Mar 28, 2020, 8:55 am
Last edit by: seawolf
If your flight have been cancelled*** (you should also be able to refund on schedule changes of >120* minutes (241 minutes for tickets purchased on or after 8 Apr 2020), nonstop to connection or connection reduced to less than minimum connection time) and you want to refund, no need to call AA, just do the following:
1. Take screenshot/email of new rebooked flights/or no rebooked flights as evidence of change.
2. Note down ticket number in original email if print receipt option is not available.
3. Cancel reservation
4. Submit refund request online.
5. Go back to page after a 3-4 days to check refund status.
*NOTE: site for refunds is https://prefunds.aa.com/refunds/
*NOTE AA has changed the change time from 121 to 241 minutes for tickets purchased on or after April 8, 2020.
***Airline defines cancelled as IRROPS that occur day or a couple of days prior to departure.
Another way is to reach out to the Twitter team at @AmericanAir.
April 3, 2020: The US DOT posted today an enforcement notice regarding refunds by carriers: https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/latest-news
1. Take screenshot/email of new rebooked flights/or no rebooked flights as evidence of change.
2. Note down ticket number in original email if print receipt option is not available.
3. Cancel reservation
4. Submit refund request online.
5. Go back to page after a 3-4 days to check refund status.
*NOTE: site for refunds is https://prefunds.aa.com/refunds/
*NOTE AA has changed the change time from 121 to 241 minutes for tickets purchased on or after April 8, 2020.
***Airline defines cancelled as IRROPS that occur day or a couple of days prior to departure.
Another way is to reach out to the Twitter team at @AmericanAir.
April 3, 2020: The US DOT posted today an enforcement notice regarding refunds by carriers: https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/latest-news
Enforcement Notice Regarding Refunds by Carriers Given the Unprecedented Impact of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency on Air Travel - The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings, a unit within the Office of the General Counsel, is issuing this notice to remind the traveling public and U.S. and foreign carriers that passengers should be refunded promptly when their scheduled flights are cancelled or significantly delayed. Although the COVID-19 public health emergency has had an unprecedented impact on air travel, the airlines’ obligation to refund passengers for cancelled or significantly delayed flights remains unchanged.
Requesting refund for a canceled flight
Apr 1, 2020, 9:28 pm
#121
Moderator: Hyatt Gold Passport & Star Alliance
Join Date: May 1998
Location: London, UK
Programs: UA-1K 3MM/HY- LT Globalist/BA-GGL/GfL
Posts: 12,089
I had a problem with a ticket that had been reissued to accommodate schedule changes. Took three weeks for the refund to process and only after intervention from the Twitter team. $2000 credit on my Amex account arrived within a few hours.
The delay between it being sent for processing and receipt is around 3 weeks.
The delay between it being sent for processing and receipt is around 3 weeks.
Apr 2, 2020, 4:11 am
#123
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 23
Like so many here, I have had upcoming BA flights to the US cancelled and want to raise a refund. I think I saw here that someone had managed to get through recently, with only a short wait - I’m still trying to get through and get the usual message before being cut off! Does anyone know of another BA number (UK) to call? Although my flight would have been a couple of weeks away, I also have car and hotel booked with BA, so need to find out if I can claim refunds for those too. I’d have hoped the main rush over re - booking and so on might have calmed down enough by now to be able to get through.
Any help very much appreciated!
Any help very much appreciated!
Apr 2, 2020, 11:23 am
#124
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 228
I rang up. I didn't entirely understand what the problem was—I think it was something to do with the ticket change turning a non-stop LHR–JFK route into LHR–MIA and MIA–JFK—but the upshot is that they're now processing the correct refund. It'll take 7–10 business days, presumably because it was done over the phone and not online (an agent the other day told me refunds are being processed much more quickly when done via the prefunds site).
Apr 2, 2020, 11:59 am
#126
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 5
"Request a Refund" link on AA prefunds site doesn't work
Been attempting to request a refund (due to schedule change) online for the last two days. The "Request a Refund" link appears deactivated; my cursor recognizes it as a link, but nothing happens when clicking on it. I use both Chrome and Safari. Anyone else have the same experience?
Apr 2, 2020, 12:20 pm
#127
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: NYC
Programs: AA 2MM, Bonvoy LTT, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,638
Been attempting to request a refund (due to schedule change) online for the last two days. The "Request a Refund" link appears deactivated; my cursor recognizes it as a link, but nothing happens when clicking on it. I use both Chrome and Safari. Anyone else have the same experience?
Apr 2, 2020, 1:15 pm
#128
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Southern California
Programs: AA EXPlat, 2.4MM; HHonors Diamond
Posts: 580
Mine was also LAX-LHR-LAX, mid-April, two pax, using SWUs to upgrade. Same change of flights. I telephoned EP desk to cancel on March 24. The refund appeared on my credit card April 1, and the SWUs were returned to my account.
Apr 3, 2020, 12:38 pm
#129
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: England
Programs: AA P, UA PP, LH FT, IHG G, Hilton G, BW P
Posts: 149
Data Point
So for anyone wondering with a manual review where you called in, our's has flipped this evening to "Pending Review" in red when using the "Request a Refund" tab. The Status tab still says "we couldn't find your request." It's clear it's moving through now, the time elapsed to flip to this state is roughly 48hrs in our case (Sat-Mon). Now let's see how long the review takes...
So for anyone wondering with a manual review where you called in, our's has flipped this evening to "Pending Review" in red when using the "Request a Refund" tab. The Status tab still says "we couldn't find your request." It's clear it's moving through now, the time elapsed to flip to this state is roughly 48hrs in our case (Sat-Mon). Now let's see how long the review takes...
In total 4 consecutive days processing, (we called on a Saturday) and funds on day 5.
Now just need our "orphan" flight to cancel and we'll go through it one more time.
Apr 4, 2020, 1:34 pm
#131
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: LAX
Programs: UA 1K MM, AA EXP, BA Silver, Marriott Plat., Hertz Pres. Circle, Avis First
Posts: 917
I have a similar reservation for May. The LAX-LHR flight is clearly cancelled since they've announced it and aren't selling seats, but when I look online or on the app it does not show the flight as cancelled. I guess this means I need to call for a refund?
Apr 5, 2020, 9:10 am
#132
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: AUS
Programs: AA Exec Platinum/MM, DL Gold/MM, Hilton Diamond, Accor Platinum, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 6,975
As expected my KRK trip in May became simply a one way trip to ORD after the overnight schedule changes. The AA refund page showed all segments eligible for refund. It initially offered a mailed voucher for the full amount, expiring in a year. When I clicked on "see other refund options" a box popped up offering a 120% voucher. I was tempted as it would have meant an extra ~400 dollars but I said no thanks and the refund proceeded as normal, with a note that the refund would be posted to my original form of payment within 7 days. It was interesting that the 120% offer is made only after you decline the original voucher offer.
Apr 7, 2020, 11:37 pm
#133
Join Date: Apr 2009
Programs: American EXP; British Airways Gold
Posts: 1,896
You did better than me. Same situation, with LAX-LHR-LAX converting to the DFW connection, mid-April, using SWUs to upgrade. Telephoned EXP desk on March 24 to cancel. SWUs returned to my account the following day. As of April 7, prefunds.aa.com still shows "pending review", with no refund yet to credit card account.
Apr 8, 2020, 12:15 am
#134
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: NYC
Programs: AA 2MM, Bonvoy LTT, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,638
please refer to wiki. No need to call for a refund on airline-initiated cancellation.
Apr 8, 2020, 11:10 pm
#135
Join Date: Nov 2018
Programs: Global Entry
Posts: 125
A data point:
A passenger initiated ticket (nonrefundable domestic) cancellation due to COVID-19 travel advisory and then submitted a refund request. The refund request was denied by AA a few weeks later citing "nonrefundable ticket." The original flight was later cancelled by AA. AA is issuing eCredit for future AA booking instead.
Is CC chargeback the only recourse here?
A passenger initiated ticket (nonrefundable domestic) cancellation due to COVID-19 travel advisory and then submitted a refund request. The refund request was denied by AA a few weeks later citing "nonrefundable ticket." The original flight was later cancelled by AA. AA is issuing eCredit for future AA booking instead.
Is CC chargeback the only recourse here?
Last edited by flyinggum; Apr 8, 2020 at 11:16 pm