Stanley8928 From United States of America, joined Oct 2009, 5 posts, RR: 0 Posted (1 year 10 months 2 weeks 2 days 10 hours ago) and read 2083 times:
Any suggestions for dealing with American Airlines would be helpful.
A family member traveled on AA from the DC area to Palm Springs in late-January 2011 for a two-month vacation. During President's Day Weekend, she had a minor heart attack and fall, breaking several bones. She was in the hospital for 10-days and a rehab center thereafter, until early-July. She was transported by vehicle home last weekend (July 7-11). Because of her medical condition, doctor's would not clear her to fly.
After going round-and-round with AA's refund department - her tickets were full-fare first-class but non-refundable (their website offers this option as "first class" but does not designate this up-front) - they issue a travel voucher for the "return" portion of the ticket. They indicate it is non-transferable.
She cannot possibly use the travel voucher because of her medical condition; she cannot fly ever again in her life. I requested a refund to the credit card and offered to accept a "change fee" but they would not do it.
FlyASAGuy2005 From United States of America, joined Sep 2007, 6520 posts, RR: 11 Reply 1, posted (1 year 10 months 2 weeks 2 days 10 hours ago) and read 2039 times:
I feel for your ill family member but to say that AA doesn't make it clear that some F seats are non-refundable simply isn't true. See, that's the thing with AA's site...it's pretty good. Better than most actually and when booking on AA.com, it breaks everything down by schedule and bookable class. If you click on the avalable fare/cabin, it gives you a table breaking down EVERYTHING.
Now to your question, i'm not sure that AA can or will be able to do. It was a non-refundable ticket. They will be more than happy to give you a credit for future use but i'm not sure that you will be able to get your money back. Over the phone won't get you too far at this point. I'd suggest writing a letter explaing the situation and pleading your case for a refund. You may very well get it.
CAM2:"Lightning coming out of that one." CAM1: "What?"
OOSLC From United States of America, joined Nov 2008, 170 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (1 year 10 months 2 weeks 2 days 10 hours ago) and read 2031 times:
I agree. Write them a letter, either email or post, and explain the situation. It might work better than via the phone.
Again I truly feel for your family member, my thoughts and prayers are with you.
LipeGIG From Brazil, joined May 2005, 11201 posts, RR: 61 Reply 4, posted (1 year 10 months 2 weeks 2 days 10 hours ago) and read 1998 times:
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Quoting Stanley8928 (Thread starter): After going round-and-round with AA's refund department - her tickets were full-fare first-class but non-refundable (their website offers this option as "first class" but does not designate this up-front) - they issue a travel voucher for the "return" portion of the ticket. They indicate it is non-transferable.
She cannot possibly use the travel voucher because of her medical condition; she cannot fly ever again in her life. I requested a refund to the credit card and offered to accept a "change fee" but they would not do it.
I'm a ExPlat and have a light medical situation on February this year that prevented me to fly and i just wrote in a nice way to American giving doctor's notice, translation (happen in Brazil) from my doctor, and after 2 weeks i received the refund on my credit card account (and i could just ask for the use of it)
New York + Rio de Janeiro = One of the best combinations !
Yflyer From United States of America, joined Feb 2007, 841 posts, RR: 1 Reply 5, posted (1 year 10 months 2 weeks 2 days 7 hours ago) and read 1969 times:
Quoting heathrow (Reply 2): I can only suggest travel insurance for any future bookings you make.
I recently noticed that one of the perks included with my credit card is free travel insurance up to a certain amount on any travel I book using that card. It doesn't cover much compared to the type of travel insurance you buy yourself, but being unable to travel due to illness is one of the few things it does cover. I imagine a lot of people don't even realize they have this coverage. So if she checks with the credit card she used to purchace the ticket, she *might* learn she had some level of travel insurance all along. On the other hand there might be a deadline to file a claim which has already passed, in which case she'd probably still be SOL, but it's worth checking.
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