Jun 17, 2019, 8:37 am
Last edit by: JDiver
American Airlines may intervene in overly circuitous routing as covered by the AA Conditions of Carriage
Ticket validity link to these Conditions of Carriage
Tickets are valid for travel only when used with all terms and conditions of sale.
Your ticket is valid only when:
Travel is to/from the cities on your ticket and in your trip record
You meet all the fare requirements
Fare requirements, like dates, special purpose or status, may include:
Your ticket is not valid when:
Exploiting fare rules
Reservations made to exploit or circumvent fare and ticket rules are strictly prohibited.
Examples include (but are not limited to):
If we find evidence that you or your agent are using an exploitive practice, we reserve the right to:
Fare errors
If we sell a fare in error, we have the right to cancel the ticket. This includes fare errors, computer errors and third party errors (human or computer). We make every effort to prevent, detect and correct errors as soon as possible.
When we issue a mistaken fare, we'll void the ticket, give a full refund and notify you within:
Ticket validity link to these Conditions of Carriage
Tickets are valid for travel only when used with all terms and conditions of sale.
Your ticket is valid only when:
Travel is to/from the cities on your ticket and in your trip record
You meet all the fare requirements
Fare requirements, like dates, special purpose or status, may include:
- Dates of stay (a Saturday night, weekend, etc.)
- Military status (to qualify for a military fare)
- Official government business (to qualify for a government fare)
- Attendance at an event (to qualify for a meeting or convention fare)
Your ticket is not valid when:
- You don't meet the dates of stay, purpose or status requirements for the fare
- We find that the ticket was bought using an exploitative practice
Exploiting fare rules
Reservations made to exploit or circumvent fare and ticket rules are strictly prohibited.
Examples include (but are not limited to):
- Purchase a ticket without intending to fly all flights to gain lower fares (hidden cities)
- Buy a ticket without intent to travel, including to gain access to our airport lounges or other facilities
- Combine 2 or more roundtrip excursion fares end-to-end to circumvent minimum stay requirements (back-to-back ticketing)
- Book a ticket in someone's name without the person's consent (which is illegal)
- Hold reservations for reasons including securing upgrades, blocking seats or obtaining lower fares
If we find evidence that you or your agent are using an exploitive practice, we reserve the right to:
- Cancel any unused part of the ticket
- Refuse to let the passenger fly and check bags
- Not refund an otherwise refundable ticket
- Charge you for what the ticket would have cost if you hadn't booked it fraudulently.
Fare errors
If we sell a fare in error, we have the right to cancel the ticket. This includes fare errors, computer errors and third party errors (human or computer). We make every effort to prevent, detect and correct errors as soon as possible.
When we issue a mistaken fare, we'll void the ticket, give a full refund and notify you within:
- 72 hours after we learn of the mistaken fare
- At least 24 hours before departure if you bought the ticket less than 72 hours before departure
AA Corporate Security takes aim at my circuitous routing (ticket validity)
Jan 3, 2019, 5:51 am
#46
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This is the key point to the entire thread. Connections are simply an administrative and logistical routing approach.
On a simple A-B-C one-way ticket where B is a connection and thus not a stopover, AA is free to reroute as A-C nonstop. The passenger's option if the reroute causes scheduling issues is to cancel for a refund. If one has a need to spend time at B for leisure, work, or simply because one likes airports, one is free to book the two segments as a stopover and pay the fares for that.
Of course anyone can sue AA for having rerouted, but they are extraordinarily unlikely to prevail.
On a simple A-B-C one-way ticket where B is a connection and thus not a stopover, AA is free to reroute as A-C nonstop. The passenger's option if the reroute causes scheduling issues is to cancel for a refund. If one has a need to spend time at B for leisure, work, or simply because one likes airports, one is free to book the two segments as a stopover and pay the fares for that.
Of course anyone can sue AA for having rerouted, but they are extraordinarily unlikely to prevail.
Maybe a real live agent can do it, but if you're purchasing plane tickets on line, it's not easy to get connections under 4 or 24 hours to book as stopovers.
Jan 3, 2019, 6:05 am
#47
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True. All that means is that one must pick up the phone. Not every feature of reserving and ticketing is available online.
Jan 3, 2019, 6:57 am
#48
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: VA
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I'm confused. If AA ticketed this and the OP didnt engage in multiple reservations, hidden city tickets etc. Then why is it the fault of the OP?
If AA is willing to sell me a convoluted stupid routing, then that's on them. If there was IRROPs, then the onus goes to the OP.
If AA is willing to sell me a convoluted stupid routing, then that's on them. If there was IRROPs, then the onus goes to the OP.
Jan 3, 2019, 7:19 am
#49
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If you can't come to terms with AA, maybe a DOT complaint about them not covering hotel costs on a reroute? With the government shutdown, though, you won't get a response right away. Might be new terrain for DOT., but at least you'd get a written response from AA if you decide to take them to small claims court as your next step.
https://www.transportation.gov/airco...umer-complaint
Jan 3, 2019, 7:22 am
#50
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Neither a DOT nor a SCC action will bear any fruit unless you can point to a contractual obligation to pay. If a reroute is not to your liking, it is certainly a basis to cancel for a full refund, but US law does not recognize a :"duty of care" such as exists in the EU under EC 261/2004.
Jan 3, 2019, 7:59 am
#51
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I wouldn't say it's unreasonable, but I'd also be worried if one snowstorm, weather event, airport power failure or mechanical/ATC delay at the start of your trip would present the very same problem when you're out traveling. What was your plan if you had a 12-24 hour or longer delay that threw off your entire itinerary for a day or more? Would you just eat the hotel cost in that situation? Just not sure I'd book multiple prepaid hotel nights when a host of issues could impact your 16 segment round trip itinerary (think that's what you posted before), the most immediate being schedule changes, and a whole list of other possibilities once you're underway with winter travel.
If IRROPS forces an overnight somewhere, then yes I would suck it up and try my luck with travel insurance.
As AA have changed my routing pre-travel, I would've thought this would be on them as my travel insurance would kick in after departure.
Happy to be corrected though.
Jan 3, 2019, 10:45 am
#52
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I guess I don't get the initial very harsh and negative response to the OP. To me, most types of MR are ridiculous, including same day changing flights to add segments, eagerly seeking mistake fares, whatever. However, many people do them. The OP's initial booking is just part of this trend, and the OP didn't break any rules or do anything immoral. AA is free to change it to a more direct routing, but I don't get the amount of scorn thrown towards the OP.
Jan 3, 2019, 11:05 am
#53
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I guess I don't get the initial very harsh and negative response to the OP. To me, most types of MR are ridiculous, including same day changing flights to add segments, eagerly seeking mistake fares, whatever. However, many people do them. The OP's initial booking is just part of this trend, and the OP didn't break any rules or do anything immoral. AA is free to change it to a more direct routing, but I don't get the amount of scorn thrown towards the OP.
https://www.aa.com/i18n/plan-travel/...day-travel.jsp
Jan 3, 2019, 11:13 am
#54
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Why on earth would anyone want to fly that routing to begin with (who cares that much for points)? Even if AA operations were on point it would not be fun. Add in AA's terrible mechanical issues, late arrivals, the OP is asking for a disaster of a travel experience with all of those connections.
Jan 3, 2019, 11:15 am
#55
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Have to agree with the OP. If AA is willing to sell it, and they are willing to pay for it, that's a business transaction. If AA doesn't like it, they shouldn't sell it. We are only playing by their rules.
What if the OP had a legitimate reason to stop in each city (visit a friend, pick up an important document, etc.)?
What if the OP had a legitimate reason to stop in each city (visit a friend, pick up an important document, etc.)?
Jan 3, 2019, 11:40 am
#56
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Have to agree with the OP. If AA is willing to sell it, and they are willing to pay for it, that's a business transaction. If AA doesn't like it, they shouldn't sell it. We are only playing by their rules.
What if the OP had a legitimate reason to stop in each city (visit a friend, pick up an important document, etc.)?
What if the OP had a legitimate reason to stop in each city (visit a friend, pick up an important document, etc.)?
Jan 3, 2019, 11:47 am
#57
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And, as we all know, the airline can change the rules. Or cite rules that trump other rules. Why they allowed it to be sold we don't know. Maybe a glitch. Maybe something else. If the OP needed to make that many stops for personal/business reasons then AA can certainly argue that it is a multi-city trip and should be priced accordingly.
The OP won't win anything here though.
Jan 3, 2019, 11:59 am
#58
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I wouldn't say it's unreasonable, but I'd also be worried if one snowstorm, weather event, airport power failure or mechanical/ATC delay at the start of your trip would present the very same problem when you're out traveling. What was your plan if you had a 12-24 hour or longer delay that threw off your entire itinerary for a day or more? Would you just eat the hotel cost in that situation? Just not sure I'd book multiple prepaid hotel nights when a host of issues could impact your 16 segment round trip itinerary (think that's what you posted before), the most immediate being schedule changes, and a whole list of other possibilities once you're underway with winter travel.
). Made it to MIA, but the flight to SJU left by the time I got there. AC agent was an angel and very helpful. I explained what I was doing an MR to requalify and she rerouted me, making the booking codes align so I still got all my EQMs.I've had things go wonky at the end of the year and every time the agents mentioned that a lot of people doing crazy routings at the end of year to top off. So I know AA's familiar with people MR'ing for status. Like the others, if AA's willing to sell a ticketed itinerary and there aren't IRROPS, I don't understand why they can get their knickers in a twist and change the routing just because they think it's weird. And if it's a "round trip", with the different fare constructions, how can they determine where the original destination is? Arbitrarily?
Systems can be gamed, but given the games that AA and other airlines play too, it's always been a cat and mouse game. We try to get the most - they try to give the least.
Jan 3, 2019, 12:03 pm
#59
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I think the OP was originally asking if he's entitled to comp for the routing changes - I think that stirred some of the scorn.
Jan 3, 2019, 12:04 pm
#60
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Why on earth would anyone want to fly that routing to begin with (who cares that much for points)? Even if AA operations were on point it would not be fun. Add in AA's terrible mechanical issues, late arrivals, the OP is asking for a disaster of a travel experience with all of those connections.