keitherson

What? Changing a flight and cancelling it are not the same thing.

anabolism

From an AA fee point of view, they are the same for most fares. AA has suspended most such fees.

keitherson

No they are not. Cancellations fees and change fees are distinctly different. Most carriers have suspended change fees, so you can rebook to something else for free or keep an airline credit. They're not going to give you your money back.

anabolism

Check the AA fare rules. As I said, from an AA fee point of view, the fees are treated the same. Actually, all AA fare rules I've examined either provide for full refund without fee or prohibit refund except in certain circumstances, but most such fares (aside from basic economy) do permit the ticket value to be retained and reused, subject to the applicable change fee, provided the flights were cancelled from the PNR before departure. It is this fee that AA has suspended. Typically, 'A' fares are non-refundable but changeable/reusable subject to change fee, while 'F' fares are fully refundable. My recollection is that this is true of the fares discussed in this thread, One of the exceptions that allows a non-refundable fare to be fully refunded is when the operating airline cancels a flight, In the case being discussed, one of the flights was in fact cancelled, which entitled the poster to a full refund.

rdlmitedu

I’m at MAD, having just done a rapid pcr test at the airport (EUR 150) and checked in for an evening air maroc one-way MAD-CMN. I’m wondering if tomorrow I’ll be able to check in at 2pm for my CMN-MAD, following morning MAD-LHR LHR-MIA, or if I’ll have to do it at MAD. I’d like to do the “day before beginning of journey, even if there is an overnight stopover enroute due to flight schedule requirement” rule for US Covid test if possible and just use this test result. Last time CMN couldn’t even do the MAD-LHR segment (or at least wouldn’t), so otherwise I’ll just get another test in MAD during my overnight wait, or use an antigen kit and pay for online proctoring.

flyer89

Hmm you can certainly try, but have a back up just in case! I did (positioning flights) PHX-SEA-LHR-CMN took PCR 48 hours before departure to entered CMN, explored a couple days in CMN, then CMN-MAD-LHR (overnight)(did not get asked for result), did my proctored antigen while I'm at the hotel, submitted to VeriFly, got approved within minutes, LHR-MIA (was asked for VeriFly/test result). I'm not sure if your overnight is at MAD or LHR, but if your overnight is in LHR then there are plenty of places to get a rapid antigen test which should cost less than 40 euros... if your overnight is in MAD then I'm not sure... This is my experience from 03/10-03/17 trip

rdlmitedu

I am somewhat amazed at just how bad CMN airport is (and the city in general, if you leave the Four Seasons property). I’m glad my first flight in here was to Marrakech or I would have assumed the whole country was like this and cancelled the next 5 trips.

IB checkin desk in CMN again only checked me to Madrid. Wanted US vax card and Spanish health form. The random make-work jobs at the airport (government) actually do negative utility, and then there are also all the scammers outside.

danger

Were you only transiting at MAD? If so, for how long? Was your LHR-US flight the following day? And by "US vax card", is that something US citizens have or is it referring to a test?

rdlmitedu

American apparently banned worded me on the outbound on a schedule change, which is why my TripIt information was no longer valid and I had to spend an extra day in Casablanca and thus made a last minute booking at the Four Seasons.

My original purchased itinerary was 23 MAR CMN-MAD, IB MAD-LHR, and then 24 MAR AA LHR-MIA in A (first). They moved it to 24 MAR CMN-MAD and then 25 MAR MAD-MIA in the horrible IB C product. (The return changed times but is in May and still via LHR in F (not A). Pretty angry about this.

it is an overnight layover but required by schedule (there is no same day on this route from CMN to MIA at least with this departure) but I recall MAD airport transfers sucking from when I did this back in November.)

”Vax card” as in CDC paper proof of vaccination. With that, US people don’t need to show tests to enter Spain. I am getting tested at MAD for the US (test is scheduled for tomorrow and prepaid, but I will see if they’ll let me do the test today instead, or I’ll change the time of my appointment tomorrow — my IB flight is now at 1150 instead of the 0730 the flight via London would have been. Although, I am considering multitasking during a work conference call to call AA and ask to be changed to a flight via London in First.

I should have checked with the airline I guess before departing but TripIt is usually synced so I relied on that. Nothing in my email about this; they possibly called me but I get so much phone spam that I never pick up the phone.

rdlmitedu

(I think I am going to expend moderate effort to try to get on the 0900 IB to LHR and then BA 209 (a380 with first! Kind of a unique time for that to be available)

nawlins

The CMN-MAD flight was dropped from my original itinerary by American Airlines. One might think a refund from American where the airlines changed the ticket to start in Madrid instead of Casablanca would be straight forward. American sent an email stating the ticket is not refundable. Disputed the charge with AMEX

flyer89

I was very excited to fly the a380 in general (since 2019) until BA decided to switched it to 777 the day of on 03/17... I get to keep my 2F... but still annoyed

skunker

What was their reason for denying the refund? Even the A fare allowed refunds with penalty, but a canceled flight is always 100% refundable.

rdlmitedu

After 3 tries with chat (about an hour while waiting at the CMN airport) was able to get moved onto MAD-LHR-MIA with AA 57. However, the downgrade to J remained. I tried chat today (there is an empty seat) and was refused reinstatement of A seat because “it will charge a fee”. I was told I could contact CS for a refund for the fare difference but that is probably not worth it. (scrutiny on tickets like this, generally, isn’t great; also possibly a negative refund amount?). I’m crediting to AS so who knows. The BA 209 flight would have been nice but I have stuff I have to do on arrival in MIA tonight. Happy enough to just not be on Iberia.

And actually, as I just checked on the AS partner chart: 150% miles for both A and D, so no benefit to flying in F cabin on this segment from a mileage perspective. Plus while I possibly would have done FFD on arrival in MIA based on connecting to a same-day onward MIA-SJU AA flight (as I did on my November version of this flight in BA F -- FFD in MIA would easily get a Michelin star from me), I'll just fly the following morning and meet up with my friends in Miami as I'd intended. Slightly inferior amenity kit, but more private seat.

nawlins

"What was their reason for denying the refund? Even the A fare allowed refunds with penalty, but a canceled flight is always 100% refundable"

I went through AA's automated refund link https://prefunds.aa.com/refunds/ and received a response email from AA that the ticket did not qualify for a refund but could use the funds towards the purchase of another ticket.. I left it at that and called AMEX.