Presguy

I've got RT travel between LAX and LIM on AM booked for next month. It was a discounted "Comfort Fare" that booked into Premier (Biz) in both directions - purchased for ~$500 during a Black Friday sale.

AM cancelled one of the flights, and the next best suggestion delays my arrival into LIM by about 9 hours - not really good for the trip I had in mind.

What can I expect when I call AM?

If it's an option, I'd like to simply switch the outbound and return to a different set of days - flights with good schedules are operating on other weeks that would work for me. But, I'm not clear on if I'd have to pay the fare difference or not?

A credit on AM would work, and I'd use it eventually, but isn't my first choice. Given that AM cancelled the flight/altered the schedule, might I be eligible for a refund? If so, is that likely to be a smooth process, or a battle?

Thanks much.

Crastonts

Have a quick look through this forum. You'll quickly find exactly what to expect.

My suggestion? Call and try for the fairest option. Do not accept e-money or vouchers, remain firm. If that doesn't work, escalate via the complaints address PLUS the executive complaints system: https://www.elliott.org/company-contacts/aeromexico/

When that inevitably fails, print your conversations, present a formal (NOT informal) DOT complaint and proceed with a chargeback.

Been there, done that.

Presguy

I appreciate it - I did do some reading in this forum before hand, but with as fast as changes are happening...

And, yes.. suspect you're right. Spend about 2 hours on the phone this morning, and got basically nowhere.

I offered a set of dates a few months from now which would work - and they refused.

I asked for a refund to the payment card, was refused. Went around in a few (polite, but pointless) circles.

I'll start some exec team emails probably today, and have already opened a DOT complaint. I haven't done a chargeback yet, but likely will soon.

Mama

If I were you, I would seriously consider taking the 9 hour later flight, given the fact that you got this super deal of business class ticket and that AM is well known for being difficult to work with on changes and refunds. But I am sure you know better about your own situation, and how much the $500 business class ticket worth, and how much time you may have to spend to fight AM to get this $500 back. Of course you have a right as consumer to fight AM.
You indicated you were trying to change the dates by not a few days, but "a few months from now" (and they refused.) I suspect you actually had planned to change/cancel your ticket anyway, and now AM's delay just gives you a perfect excuse to take full advantage of the AM flight change situation. To be honest, it is never a good idea to buy tickets on AM when you don't have any flexibility on your part (not to mentioned a deep discounted ticket), especially during a stressful time we are facing now. There have been so many threads on this forum about AM's bad handling of flight irregularities prior to Black Friday when you bought their bargain business class ticket.. You ignored the warnings.
Sorry, but I don't really have sympathy on your situation.

PointsPanda

Only 2 routes with Aeromexico if you're not going to take the flight they put you on.

1. Suck it up
2. File a chargeback (DOT could help, but won't matter either way as AM won't fight it)

Talking to Aeromexico is a waste of time, their agents are trained to tell you there is 'nothing they can do' even when they cancel flights.

Aeromexico doesn't give refunds under absolutely any circumstances even when required by law. They could care less if your ticket was business class or basic economy same thing. Even getting an eCredit or voucher is not going to be worth the time, of being passed over agent to agent calling back waiting on hold over and over. They'll hold out longer then you can nag them.

Their general strategy is just stick their fingers in their ear until you go away. Threats won't work either.

My advice is suck it up or file a chargeback, if one or both of your flights got cancelled they won't fight it.

Often1

You have three options with AM. Accept the inconvenient reroute, accept the flight credit with all of the problems that creates, or pursue a refund through what will become a chargeback. AM is not going to change, it is probably true that many passengers simply give up and take the credit, and there is nobody ought there looking to push AM from its teeter-totter post-Chapter 11 position into Chapter 7.

Given that you are headed the refund route, make certain that you do everything in writing and when you inevitably start your chargeback, make certain that your backup documentation is attached. You will need:
1. Original e-ticket receipt showing the booked flights.
2. Notice of cancellation (or other demonstration that one or more flights are cancelled).
3. Your request for a refund to your original form of payment.
4. AM's response or lack of response. Note that AM has 7 days to initiate a refund. Thus, your chargeback should go in on the 8th day. No reason to delay because if by some chance AM does process a refund, your chargeback will be noted as paid.

You may also submit a DOT Complaint. However, you should be aware that DOT has not initiated an enforcement action against any carrier for refund issues during the pandemic. The sole value of a Complaint from your perspective is that DOT will require AM to respond and supply a copy to DOT. It's a bit harder for AM to deny that you are entitled to a refund. But, the simple fact is that the only way you see your money is through a chargeback (or small claims). I am presuming that you purchased your ticket after AM filed its Chapter 11.

Presguy

Thanks, Often1 and PointsPanda, your insights/advice echo my experience so far. I did send some exec emails, and made one more attempt at customer service - and got totally useless refusals.

I also started the DOT complaint (yesterday), though I don't have much expectation of that, on it's own, doing something.

I also started a chargeback, since it had been far longer than 7 days since AM's initial refusal to refund. So, that money at least has been returned (temporarily - will hopefully stick).

The "suggested" schedule was no good at all - my arrival switched from early afternoon to middle of the night, and my departure flight moved from early morning to middle of the prior night - the changes would've cut two days from an already short trip.

The funny thing is, I would have likely used a voucher, fairly quickly - I'm looking at a trip to PVR in just a few weeks. But there are so many horror stories about using the credits, it seems like the refund/chargeback is the safer option.

Presguy

Very minor update.

1) A couple days ago, after about two weeks, I got an automated notice from the DOT that my complaint had been received.

2) I haven't gotten notice that the temporary chargeback was converted to permanent, after about three weeks.

3) As of today, the trip was still ticketed and confirmed (with the poor alternate schedule they offered and I did not accept).

4) The first flight is supposed to depart LAX tonight. I've been getting AM and DL notifications on it (change of gate, etc).

Eastbay1K

I expect that AM will now tell you that your ticket has been forfeited as you didn't do anything prior to flight departure, and challenge your CC chargeback.

Hopefully your CC company will be better than AX has been during this quilombo.

Presguy

Question, since I would suspect you have far more experience with this than I.

Over the past six weeks or so, I've had three phone calls with AM, some emails, and multiple online chats. Each time, they offered me either a voucher, or an alternative schedule (which was totally hopeless due to heavily shifted times or long layovers). I declined all those offers, and stuck to requesting a refund - since it was an AM operating situation which led to the cancellation of the original itin.

I sent copies of the emails and chats, including their refusals, when I initiated the card dispute (on an Amex, issued by USAA, not Amex proper).

Given that, it seems like I did just about everything possible prior to the first flight departing. Is there something I missed doing?

Crastonts

I know that, at least in the UK, AM has bitterly defended chargebacks, which have ended up in the courts. Of course they lose, EU261 is much more stronger than anything an American could ever dream of.

For the time being, I'd still encourage you to fill a formal DOT complaint, which is a much more different process to that of going to the DOT webpage and complaining. See: https://www.benedelman.org/dot-complaints/

Presguy

Thank you - when you mentioned the formal complaint upthread a few weeks back, I should've asked, but didn't - I wasn't aware of the two types of complaints. I took a quick look at your link, and the section on formal disputes. Much appreciated, and I'll start in the next day or two.

PointsPanda

I respectfully disagree with Crastonts , AM rarely fights chargebacks, especially when a segment was cancelled.

I'm surprised OP wasted so much time calling and emailing back and forth with Aeromexico and even more surprised they offered a voucher. I would have just gone straight to chargeback, if you lose you lose but at least you didn't waste hours of your valuable time getting the runaround with AM.

Crastonts

I agree on your second point, my experiences with AM have meant that users should be perfunctory: E-mail CS --> Fail ---> E-mail CEO ---> Fail ---> Formal DOT, Chargeback ---> Court.

As for the first one: is there the equivalent of the Registry Trust in the USA or MX? Aeromexico has multiple non-satisfied UK CCJs, which are a reflection of all the court cases they lost, and the chargebacks they disputed -- thus forcing users to punish them through the English Courts.

angra

unfortunately amex has been terrible about siding with the airlines with no real basis. hopefully the fact that your card is issued by usaa will help.