enviroian

So I'm headed to LHR next month. I was able to redeem a SWU at booking (booked the ticket a few months ago) and my routing is leave early to RDU (in Y) then enjoy a 5 hour plus layover before heading off at 6:05 PM to LHR on a 772. Not the best way to go but I was able to redeem an SWU so that's all that mattered really.

I happened to be looking at EF today and noticed that C1 was available for AA 80 non stop out of DFW on the same day. The obvious advantages of taking that flight are clear so for kicks and giggles I called the EXP line to see what the change cost would be. I was expecting the fare difference this close plus change fee to be prohibitive but why not just check. The total cost to change the ticket and re-apply the SWU was $100.50. That's it. I asked him twice are you sure that's the price and he said "YES" and confirmed it. I checked citi to make sure and sure enough that's all the charges there are from AA (albeit pending). When I got the ticket re-issue email this was at the bottom:

ADDITIONAL FARE COLLECTION $ 100.50

TICKET CHANGE $ 275. 00

That $275 wasn't charged to me. Anyone know why?

no1cub17

The new fare must have been $175 less than what you originally paid, so they charged the $275 change fee plus the fare difference but because the new fare is lower, you only owe $100. Well done.

Dave Noble

That doesn't marry with what the OP is reporting

The airline has said that there is an additional fare collection of $100.50 - so implies a higher fare

Also looking at AA's fare rules for economy on that route

The passenger would be charged the $275 and , if fare was lower, be given a voucher for the fare difference

I would be checking credit card to see whether a $275 fee appears , but otherwise does look like agent error in your favour , save $275

enviroian

Good info thanks. I’ll continue to monitor Citi. Of course if it does indeed hit ($275) I’ll have zero recourse if I call AA and tell them the agent confirmed twice $100.50.

no1cub17

That would be very strange IMO but I guess it could happen. I thought with AA's new system the agents wouldn't even have the ability to do this.

Often1

It is unlikely that AA will change the charge. Rather, the ticket will have an add/collect which will inhibit check-in until the amount due is paid.

enviroian

I will definitely update this next month!

Beachfun71

• Additional fare collection $172.00
• Ticket change $200

Note the $28 difference.

no1cub17

Just found and old ticket where I'd made a similar change and it's listed the same way. So I think OP lucked out with a lower fare.

btonkid12345

Either the new fare was lower and thus the total difference you owed, including the change fee, was the $100.50.

Or, perhaps the agent entered a waiver code and waived the change fee. I can't speak to how common this is on AA but it is common on DL, especially for elite guests who are changing to other flights on the same day for upgrade purposes (it is totally discretionary).

Either way, why wait a month? Just call and ask now what the agent did. Neither is exceptional nor will they undo it; what's done is done. Just ask if the change fee was waived and/or what the new/current fare calculation for the ticket is.

enviroian

Nope. AA isn’t delta. I don’t want to call and give them a reason to see what happened.

btonkid12345

So you're saying that AA would "fix" an error even after they've reissued the ticket?

enviroian

I have no idea. I do know I don't want to give them any reason to charge me something they should have or could have initially.

I guess I'll see at the 24 hr mark when I do OLCI.

Beachfun71

USFlyerUS

AA lets you use residual ticket value if the new ticket is less towards the total add/collect, which would include the change fee. US, after the merger with HP, used to separately charge the change fee and do as you stated, but that's not how AA handles it.