PeterK

Hi!

My wife and I booked (on separate PNRs) milesaaver award flights from SJC to SVO for early Feb with the transatlantic leg on BA connecting to Finnair in LHR and HEL as it was the only option at the time. We held our noses and paid the sky-high BA carrier surcharge.

Fast forward to this morning when I got a notice that BA278 SJC-LHR was cancelled. I called and was able to get us on AA metal for the transatlantic leg to connect to the original Finnair flights. I didn't look to see if there was existing award availability at the saver level before calling in so I'm not sure if they opened it up for us (in case that matters).

Given that we are no longer on a BA flight, can we get the carrier surcharge refunded? If so, would it be through the standard AA refund page?

Thanks!
-Peter

arollins

If you originally booked AA on the transatlantic segment and they cancelled and you get rebooked on BA, do they come back and charge you BA atrocious fees? No, they don't. Regardless, the moment to ask was when you called this AM. Those are the people to talk too.

FAA1996

Call and ask, I think you should be refunded the fees. Safe travels!

LondonElite

I don’t believe you get those back as your booking was accommodated given the cancellation.

mvoight

I suspect there is still no AA award availabiity, so they open this up for you due to the BA cancellation.

orbitmic

Indeed, the accommodation of a cancelled flight doesn’t come with the recalculation of taxes and charges. If there was award space you could have got a full refund and then rebooked but chances are they rebooked you on aa when there was no award space so you can’t really have it both ways.

PeterK

Point taken everyone. I suppose if I stop to consider it, the thought of two business class saaver fares available one month out LAX-LHR seems fairly ludicrous. I agree that given that they were opened up for us means that I'm getting what I originally paid for.

Thanks gang!

DMPHL

PeterK It doesn't hurt to call and ask, though.

fotographer

is this trip one way or return? if so , is the return still on BA ?
Call , like others have said.. that is the only way you will know..

enpremiere

YES

- and you can do this by calling AAdvantage (whichever desk corresponds with your status or the general number) and they can initiate the refund process back to the card on file. It may take a bit as they separate YQ but as those are quite hefty, it's well worth your time. Your line should be something to the effect that BA cancelled a flight, you were moved to AA metal and you're checking to initiate about a refund of BA's applicable carrier-imposed surcharges.

That American re-accommodated you on their metal has nothing to do with your ability to request a refund of those BA carrier-imposed fees.

PS: Yes, American uses a process to "oversell" or open saver inventory when none exists to address schedule changes and OW-related routing matters such as this so that procedure was very likely taken here. What the agent missed was processing the surcharge refund request in the same call.

Often1

Of course you are entitled to a refund of BA's carrier surcharges. AA will not require those surcharges and thus, BA has that revenue right now although it has not provided the service.

The assertion that it is fair not to refund the surcharge because AA would not have charged it had the reroute gone the other way, e.g. AA-to-BA, is a fallacy. Neither EC 261/2004 nor US DOT rules permit this.

PeterK

Thanks again for the help, everyone!

I called American and spoke with an agent just now. She put on hold to check, came back and said yes the "difference in taxes and fees" would be refunded. I assume there are notes associated with the PNR/ticket as she noted my wife was changed also without my saying so.

However, the instructions she gave me were to submit a request via the 'Share with us' generic link after flying. This isn't necessarily a confidence-inspiring process description. I suppose the way to do it is likely the 'Receipts and Refunds' link, but I wanted to see what your thoughts were on submitting after the fact or HUCA to try to do it now?

TravelerMSY

How does this work in the opposite scenario? You’re ticketed on AA and you get involuntarily rebooked on BA?

FAA1996

I've had this happen before, you don't pay the fees.

la2clt

Use the refund request link and explain you were moved from a BA flight to an AA flight award due to a BA schedule change/cancellation and request the difference in taxes and fees. Done this a few times. You will get it within a week or 2.