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Non refundable ticket and change for lower price (to merge)

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Old Aug 5, 2017, 11:39 am
  #16  
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Originally Posted by visaria
That's my point though...there was a £400 difference (after the £100 change fee). They refused to credit it.
Did you accept that or call again?
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Old Aug 5, 2017, 12:37 pm
  #17  
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Originally Posted by JDiver
Unfortunately, the airlines are pretty rigid about their policies. If you are requesting a voluntary change after your 24 hour free cancellation period, you owe the change fee. Full stop. If the new ticket is cheaper, you will be credited the difference between the old ticket and the new less the change fee.
That only applies where the fare rules permit it. There are plenty of non-US departure fares where no credit applies; on UK departures for LHR-ORD and LHR-BNA , all the non refundable fares that I have checked ( up as far as the H class )

Originally Posted by fare rules
WHEN THE ITINERARY RESULTS IN A LOWER FARE THE
CHANGE FEE APPLIES AND THERE IS NO REFUND OF
RESIDUAL
Only the higher H and above fares, where refund for cancellation is permitted with a penalty, seem to have the clause

Originally Posted by fare rules
WHEN THE ITINERARY RESULTS IN A LOWER FARE THE
RESIDUAL WILL BE REFUNDED LESS ANY APPLICABLE
PENALTY FEE.
Last edited by Dave Noble; Aug 5, 2017 at 1:05 pm
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Old Aug 5, 2017, 12:51 pm
  #18  
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Originally Posted by JDiver
Did you accept that or call again?
I accepted it at the time since the agent said there was only 1 more seat left on the flight i wanted.

Yesterday evening i saw the exact itinerary available...at the cheaper price.
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Old Aug 5, 2017, 12:59 pm
  #19  
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Originally Posted by visaria
I accepted it at the time since the agent said there was only 1 more seat left on the flight i wanted.

Yesterday evening i saw the exact itinerary available...at the cheaper price.
Ah. Dave Noble has posted some detailed fare rules specifically do not refund lower fares. I'm sorry you got caught like that. It seems all airlines keep taking away - like BA reducing seat pitch in CE.

(I've flown AA a lot - I print the detailed farevrules to a PDF after looking them over.)
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Old Aug 5, 2017, 5:13 pm
  #20  
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Isn't there a difference between a refund of residual value and a credit or voucher for the difference???
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Old Aug 5, 2017, 5:17 pm
  #21  
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Originally Posted by rjtfdx
It was strange that on the British site I had to put the ticket on hold or buy it to see the fare rules link.
Hmm, that sounds odd. There's no box to check "I have read and agree to the rules/terms" before purchase? (With a link to those rules/terms of course).
We know AA moved the fare rules later in the purchase process on the US site (right where you click "purchase" after entering in all your info ), but this would seem to be a bit of a loophole if you're up for a fight...
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Old Aug 5, 2017, 5:30 pm
  #22  
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Originally Posted by ijgordon
Isn't there a difference between a refund of residual value and a credit or voucher for the difference???
There would have to be a clause covering that in the fare rules - which for LHR-ORD/BNA , there is not

Compare with , say a domestic return such as DFW-ORD, where it states

Originally Posted by fare rules
ANY DIFFERENCE IN FARES PLUS THE SERVICE
CHARGE MUST BE COLLECTED. IF THE REPRICE
RESULTS IN A LOWER FARE/ THE DIFFERENCE
IN FARES LESS THE SERVICE CHARGE MAY BE
RETURNED IN THE FORM OF A NONREFUNDABLE
TRAVEL VOUCHER VALID FOR TRAVEL VIA AA ONLY.
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Old Aug 5, 2017, 8:18 pm
  #23  
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Honestly, it's utter *redacted* that these differences, subtle in wording, but meaningful in outcome, are so buried in the fine print.
Last edited by dstan; Aug 6, 2017 at 2:54 pm Reason: masked profamity
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Old Aug 5, 2017, 9:22 pm
  #24  
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Originally Posted by ijgordon
Honestly, it's utter *redacted* that these differences, subtle in wording, but meaningful in outcome, are so buried in the fine print.
Different markets, different norms. Would you prefer if it changed its US market to be like the UK in general fare conditions?
Last edited by dstan; Aug 6, 2017 at 2:54 pm Reason: quote of masked profanity
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Old Aug 5, 2017, 11:07 pm
  #25  
 
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Originally Posted by ijgordon
Honestly, it's utter *redacted* that these differences, subtle in wording, but meaningful in outcome, are so buried in the fine print.
The problem ....as you'll notice reading here on FT...is that there are many MANY ways people have been caught out by fare conditions... some obscure...some certainly not. To have ALL the things folks have been caught out by written up in a way you would describe as NOT "buried in the fine print" would produce booking confirmations so lengthy that - yep - folks wouldn't read them!

And then instead of complaints about fine print the complaints would be about unwieldy/unreadable documentation!
Last edited by dstan; Aug 6, 2017 at 2:54 pm Reason: quote of masked profanity
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Old Aug 6, 2017, 2:56 pm
  #26  
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A reminder - please refrain from profanity, masked or otherwise:

http://www.flyertalk.com/help/rules.php#offensive

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Old Aug 6, 2017, 9:38 pm
  #27  
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Originally Posted by Dave Noble
Different markets, different norms. Would you prefer if it changed its US market to be like the UK in general fare conditions?
Not what I'm talking about.

Originally Posted by trooper
The problem ....as you'll notice reading here on FT...is that there are many MANY ways people have been caught out by fare conditions... some obscure...some certainly not. To have ALL the things folks have been caught out by written up in a way you would describe as NOT "buried in the fine print" would produce booking confirmations so lengthy that - yep - folks wouldn't read them!
I actually disagree with you - I think by far the most common trip-up is on refundability and changeability. And the Penalties section of AA's fare rules can be incredibly confusing, and that's when you can even get them formatted properly! Someone should sic the SEC on these guys and make them write a Plain English version. That said, most of the especially confusing (though relevant) language relates to how to reprice a ticket (e.g., current fares vs. historical fares).
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Old Aug 6, 2017, 11:59 pm
  #28  
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Originally Posted by ijgordon
Not what I'm talking about.
You were complaining that the terms for such things can be different - what is normal in one market may not be normal somewhere else. The UK and US are very different markets

If there was to be only one version, I would bet it would be the most restrictive - not sure how that would benefit anyone
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Old Aug 7, 2017, 12:08 am
  #29  
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Originally Posted by GoPhils
You should be able to cancel the first ticket and use the credit for the new ticket at the lower price, but with a change fee of course.
NO, within 24 hours according to DOT rules (assuming that they apply for the ticket in question), you can cancel the ticket and get a full refund to the original form of payment, not just an airline credit. They you can buy a new ticket if you want to or if it's cheaper. Some agents will let you change the ticket for free rather than waiting for the refund to hit your credit card.
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Old Aug 7, 2017, 12:29 am
  #30  
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Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
NO, within 24 hours according to DOT rules (assuming that they apply for the ticket in question), you can cancel the ticket and get a full refund to the original form of payment, not just an airline credit. They you can buy a new ticket if you want to or if it's cheaper. Some agents will let you change the ticket for free rather than waiting for the refund to hit your credit card.
Even so, the OP's issue is related to making a change after 24 hours - though indeed, there is entitlement to cancel , refund to OFP and to make a brand new booking within 24 hours where DOT provisions apply
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