jordyn

This seems DOT-complaint worthy. It seems like a made up distinction by AA, and is not at all clearly advertised in any of their public-facing documents so people could make decisions not understanding how it affects how they can use the credit.

USFlyerUS

I'm failing to see the issue. Applying a non-refundable ticket to another non-refundable ticket doesn't make the original non-refundable ticket refundable if the second one is cancelled within 24 hours. Either way, the traveler would get a trip credit, not a refund. What am I missing?

AndyAA

Hopefully Lohrip can clarify, but this seems to be a new booking, paid for by $4500 in cash and $1000 in flight credits, but AA refused to refund the $4500 in cash upon cancellation within 24 hours. Of course the $1000 in flight credit isn't going to be refunded as cash, simply redeposited as flight/trip credit, but the $4500 cash outlay for the new booking should be refunded as cash.

Lohrip

Yes AndyAA, that is correct. I made a new booking. The agent asked how I wanted to pay and I said "flight credits, and cash for the remainder". Then I cancelled a few hours later, but they will not refund the cash.

USFlyerUS: by US law if you book a flight and cancel within 24 hours, they airline has to refund your money, not just get a trip credit (subject to a couple of exceptions which don't apply in this case). This is also AA's policy.

Lohrip

Any ideas on how to proceed? I can file a complaint with the DOT but I assume they don't actually advocate for individual cases, right? It will just go into a repository of complaints? For $5000 I could hire a lawyer to help, if there are any lawyers that handle this kind of small airline-related case.

USFlyerUS

AA's policy is actually more generous than what the law requires since they also offer a 24 hour hold, which basically gives us 48 hours (or more since you have until midnight local time the next day on holds) to cancel and refund on a new ticket. In cases like this, I always recommend one hold the ticket for 24 hours and then only apply the trip credit if you're sure you want to proceed.

Antarius

As far as a consumer is concerned, a trip credit is an airline credit, not a non-refundable ticket being re applied. That's not clear at all to the average customer.

That said, fair enough on the fact that the credit is not refundable as it already was part of a previous ticket. Why does the remaining balance become no refundable?

If the OP put 1k in credit and 4k in cash, within 24 hours they should get the 4k back as cash and the 1k as credit.

AndyAA

The airlines are required to respond to every DOT complaint, and normally those responses will come from someone that has at least has half a brain rather than the typical customer service idiots. The best case is AA recognizes their error and corrects in there. If DOT believes this violates their 24 hour regulations, they can take enforcement action. Though, at the very least, you'll hear from AA one more time when they respond to the complaint.

USFlyerUS

Would the same work on a change to an existing itinerary? For example, I just exchanged an existing ticket with an A/C of $45.00. If I cancel the whole thing later tonight, should I expect to get the $45.00 back? Honestly, I wouldn't have before reading this thread today. I'd have expected the value of the new ticket to be issued as a trip credit in the form of an unused ticket, not a partial trip credit and partial refund.

Dave Noble

Based on the wording of fare rules for a domestic ticket, I don't think that this is the case.

The ability to hold an unused ticket for further travel comes under the 'Changes' section. The wording guven, from one I just checked is



The wording there shows ir as a change and where there is a fare difference, that the fare difference needs to be paid. If the $5500 fare was a non refundable fare, then it would seem that AA is correct. If the $5500 fare is refundable/refundable wirh a cancellation penalty, then the amount excluding the $1000 non refundable amount should be refunded/refunded minus penalty

Whether the non refundable amount would be avaulable as credit would depend on what the fare rules of new ticket allow for

Lohrip

Thanks Dave Noble. You say "hold an unused ticket for further travel...." In my experience I received a flight credit, and applied it to a future ticket (at least those are the words the AA agents used). But are you saying the reality was that my ticked was held for further travel, and the application of a flight credit to a different reservation was just a "shorthand" description but not really true?

VegasGambler

This has nothing to do with AA policy or what's written in the fare rules. This is a DOT policy; AA policy cannot override that.

Just file a DOT complaint and you should get a refund of the cash portion that you paid, and the portion that was paid with trip credit should remain available to you as a trip credit.

jordyn

It's true that AA's policy is more generous than what's required, but once they advertise a policy they have to stick to it. They can't trick you into booking by telling you that one policy applies, and then keep your money when you try to cancel by saying that they weren't required to have that policy in the first place.

Dave Noble

DOT policy is quite clear on the rules for a brand new booking - it is worth writing to DOT , but I suspect that AA may respond that this is a rebooking of an existing purchase and that the 24 hour therefore doesn't apply

Indeed AA cannot override DOT rules - I am not sure that it is overriding DOT rules and I doubt that it would publish fare rules that contravene them

VegasGambler

I feel quite certain that a DOT complaint will get a refund of the cash amount here. If pushed, I'm sure that the DOT would clarify this policy (which the airline does not want, which is why the complaint will result in a refund)