change of equipment....once in TYR and onboard further delayed due to computer unable to compute weight/ trim balance and calculations done by hand. I had built ina 4 hr connection in DFW but misconnected anyway...rebooked on flight 3 ½ hrs later to TUS.
Forward to return flight on 1/11.....on time TUS-DFW connecting to last flight of day to TYR. Received text with gate for connecting flight on landing...four minutes later - flight was cancelled and I was rebooked for for next morning.....12 hours later.
Is it worth it to fill out a webform for possibity to get some mileage compensation....had no hotel or meal voucher.
Forward to return flight on 1/11.....on time TUS-DFW connecting to last flight of day to TYR. Received text with gate for connecting flight on landing...four minutes later - flight was cancelled and I was rebooked for for next morning.....12 hours later.
Is it worth it to fill out a webform for possibity to get some mileage compensation....had no hotel or meal voucher.