Carolina2Cali

In January, I posted a generic set of "what ifs" for a future trip I booked, and that trip is this Friday. The country is still closed to non-citizens, and honestly, probably wouldn't be very fun even if I could go. Does anyone know exactly where I can find the terms of my ticket so I know my theoretical "rights" and options with customer service? My overall flight times were changed by 5.5 hours, but also the connection became a 6+ hour layover.

My order of preferences, with the first being my major priority:

• Rebook it for later dates at the AWESOME deal I had gotten (January sale plus black Friday promo code)
• Refund
• Flight Credit - Yuck, usually these aren't valid for future promos/offers

When I called a few weeks ago, the only option given was that I could change the dates and they would give me a "discount" turning my $800 RT lie-flat flight into a $1900 one... supposedly better than simply rebooking at a new fare.

AAExecPlatFlier

Not sure this is everything, AA has kind of been playing with an abbreviated version to “make it easier for customers to understand” 😂😂

to your situation, I believe the change in the arrival or departure time must change by 4 hours — a change to connection time doesn’t matter. You didn’t say if you had a cxld flight or not or just rescheduled times, so can’t help as to cash refund. But generally, if u have a cxld flight u can get a refund.

The issue of the country not being open is of no concern to AA. You can change your dates but you would have to pay any fare difference — so a Flight credit.

Carolina2Cali

I was automatically rebooked through Miami instead of DFW, does that count as cancelled? They changed my departure time by 5 hours and 40 minutes.

xliioper

It's called the "Conditions of Carriage". The abbreviated one is here -- https://www.aa.com/i18n/customer-ser...f-carriage.jsp
International conditions of carriage is here -- https://www.aa.com/content/images/ta...L&title=tariff

Here are the conditions for refund:
(10) Change in schedule means: (a) The cancellation of a scheduled flight where no AA flight of comparable routing is available within 4 hours of the original time of departure; (b) A change in the scheduled departure time of an AA flight which exceeds 4 hours ; (c) A change in the routing of a scheduled AA flight which adds one or more stops to the original itinerary , or ; (d) A change in the routing of a scheduled AA flight that results in a scheduled arrival time more than 4 hours later than the original scheduled arrival time.

Often1

To cut to the bottom line, when a flight is cancelled (or there is a significant change), you are entitled to a full refund to your original form of payment. AA defines "significant" as 4+ hours in the contract to which you agreed. You can find the link on the AA website, but it does not tell you much. AA may offer you a credit for future use, but that is an interest free loan by you and there is no reason for you to want that.

Changes to a later date are not related to the cancellation. You may change your ticket to a later date and pay any fare difference (or receive a flight credit if the fare is lower).

Nothing prevents you from asking AA to change to a specific later date and perhaps an agent will simply do it for you without the add/collect, but I would plan on that not happening when I called.

Bet approach is to simply call AA and ask -- in light of the cancellation -- to be rebooked to the specific date & flight you want. The less said, the better.

Carolina2Cali

Thanks for everyone's help, I don't have too much hope in a smooth process. After being on the phone for over an hour, my support agent thought she found something, but after speaking for 20+ minutes with meeting services, they realized it was economy and not business. She cancelled my flight for credit, and then I had to go online and request the refund. There's a tiny 200 character limit box where she put that I should ask for my 15 percent off black Friday promo code back... and also, the refund request said my ticket was worth $27!!! I am guessing something got wildly screwed up when they "rebooked" my flight with a new connection. I hope I get my code, and refund, back promptly and correctly... not holding my breath!

P.S. I did not stay on the phone to take the survey, she was nice enough but ultimately didn't do anything helpful, if anything, got my hopes up for nothing. I assume not doing the survey is better than marking anything less than a 10? It didn't ask how nice she was, rather, would I want to book with AA again based on my experience... the answer is not particularly thrilled but we all know I am going to anyway, lol.

AAExecPlatFlier

ignore the $27 figure. It’s some quirk that many people see.