American Airlines-trip cancellations/rebookings

[SwanVT2]

We might have to cancel end of February trip if Covid numbers do not decrease; Although we are fully vaxxed and boosted, we are nervous about getting sick before we leave or while we are there. Before I call AA and wait two hours for me to call them back, what do they do if you cancel a flight? Do they provide vouchers for a future flight? That is fine with us. Thanks!

 

[Keacc]

On July 29,2020, we booked premium economy airfare to Scotland for May 2021. COVID canceled this trip and we rescheduled for May 2022. AA gave us credit that was good for 1 year from the original purchase date. That wasn't going to help us because the airfare for May 2022 wouldn't be available before the credit expired. I was told that if we booked a cheap flight with the credit, they would issue a voucher for the remaining credit that would be good for another year. We booked $60 tickets to St Louis and got the voucher for the remaining balance. We used that to book our 2022 airfare on July 31,2021 and upgraded to Business Class (1st). We now have nearly $8,000 in airfare for our trip. Based on this procedure, if we have to cancel, we would end up with $8,000 in credit that would have to be used by July 31,2022. They don't make it easy!

 

[DebbieB]

We might have to cancel end of February trip if Covid numbers do not decrease; Although we are fully vaxxed and boosted, we are nervous about getting sick before we leave or while we are there. Before I call AA and wait two hours for me to call them back, what do they do if you cancel a flight? Do they provide vouchers for a future flight? That is fine with us. Thanks!

It may depend on the type of ticket. From what I could find, Basic Economy tickets cannot be changed. Main cabin will get a voucher for future flight, no change fee.

https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/travel/how-to-change-american-airlines-flight

 

[SwanVT2]

It may depend on the type of ticket. From what I could find, Basic Economy tickets cannot be changed. Main cabin will get a voucher for future flight, no change fee.

https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/travel/how-to-change-american-airlines-flight

When you say cannot be changed, do you mean if we cancel we lose our money and can't get vouchers?

 

[DebbieB]

When you say cannot be changed, do you mean if we cancel we lose our money and can't get vouchers?

I would discuss with them to see if they are making exceptions for Covid. Are you sure your ticket is Basic Economy? You would have got a pop up when purchasing with the conditions. You can’t make advance seat selections, board last, etc.

 

[SwanVT2]

They may not be. But it says economy but we are in the main cabin for seats. It is very confusing

 

[DebbieB]

They may not be. But it says economy but we are in the main cabin for seats. It is very confusing

If you have seat assignments, it’s not basic economy.

 

[SwanVT2]

If you have seat assignments, it’s not basic economy.

Ok. Cool.

 

[happiestgrl]

You can cancel online. Your account will show the travel credit within a day. When you decide to rebook, you can use the credit online. Just remember the credit is dated as original purchase date.

 

[MrKnight]

From my experience, AA is typically easy to work with (once you can get a rep on the line).. If you cancel your trip, typically you will be issued a travel credit (for the value of your airfare paid) that you can use towards future travel on AA, its basically a monetary credit on your AA account that you can apply towards a future booking on AA.com.

 

[Cheburashka]

If you book a cheap flight (ex: a $50 economy flight, rather than the multi-thousand first class flight you might have had booked in the first place), the rest of the money will go to you as trip credit, which will be good for a year from the date you book the cheap flight (NOT your original booking date, yay!). Plus, trip credits (unlike flight credits) can be combined and used for any passenger, not only the original passenger. And if that subsequent trip goes south, then you can repeat the process, with a new expiration date.

I know this because I've been doing this for the past year and a half. I'm still flying around on the money from a first class flight for two to Hawaii that I booked in 2020 before my son became to sick to travel. I'll be flying on those credits through late 2022.

 

[starry_solo]

Straight from AA's website:
https://www.aa.com/i18n/customer-service/payment-options/travel-credit.jsp
*Valid for travel wholly within or between the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands only when booking on aa.com (U.S. currency only).
**Flight Credit issued for flights voluntarily canceled by customers during the COVID-19 flexible period can be used for travel through March 31, 2022.

 

[queendarvet]

We cancelled flights last month. I received an email with ticket numbers for both of us. I booked new flights the other day and when I got to the payment section there was an area to enter flight credits. I entered the ticket numbers for both flights and the credit appeared then. It was very easy.