Rescheduling a return flight - what are the limits
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2021
Programs: AAdvantage
Posts: 10
Rescheduling a return flight - what are the limits
I'd like to book a round trip ticket with a long stay but I'm not solid on the return date. Round trip quite a bit cheaper than one way, so just booking two one ways wouldn't make sense. But say I do book a round trip ticket and six months later I decide I want to stay longer before making the return trip, how far out can I move the return trip? And would I be able to cancel the return and get a credit?
Edit: Trip is LIS to PHX, depart on July 19, return (for now) is Dec 27.
Edit: Trip is LIS to PHX, depart on July 19, return (for now) is Dec 27.
#2
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 8,836
First, if you have miles, you may want to consider booking this as an award, if you can find reasonable availability. Be sure to look at partner awards since they tend to have better availability at more reasonable prices than AA awards. Awards are one way and fully refundable which seem like useful features for your situation.
Having said that, if you book a round trip for cash, and assuming that your ticket can be changed for no fee (don't book basic economy, obviously) but is nonrefundable, if you cancel the return your trip will be re-fared as a one way and you will get a credit for whatever's left over, if anything. As you point out, one ways are much more expensive than half a round trip so you won't get much back. It will be as if you booked a one way originally.
If you change your return after you start travel, it should be refared using historical prices. I'm not completely clear on ticket validity (one year from start of travel vs one year from original booking date -- I think it's one of those but I'm not sure which one)
Seriously, doing this using awards is by far the easiest way if there's anything available for a reasonable amount of miles. I would spend a long time trying to make this work with awards before considering buying a ticket. If you can't find anything with AA or a partner, look at other alliances and see where you can transfer credit card points from.
Having said that, if you book a round trip for cash, and assuming that your ticket can be changed for no fee (don't book basic economy, obviously) but is nonrefundable, if you cancel the return your trip will be re-fared as a one way and you will get a credit for whatever's left over, if anything. As you point out, one ways are much more expensive than half a round trip so you won't get much back. It will be as if you booked a one way originally.
If you change your return after you start travel, it should be refared using historical prices. I'm not completely clear on ticket validity (one year from start of travel vs one year from original booking date -- I think it's one of those but I'm not sure which one)
Seriously, doing this using awards is by far the easiest way if there's anything available for a reasonable amount of miles. I would spend a long time trying to make this work with awards before considering buying a ticket. If you can't find anything with AA or a partner, look at other alliances and see where you can transfer credit card points from.
#3
Used to be 'Travelergcp'
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: New Orleans
Programs: AA Plat, Marriott Gold, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,784
Before you fly the first segment, it’s a year from issue. After you’ve flown the first, AFAIK it’s a year from the date of the first segment. Call AA and they can clarify. Avoid basic economy.
Canceling the return is possible but you won’t get anything close to 50% back due to the disparity in the cost of one ways transatlantic.
Canceling the return is possible but you won’t get anything close to 50% back due to the disparity in the cost of one ways transatlantic.
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 26,530
Unfortunately, the AAdvantage redemption options on July 19 are not very attractive:

(The 30K option on July 18 uses BA, and has a cash component of $262.)
There are 30K redemption options with low cash components currently available for the return trip on December 27.

(The 30K option on July 18 uses BA, and has a cash component of $262.)
There are 30K redemption options with low cash components currently available for the return trip on December 27.
#5
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 8,836
I would also look at flying in/out of nearby cities of possible with an award. For example you may be able to get a basic economy flight LAX-PHX for under $100, or a web special for 6500 miles. Same with SFO. When I want flexibility like this, I would much prefer to use awards. It will take some legwork to check all the options but IMO it's worth it.
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 20,647
I'd like to book a round trip ticket with a long stay but I'm not solid on the return date. Round trip quite a bit cheaper than one way, so just booking two one ways wouldn't make sense. But say I do book a round trip ticket and six months later I decide I want to stay longer before making the return trip, how far out can I move the return trip? And would I be able to cancel the return and get a credit?
Edit: Trip is LIS to PHX, depart on July 19, return (for now) is Dec 27.
Edit: Trip is LIS to PHX, depart on July 19, return (for now) is Dec 27.
If you just want to be able to change return date, it shouldn't be much of an issue and fare differences shouldn't be that big. The cheaper roundtrip fares have minimum stay requirements (generally 7 days) and as long as you continue to meet that when you change, fare differences won't typically be that large (fares for midweek travel tend to be somewhat cheaper than weekend travel). If you wait too close-in to change, you may have issues with finding flights that still have bucket availability in lower classes. This can be particularly true for flights around Christmas when demand is higher. As others have noted, if you are hoping to simply cancel return and get credit, that is a different story as you will no longer meet roundtrip booking requirements of fare and you likely get little or nothing back as a credit (unless you use it for a return flight from US to EU to meet original roundtrip booking requirement of fares).
Last edited by xliioper; Mar 18, 23 at 9:12 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2021
Programs: AAdvantage
Posts: 10
If you just want to be able to change return date, it shouldn't be much of an issue and fare differences shouldn't be that big. The cheaper roundtrip fares have minimum stay requirements (generally 7 days) and as long as you continue to meet that when you change, fare differences won't typically be that large (fares for midweek travel tend to be somewhat cheaper than weekend travel). If you wait too close-in to change, you may have issues with finding flights that still have bucket availability in lower classes. This can be particularly true for flights around Christmas when demand is higher. As others have noted, if you are hoping to simply cancel return and get credit, that is a different story as you will no longer meet roundtrip booking requirements of fare and you likely get little or nothing back as a credit (unless you use it for a return flight from US to EU to meet original roundtrip booking requirement of fares).
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2021
Programs: AAdvantage
Posts: 10
I would also look at flying in/out of nearby cities of possible with an award. For example you may be able to get a basic economy flight LAX-PHX for under $100, or a web special for 6500 miles. Same with SFO. When I want flexibility like this, I would much prefer to use awards. It will take some legwork to check all the options but IMO it's worth it.
#9
Join Date: Jul 2021
Location: ORD
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 472
It would depend on the exact fare rules of your existing ticket, as well as the one you're trying to book. Besides the stay requirements (or some limits that I've seen), there's also some seasonality restrictions, and those fares may or may not be combinable with your existing ticket, even if there is inventory space.
#10
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 8,836
Basically when you make your change (after departure) they are going to try to give you the same price as you would have gotten had you booked your new routing initially.
However there are some caveats, because while they will use historical pricing they will not use historical availability. So it may be that today there are extremely cheap fare buckets available but even you go to change it in 6 months there are only expensive fare buckets. They are going to give you today's prices for those expensive buckets.
However there are some caveats, because while they will use historical pricing they will not use historical availability. So it may be that today there are extremely cheap fare buckets available but even you go to change it in 6 months there are only expensive fare buckets. They are going to give you today's prices for those expensive buckets.
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 20,647
In addition to minimum stay requirements on fares, there are also generally maximum stay requirements on roundtrip fares. Looking at ex-EU fare filings, these generally look to be 12 months. So you should be able to rebook and retain full value of the return fare as long as return is less than 12 months out from departure. You would still have to pay any fare differences (which could be substantial), but you should still at least get the value out of the return fare. Note that BE fares also have change fees for ex-EU fares (currently 150 Euros). But at least they are changeable (ex-US BE fares are non-changeable).
Last edited by xliioper; Mar 19, 23 at 7:31 am
#12
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: NYC
Programs: AA 2MM, Bonvoy LTT, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,173
In addition to max stay requirements you also have to deal with flight date applicability (eg low/shoulder/peak seasons). So if your original return was winter and you changed your return to summer, you will have to pay a fare difference.
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2021
Programs: AAdvantage
Posts: 10
In addition to minimum stay requirements on fares, there are also generally maximum stay requirements on roundtrip fares. Looking at ex-EU fare filings, these generally look to be 12 months. So you should be able to rebook and retain full value of the return fare as long as return is less than 12 months out from departure. You would still have to pay any fare differences (which could be substantial), but you should still at least get the value out of the return fare. Note that BE fares also have change fees for ex-EU fares (currently 150 Euros). But at least they are changeable (ex-US BE fares are non-changeable).
What are BE fares? Basic Economy?
I'm cool with paying the fare difference. Thanks!