American Airlines trip in vain - policy, questions, what now? (consolidated)
Mar 2, 2018, 7:29 pm
#76
Join Date: May 2007
Location: MCI/ORD/CDG
Programs: AA Exec Plat, Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 771
Boston area was hit by strong Nor'easter all day today, heavy rain with very strong wind. Many flights in and out of Boston Logan was cancelled with handful of flights made it in and out of Boston Logan, if you were not aware.
Highly likely there just was not any available seats left flying into Boston Logan on any airlines today. The weather condition was known from few days ago. AA has issued travel advisory for Boston.
Highly likely there just was not any available seats left flying into Boston Logan on any airlines today. The weather condition was known from few days ago. AA has issued travel advisory for Boston.
Mar 3, 2018, 12:07 am
#77
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: USA & UK -- AA EXP 3.5MM, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Plat, Avis President's Club
Posts: 6,411
Definitely a trip in vain. They did not fly "To Chicago". Instead, they flew "halfway to Boston". There's a difference. You bought a ticket to Boston. The flights were cancelled. Trip in Vain.
To get a refund of miles, contact AAdvantage Customer Service.
To get a refund of miles, contact AAdvantage Customer Service.
My wife and son were scheduled to fly today MCI-ORD-BOS (coming back Sunday). When they were pushing out of the gate for the first segment, my wife received a notification that the connecting flight was cancelled. When they landed in ORD, the earliest that they can get was a flight arriving past midnight on Sunday. That wasn't going to work because they were to attend a Saturday wedding. My wife agreed to take ORD-BDL flight. This flight ended by being cancelled too. The AA folks in ORD tried to find them alternative flights but due to weather issue in the northeast, everything is either cancelled or full. So, they ended up flying back to MCI today.
Is this a trip in vain? If so, how do they get refund (they used miles)?
Is this a trip in vain? If so, how do they get refund (they used miles)?
Mar 3, 2018, 7:03 am
#78
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Santo Domingo, Dom. Rep. / Washington, DC
Programs: AA PPro/DL PLT, PPass, Marriott / Hilton Gold, JetBlue Mosaic, Hertz Presidents Circle, Amex Plat
Posts: 4,630
There was a similar question from another poster (flying on two different airlines) but I don’t believe the solution was ever posted.
Nor’Easter might not allow me to fly to Miami and my outbound is with Delta, my return on Monday morning with AA. If I don’t make it to MIA due to the cancellations this weekend, will AA bother to issue me a refund?
Nor’Easter might not allow me to fly to Miami and my outbound is with Delta, my return on Monday morning with AA. If I don’t make it to MIA due to the cancellations this weekend, will AA bother to issue me a refund?
Mar 3, 2018, 8:53 am
#79
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: AUS, LAX
Programs: AA EXP - 2.2 MM, Admirals Club, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium, Avis Presidents, National Exec
Posts: 1,581
Similar situation happened to me in the January Texas ice storm. I was on a six segment as I was doubling up business trips. I got to my first location MSY but couldn’t get to the next locations SLC. I was ultimately able to get back home to AUS. I wasn’t offered any refund, but I was glad to be home. I did write AA CS and requested the original spend, miles and segments be credited as somehow my $650 ticket only registered $175 EQD. They without hesitation honored my request. I didn’t push them for refund though. I got all six segments and the $600+ EQD within a free days.
Mar 3, 2018, 8:57 am
#80
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 30,024
Boston area was hit by strong Nor'easter all day today, heavy rain with very strong wind. Many flights in and out of Boston Logan was cancelled with handful of flights made it in and out of Boston Logan, if you were not aware.
Highly likely there just was not any available seats left flying into Boston Logan on any airlines today. The weather condition was known from few days ago. AA has issued travel advisory for Boston.
Highly likely there just was not any available seats left flying into Boston Logan on any airlines today. The weather condition was known from few days ago. AA has issued travel advisory for Boston.
Mar 6, 2018, 5:57 am
#82
Join Date: May 2007
Location: MCI/ORD/CDG
Programs: AA Exec Plat, Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 771
My wife and son were scheduled to fly today MCI-ORD-BOS (coming back Sunday). When they were pushing out of the gate for the first segment, my wife received a notification that the connecting flight was cancelled. When they landed in ORD, the earliest that they can get was a flight arriving past midnight on Sunday. That wasn't going to work because they were to attend a Saturday wedding. My wife agreed to take ORD-BDL flight. This flight ended by being cancelled too. The AA folks in ORD tried to find them alternative flights but due to weather issue in the northeast, everything is either cancelled or full. So, they ended up flying back to MCI today.
Is this a trip in vain? If so, how do they get refund (they used miles)?
Is this a trip in vain? If so, how do they get refund (they used miles)?
Mar 6, 2018, 6:05 am
#83
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
There was a similar question from another poster (flying on two different airlines) but I don’t believe the solution was ever posted.
Nor’Easter might not allow me to fly to Miami and my outbound is with Delta, my return on Monday morning with AA. If I don’t make it to MIA due to the cancellations this weekend, will AA bother to issue me a refund?
Nor’Easter might not allow me to fly to Miami and my outbound is with Delta, my return on Monday morning with AA. If I don’t make it to MIA due to the cancellations this weekend, will AA bother to issue me a refund?
If you are on a single ticket and your outbound to MIA is cancelled, if your ticket is refunded, it will be the entire ticket (unless you make other arrangements) and the refund should come from the marketing/plating carrier.
If you are on two tickets, you have chosen to take the risk of separate tickets.
Whether AA refunds will depend on whether AA operates its flight on the day in question (or has a weather waiver providing for cancellation and refund in place). AA would not even know that your inbound to MIA was cancelled. So, not a question of "bother" but of what actions you chose to take. Even if you are not entitled to a refund, I would nonetheless ask AA to consider a refund or at least a credit without a fee. Whatever you do, presuming that you are on a penalty fare, make sure that you cancel your AA ticket prior to scheduled departure so that you at least have the ticket value less the penalty.
Mar 6, 2018, 4:38 pm
#84
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Santo Domingo, Dom. Rep. / Washington, DC
Programs: AA PPro/DL PLT, PPass, Marriott / Hilton Gold, JetBlue Mosaic, Hertz Presidents Circle, Amex Plat
Posts: 4,630
All depends on whether you are on one or two tickets. Now that DL and AA have reinstated their interline ticketing agreement, that is an important question.
If you are on a single ticket and your outbound to MIA is cancelled, if your ticket is refunded, it will be the entire ticket (unless you make other arrangements) and the refund should come from the marketing/plating carrier.
If you are on two tickets, you have chosen to take the risk of separate tickets.
Whether AA refunds will depend on whether AA operates its flight on the day in question (or has a weather waiver providing for cancellation and refund in place). AA would not even know that your inbound to MIA was cancelled. So, not a question of "bother" but of what actions you chose to take. Even if you are not entitled to a refund, I would nonetheless ask AA to consider a refund or at least a credit without a fee. Whatever you do, presuming that you are on a penalty fare, make sure that you cancel your AA ticket prior to scheduled departure so that you at least have the ticket value less the penalty.
If you are on a single ticket and your outbound to MIA is cancelled, if your ticket is refunded, it will be the entire ticket (unless you make other arrangements) and the refund should come from the marketing/plating carrier.
If you are on two tickets, you have chosen to take the risk of separate tickets.
Whether AA refunds will depend on whether AA operates its flight on the day in question (or has a weather waiver providing for cancellation and refund in place). AA would not even know that your inbound to MIA was cancelled. So, not a question of "bother" but of what actions you chose to take. Even if you are not entitled to a refund, I would nonetheless ask AA to consider a refund or at least a credit without a fee. Whatever you do, presuming that you are on a penalty fare, make sure that you cancel your AA ticket prior to scheduled departure so that you at least have the ticket value less the penalty.
Feb 28, 2019, 11:26 am
#85
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 200
Advice on a recent 'trip in vain' issue
I booked a flight from home to City A, then to City B, then back home
Home to to A is fine
A to B is a connection through Washington. Flight from Washington to B is canceled. There are no other flights within 8 hours, causing me to miss the meeting I was due to attend
Admirals Club agrees this is a trip in vain, routes me back home and says that they have set me up for a partial refund
Weeks later, Customer Relations says this isn't a trip in vain because they should have routed me back to City A - refusing any refund
Not sure how this makes sense?
I booked a flight from home to City A, then to City B, then back home
Home to to A is fine
A to B is a connection through Washington. Flight from Washington to B is canceled. There are no other flights within 8 hours, causing me to miss the meeting I was due to attend
Admirals Club agrees this is a trip in vain, routes me back home and says that they have set me up for a partial refund
Weeks later, Customer Relations says this isn't a trip in vain because they should have routed me back to City A - refusing any refund
Not sure how this makes sense?
Apr 13, 2019, 4:50 pm
#86
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Live: IWI; Work: DCA/Everywhere; Play: LAS/SJU/MLE
Programs: AA EXP, DL PM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Ambassador/LTP, Nat'l Exec Elite, LEYE Gold
Posts: 6,670
I was scheduled to fly DCA-LIT last night, it MX delayed from 6pm to 9pm to 11:30pm (with a new plane by this point) to 12:20am and then (when the new plane came) to 10:30 a.m. this morning. Colleagues & I would have missed the event today in LIT, so we canceled. I got a full refund processed for my DCA-LIT-DCA.
One of my colleagues was ticketed LGA-DCA-LIT//LIT-DCA-LGA, one ticket. I called AA to seek a refund for "trip in vain" but AA insists that no full refund is due because "he flew on the ticket," even though all AA did was strand him overnight at a connection point. No flights were available back to NYC until late afternoon, so colleague took the train back this morning and simply wants his ticket refunded. I would expect a full (and not partial) refund here. Is that unrealistic?
One of my colleagues was ticketed LGA-DCA-LIT//LIT-DCA-LGA, one ticket. I called AA to seek a refund for "trip in vain" but AA insists that no full refund is due because "he flew on the ticket," even though all AA did was strand him overnight at a connection point. No flights were available back to NYC until late afternoon, so colleague took the train back this morning and simply wants his ticket refunded. I would expect a full (and not partial) refund here. Is that unrealistic?
Apr 13, 2019, 11:21 pm
#87
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
I was scheduled to fly DCA-LIT last night, it MX delayed from 6pm to 9pm to 11:30pm (with a new plane by this point) to 12:20am and then (when the new plane came) to 10:30 a.m. this morning. Colleagues & I would have missed the event today in LIT, so we canceled. I got a full refund processed for my DCA-LIT-DCA.
One of my colleagues was ticketed LGA-DCA-LIT//LIT-DCA-LGA, one ticket. I called AA to seek a refund for "trip in vain" but AA insists that no full refund is due because "he flew on the ticket," even though all AA did was strand him overnight at a connection point. No flights were available back to NYC until late afternoon, so colleague took the train back this morning and simply wants his ticket refunded. I would expect a full (and not partial) refund here. Is that unrealistic?
One of my colleagues was ticketed LGA-DCA-LIT//LIT-DCA-LGA, one ticket. I called AA to seek a refund for "trip in vain" but AA insists that no full refund is due because "he flew on the ticket," even though all AA did was strand him overnight at a connection point. No flights were available back to NYC until late afternoon, so colleague took the train back this morning and simply wants his ticket refunded. I would expect a full (and not partial) refund here. Is that unrealistic?
Apr 14, 2019, 6:26 am
#88
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Live: IWI; Work: DCA/Everywhere; Play: LAS/SJU/MLE
Programs: AA EXP, DL PM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Ambassador/LTP, Nat'l Exec Elite, LEYE Gold
Posts: 6,670