Sep 22, 2017, 4:26 pm
Last edit by: Prospero
AA Ticket Refunds and Policies
As of 1 Apr 2016, 24 hour free cancellation, except bookings purchased within seven days of travel, is standard. Tickets purchased within seven days of travel are exempt from 24 hour cancellation policies, per USDOT.
NOTE: Hold can be used when offered. (As of 3 Nov 2016, AA randomly offers free 24 hour hold to those booking travel over seven days out, and some still report being offered up to 7 days hold for $15.99.)
Current refunds policy:
Getting a reservation refunded is a two-step process. First cancel the reservation on aa.com or by calling Reservations, then second request the refund at http://prefunds.aa.com.
For bookings made online, AA may continue to sometimes offer hold for unspecified interim going forward, but 24 hours hold via telephone booking may no longer be granted by agents (though occasional ones might anyway).
update July 2016
Fully refundable tickets that are cancelled: fare, fees and taxes will be returned to the original form of payment (FOP).
Nonrefundable tickets that are cancelled voluntarily: AA will generally issue a voucher for the fare, taxes and fees less the change fee described in the detailed fare rules. The voucher may be used for AA flights and other limited purposes. See Transportation Voucher / vouchers / "MCO" FAQ and master thread.
Full refunds, even for nonrefundable tickets, may often be made for the full fare, fees and taxes:
"We do not refund nonrefundable American Airlines tickets except when the ticket is cancelled within 24 hours of purchase, when we make a schedule change that results in a change of 61 minutes or more, upon the death of a passenger or passenger's travelling companion or because of military orders. Supporting documentation is required."
Some equipment changes, such as purchasing international First and being changed to a flight without First class, or a domestic F or Business seat is eliminated by substituting a single class Economy cabin, may also allow a full refund.
Don't forget to look at other venues for tickets, such as OTAs, if purchasing within the 7 day window and you would like some hedging protection. Expedia offers 24 hour cancellation on AA itineraries within the 7 day window and many AA itineraries can be held via Expedia Trip Lock (which charges a small fee to hold a fare for 48 hours).
As of 1 Apr 2016, 24 hour free cancellation, except bookings purchased within seven days of travel, is standard. Tickets purchased within seven days of travel are exempt from 24 hour cancellation policies, per USDOT.
NOTE: Hold can be used when offered. (As of 3 Nov 2016, AA randomly offers free 24 hour hold to those booking travel over seven days out, and some still report being offered up to 7 days hold for $15.99.)
Current refunds policy:
"You have 24 hours to cancel your trip for a full refund if you booked at least 7 days prior to departure. Link to AA Refunds FAQ."
For bookings made online, AA may continue to sometimes offer hold for unspecified interim going forward, but 24 hours hold via telephone booking may no longer be granted by agents (though occasional ones might anyway).
update July 2016
AA follows USDOT requirements to the letter:● 24 hour cancellation with refund and no penalty, though
● No free 24-hour cancellations for purchases made within seven days of flying (except on refundable fares)
● 24 hour hold will be offered for some random (at least to passengers) online bookings for some tickets for an undetermined interim period of time
● Extended hold for pay will still be offered online on many bookings (not within seven days)
● The five day holds for awards remains unaffected, but be aware all awards by non-elites also incur a $75 close in processing fee for 21 days or fewer from booking to flying.
● Awards that are cancelled incur a $150 redeposit fee (and $25 per other awards from the same account), except for Concierge Key and Executive Platinum members.
● No free 24-hour cancellations for purchases made within seven days of flying (except on refundable fares)
● 24 hour hold will be offered for some random (at least to passengers) online bookings for some tickets for an undetermined interim period of time
● Extended hold for pay will still be offered online on many bookings (not within seven days)
● The five day holds for awards remains unaffected, but be aware all awards by non-elites also incur a $75 close in processing fee for 21 days or fewer from booking to flying.
● Awards that are cancelled incur a $150 redeposit fee (and $25 per other awards from the same account), except for Concierge Key and Executive Platinum members.
Nonrefundable tickets that are cancelled voluntarily: AA will generally issue a voucher for the fare, taxes and fees less the change fee described in the detailed fare rules. The voucher may be used for AA flights and other limited purposes. See Transportation Voucher / vouchers / "MCO" FAQ and master thread.
Full refunds, even for nonrefundable tickets, may often be made for the full fare, fees and taxes:
"We do not refund nonrefundable American Airlines tickets except when the ticket is cancelled within 24 hours of purchase, when we make a schedule change that results in a change of 61 minutes or more, upon the death of a passenger or passenger's travelling companion or because of military orders. Supporting documentation is required."
Some equipment changes, such as purchasing international First and being changed to a flight without First class, or a domestic F or Business seat is eliminated by substituting a single class Economy cabin, may also allow a full refund.
Don't forget to look at other venues for tickets, such as OTAs, if purchasing within the 7 day window and you would like some hedging protection. Expedia offers 24 hour cancellation on AA itineraries within the 7 day window and many AA itineraries can be held via Expedia Trip Lock (which charges a small fee to hold a fare for 48 hours).
AA Ticket Refund and Related (master thread)
Jul 14, 2016, 7:26 am
#31
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: AA EP
Posts: 2,203
Jul 24, 2016, 8:01 am
#32
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Manhattan Beach, California
Programs: BMI Diamond Club Gold forever
Posts: 6,367
Also, I noticed that Expedia also uses a company to provide 48 hour (sometimes more) price locks for a relatively small fee. I locked YVR-PHX-JFK for $15 while I messed around for a few days to see if I could find anything better (like a routing through LAX with flatbeds).
I think AA is trading off the fact that people will book directly with them and not consider other booking options where hold or cancellation options ARE available under 7 days.
Jul 26, 2016, 11:31 am
#33
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Independent
Posts: 470
Has anyone actually used this policy yet? I booked a ticket on the 18th and cancelled it less than 12 hours later, but as AA is different from the other airlines I didn't realize I actually had to request a refund separately (the other airlines offer it to you right away).
Now I'm terrified I've lost all of that money because they might refuse my refund request...
Now I'm terrified I've lost all of that money because they might refuse my refund request...
Jul 30, 2016, 3:39 pm
#34
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 21
Has anyone actually used this policy yet? I booked a ticket on the 18th and cancelled it less than 12 hours later, but as AA is different from the other airlines I didn't realize I actually had to request a refund separately (the other airlines offer it to you right away).
Now I'm terrified I've lost all of that money because they might refuse my refund request...
Now I'm terrified I've lost all of that money because they might refuse my refund request...
Clearly, by requiring this 2nd step and not automatically refunding the fare back to the CC or offering a credit, AA is violating the spirit if not the letter of DOT's 24-hour cancellation rule, which states:
For any online cancellation that is covered by the 24-hour reservation requirement, in deciding whether to pursue enforcement action, the Enforcement Office considers it to be a violation of 14 CFR 259.5(b)(4) and an unfair and deceptive practice for a carrier not to offer consumers the option of receiving a full refund in the original form of payment before the cancellation request is submitted.
Drew
Aug 18, 2016, 7:16 am
#35
Join Date: Sep 2008
Programs: American AAdvantage
Posts: 1,045
After cancelling a ticketed booking within 24 hours, do I need to apply for a refund?
EDIT: It appears it's not automatic and I had to submit a refund. This has been the first time I purchased after April 1st.
EDIT: It appears it's not automatic and I had to submit a refund. This has been the first time I purchased after April 1st.
Aug 20, 2016, 11:31 am
#36
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Toronto
Programs: AC, UA, IHG, SPG, Carlson
Posts: 193
Different cards will process differently depending upon the rules set up by the cards and their bank. Yes, if AA delays submitting the transaction (charge or credit), that will add to the time before the customer sees it but isn't the only deciding factor. Just like what caused this thread in the first place, just because one does it one way doesn't mean they all do it the same way.
If you want to test this with your card, try a charge and credit from the same merchant (someone like a retailer would be best where they process the credit at the register) and see how long it takes. Very good chance AA's transactions would take the same time once submitted to their CC processor. Any difference would be how long it takes AA to process.
Maybe there are some transactions that AA determines need to be eye-balled before being approved. If that department is not staffed up to handle the extra load then delays will happen. And that is something AA can change.
Maybe putting this into multi-city example would work. AA-MA-CC-CB routing. Where AA is AA, MA is their Merchant Account, CC is the credit card network (MC/Visa/etc), and CB is cardholder's bank. Each one of those has there own set of rules. And to break it down further charges travel F and get off the plane sooner than the credits in Y. Some may use only one jetway, some may use two so credits can clear at the same time as charges.
My point is it may not be under AA's control to get the credits through any quicker regardless how UA does it.
If you want to test this with your card, try a charge and credit from the same merchant (someone like a retailer would be best where they process the credit at the register) and see how long it takes. Very good chance AA's transactions would take the same time once submitted to their CC processor. Any difference would be how long it takes AA to process.
Maybe there are some transactions that AA determines need to be eye-balled before being approved. If that department is not staffed up to handle the extra load then delays will happen. And that is something AA can change.
Maybe putting this into multi-city example would work. AA-MA-CC-CB routing. Where AA is AA, MA is their Merchant Account, CC is the credit card network (MC/Visa/etc), and CB is cardholder's bank. Each one of those has there own set of rules. And to break it down further charges travel F and get off the plane sooner than the credits in Y. Some may use only one jetway, some may use two so credits can clear at the same time as charges.
My point is it may not be under AA's control to get the credits through any quicker regardless how UA does it.
I know for a fact it's AA and not my bank. Why? Because it has been over a week and AA's prefund page still says "Pending Review". How is it my bank (or anyone else)'s problem when the refund is still pending review and hasn't been sent by AA yet?
If it had said "Processed" but still doesn't show on my card, then I can understand it might be delayed somewhere in the middle. But the "Pending Review" display is AA's own ackowledgement that they are the hold-up.
On the contrary, when I did a 24 hour refund with UA, first off they didn't require a second step to request refund (refund is automatic when you cancel), second the refund happened by way of releasing the initial charge so the charge didn't even post. That's how UA does it.
So yea, it's not AA's fault.
Aug 22, 2016, 8:36 am
#37
Join Date: Sep 2008
Programs: American AAdvantage
Posts: 1,045
On the contrary, when I did a 24 hour refund with UA, first off they didn't require a second step to request refund (refund is automatic when you cancel), second the refund happened by way of releasing the initial charge so the charge didn't even post. That's how UA does it.
EDIT: When a ticket is purchased using a combination of gift card and credit card, does the refund credit the gift card?
Aug 26, 2016, 5:56 am
#38
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 5,270
I'd like to know this also. I scrolled through the last few pages of the thread and see several posters mentioned they had to go through an online refund-request process after canceling a ticket. But nobody has said their refund ever got approved and credited back to their credit card.
Aug 26, 2016, 8:56 am
#39
Join Date: Dec 2003
Programs: AA Plat Pro, United Silver, Marriott LTT, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,120
Aug 26, 2016, 9:04 am
#40
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 699
I'd like to know this also. I scrolled through the last few pages of the thread and see several posters mentioned they had to go through an online refund-request process after canceling a ticket. But nobody has said their refund ever got approved and credited back to their credit card.
In my case, my husband called about 28 hours after ticketing. He was told by the agent that he was "within the cancellation period" and she canceled the booking and told him to go online and request the refund. It's showing as pending review. He needs to book the new dates for his flights but I'm nervous that we've completely lost the value of the original ticket by handling it this way.
In my case, my husband called about 28 hours after ticketing. He was told by the agent that he was "within the cancellation period" and she canceled the booking and told him to go online and request the refund. It's showing as pending review. He needs to book the new dates for his flights but I'm nervous that we've completely lost the value of the original ticket by handling it this way.
may i ask does the refund status actually say "pending review" or does it say "your request is in progress"? will definitely report back when hopefully my refund goes through
Aug 31, 2016, 7:27 am
#41
Join Date: Dec 2003
Programs: AA Plat Pro, United Silver, Marriott LTT, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,120
Sorry, I don't remember, and the refund has already been processed and is back on our credit card.
Aug 31, 2016, 7:27 am
#42
Join Date: Dec 2003
Programs: AA Plat Pro, United Silver, Marriott LTT, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,120
Sorry, I don't remember, and the refund has already been processed and is back on our credit card.
Aug 31, 2016, 7:17 pm
#43
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 699
Aug 31, 2016, 7:17 pm
#44
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 699