I purchased 2 tickets last week from American Airlines totalling $715 for travel in late May, and realized I had to cancel the trip. They refused to refund any of the money, won't let me transfer to anyone else, and should I ever want to use this again, I'd have to pay an additional $200/per ticket for the priveledge. Are there any options I have here? This seems like outright theft. I have no problem with a cancellation fee, but this seems like they are counting on me just giving up on the tickets and keeping the money.
Pretty standard to have a $200 change fee, all depends on the airlines and type of ticket you bought and if you have any "premium" status with the airlines.
This is why I find the United incident largely irrelevant. Its stuff like this that upsets me. $200 to rebook is ridiculous. This is one of the major reasons why I fly Southwest.
You're screwed buddy. You probably booked the cheapest non-refundable flight. This is where airlines get you.
Dispute with your credit card. At the very least you'll annoy other people in the process. At least that's SOMETHING.
Yes, they have to pay you x amount of cash (not vouchers!). If they don't pay you on the spot, or cut you a check, they're SOL.
I would recall them nonstop. I would open a complaint with their customer service as well and continue to complain everyday until they feel pity for your existence.
He canceled his trip, not the airline. I'm not sure if you have any compensation for that. I think your best bet is to contact your credit card that you purchased the ticket with and hope they have a travel cancellation policy that will reimburse you with a statement credit.
Or for getting cash at/for certain diners/taquerias/trucks that don't accept plastic. I know they don't have those inside the loop, but bear with me.
There are no advantages to paying with a debit card. Pay everything with a credit card. You get many protections and perks. Cash back, extended warranty, credit refunds, travel protections, rental insurance, etc. Set it to autopay, never get a late payment and pay outrageous interest. Never charge more than what you have in your bank account. The old wisdom of pay everything with cash is outdated in today's world. Pay everything with credit, assuming you have the cash to back it up. As far as recouping any ticket costs, if you get a nice customer service rep, you might get credit/voucher to use without much loss.
Late may is coming quick. If they didnt resell your seat then whst are they supposed to do. Just take losses like that huh? What is your expectation here?
Do you have an AAdvantage status with American? If you had cancelled within 24 hours of making the booking, you would have received a 100% refund.
