Aloha1

So, we have a cruise booked from Lima to Buenos Aires in Mid December. I booked paid flights to LIM from MIA with a return from EZE mid January. Both countries are still totally locked down to US flights and cruises. Since my itinerary involves two countries there is a risk that if LIM opens, EZE may not. What are my options for a full refund to CC??

Often1

1. If your tickets are fully refundable, all you need to do is cancel and request a refund. This can be done online.
2. If your tickets are not fully refundable, you are only due a refund if AA cancels or significantly changes the schedule. If you choose to cancel, AA will issue a credit, but not a refund, for use against future travel. Thus, you would be well-advised not to cancel until either the flight is scheduled or significantly changed. If it is not, then a couple of hours before scheduled departure, go ahead and cancel and you will be stuck with a credit (not a refund).

fly747first

As another flyer stated, you only qualify for a refund if you booked refundable tickets. Otherwise, I agree that your best strategy would be to wait to see if there is a schedule change though AA is getting more strict now and it would have to involve a difference of many hours to qualify for a refund. Regardless, AA is no longer charging change fees so even if you don't travel, you can keep the full value of your tickets for future reservations.

mvoight

If they are "totally locked down to US flights", then flights would get canceled, and if the airline cancels you are entitled to a refund.
Normal refund rules still apply as they did before the virus.
The COVID difference is generally in not charging fees for changes made by the consumer
.

Aloha1

Appreciate all the responses. Our tix are not refundable so, we'll play the wait and see game.

Aloha1

Just to add another thought: If the outbound flight is allowed to land in Peru but the return country, Argentina is still locked down to US citizens at the time of outbound departure, is that grounds for a full refund based on the fact that AA cannot guarantee I can get to EZE or fly out from there?

Often1

No.

The issue is not whether the country is "locked down" but whether the flight operates. If it operates, then you are not entitled to a refund. If either or both flights are cancelled, you are then entitled to a refund of the ticket.

The issue here is that you are using the term "locked down" as suggesting that air carriers are not permitted to operate. However, there is air service to/from both. It may simply be that you are not permitted entry and thus may not board.

On the other hand, the tougher the restrictions, the greater the chance that there will be a cancellation or significant change, both entitling you to a refund.

This is why you should wait. If you cancel today, you get a credit. If you wait untilt he day of the flight, perhaps it will be cancelled (or it might even be significantly delayed due to weather).

UKtravelbear

How you get from A to B is not any concern of AAs.

As said already if they cancel the flight you can get a refund if they don't then it's a credit note.

UKtravelbear

You need to check the actual position re being able to enter Argentina or not.

For example as a UK passport holder I cannot enter the US from the UK. But if I spent 14 days in a country the US the country regards as 'safe' then I would have little diffculty being admitted to the US. What is of relavance is where I have been not my citizenship.

So the US is not actually 'locked down'. Ditto the UK isn't 'locked down' to people arriving from the US,Thet just need to follow the self isolation rules on arrival.

So it does not matter what your citizenship is but where you have been in the relavant period before entering Argentina. If they say X days in Peru and Y days on a cruise ship makes you safe then they will admit you. But whether they do or not is not anything to do with AA.

AAExecPlatFlier

Not necessarily. The plea might still go despite foreign nationals not being allowed to clear I to the country.

Often1

The sole question is whether the flight is cancelled. The question of what is "locked down" and as to whom is a red herring. All OP needs to know is whether the flight is operating in order to determine whether he may have a refund. If it is, then the question arises as to whether he may be on it or whether he takes a future credit in funny money.

mvoight

I don't understand the comment.
I said "If they are "totally locked down to US flights", then flights would get canceled"
If they are locked down to US flights, that means the flights aren't able to go.