zurfer

I have 3 travel credits via the AMEX travel portal requiring 3 separate bookings (unfortunately credits can't be combined). Once this is done can I make schedule changes as an EXP via AA or must I still go through AMEX? For some reason I recall a post mentioning this was possible. I could be mistaken.

Also, If I pay extra for a more expensive flight than my AMEX travel credit and later cancel the flight does the new travel credit post as one or two separate credits. And does the expiration date remain one year from the original booking or updated to the newer more expensive reservation?

Thanks for your help.

BlooJoo

Credits are usually with an airline, not a travel agency, but if your credits really are Amex, you need to book with Amex. You need to make changes with Amex, until after your first segment. Once you've flown that, AA can make changes.

zurfer

Thanks. Yes, the credits are for AA flights that were cancelled.

redtop43

AA will sometimes (often) take over an AMEX ticket for EXP's. In theory there is a $50 fee but they waive it for EXP's. I've only done this once.

Yes, rebooking with Amex is an awful experience. I estimate 90-120 minutes per attempt, and around 40-45% chance of a clean success (i.e. they don't screw up either the trip or the fare).

zurfer

Interesting. So if I book an AA flight with AMEX travel credit I can then freely change that flight via AA? And if I cancel do the credits change to AA travel credits?

VegasGambler

In my experience (admittedly only one experience) if you book one of the discounted fares on Amex, AA will be unable to take it over or make any changes at all.

If you are booking the same fare as is available on AA.com I think it should work, though.

redtop43

I'm not sure if the credit will migrate to AA or not. I don't think it has to do with whether the fare is the same or not. I'm not sure I've ever booked an AMEX ticket unless the fare was lower than AA.

USFlyerUS

Is this a written policy? I've always been charged the $50 when AA takes over a ticket issued by my CTA. I always ask if it can be waived and am always told no.

ryanbriar

Agree - it’s definitely a YMMV situation. I’ve had agents take them over (and still apply the FO80 code for changes when not due to schedule changes) and others have said no dice. What I’ve found is that once you apply a SWU etc or there’s a schedule change, AA will take over.

When booking “complex” itineraries with Amex (mainly mixed cabin bookings), I usually give the agent very specific instructions and the fare basis / coding off ITA Matrix. That’s come in handy a couple of times when my desired flights weren’t originally showing up on the agent’s end.

VegasGambler

My experience was that I booked one of the 5% discounted economy fares. I called in the day before after check-in had opened to try to do a not-quite-legal SDC. The EXP desk agent saw that it was an Amex fare and transferred me to another desk that apparently deals with those specific fares (or, presumably, all discounted agency fares). She told me that for that fare she could not touch it; it has to be Amex. I asked about them taking over the ticket and she said that their agreement with Amex didn't allow it.

It's possible that I was misinformed. I didn't HUCA (it seems unlikely that they would have made the change I wanted without collecting the fare difference anyway, so it didn't seem worth the additional effort). This is just one data point.

NYC Flyer

Technically, the "credits" are simply unused tickets. If a ticket is exchanged with an additional collection for a new ticket, and the new reservation is subsequently canceled, the total value remains on the most recently issued ticket.

The expiration date of the total "credit" remains one year from the first/original ticket's issuance date.

As others note, AA will make it difficult to use these tickets for a direct booking without a fee.

zurfer

There appears to be no definitive answer. Best case is I book my AMEX credit and no changes or cancellations are necessary. If I have to change or cancel then will try to get AA to accommodate. Thanks all.

TravelerMSY

AA changes (or reuse of cancelled ticket) are locked to Amex unless you pay AA to assume control.

Not true of United or Delta.

platbrownguy

Yeah, I was pleasantly surprised that UA was able to take over an Amex ticket and even waived the $75/ticket fee. Amex insisted that the credit could only be used in the same currency as it was issued in (Aruban florins, LOL), United said that's not a rule and helped out.

I have never been able to get AA to take over an Amex ticket upon my request. Once, with a lot of begging on Twitter, I was able to get AA to cancel an Amex ticket, which mysteriously couldn't be canceled online (when I clicked the cancel button on Amex, the cancel button just disappeared -- regardless of browser/device -- and the hold time was unworkable, with departure time fast approaching).

If there is IROPS or a schedule change though, you should then have no trouble getting AA to take over the ticket to make your desired changes, and from that point on it's an AA ticket (0012 instead of 0017).

NYC Flyer

AA will rebook the reservation if there are IROPs, but usually will just revalidate the ticket for revised flights so that the travel agency can maintain control over onward/return travel.