engineroom

Hi

wondering what happpens if you're too sick to fly- i have a cheap leisure trip booked next week (3 legs, N and Q fares) but I have come down with a really nasty flu and don't see myself being in any shape to fly soon.

is there any AA policy on refunds or changes on tickets for medical reasons? I have seen the doctor and can obtain documentation of my illness if necessary.

thanx (back to chicken soup)

aaupgrade

Yes, see Q Fare Penalties from detailed fare rules on AA.com below:

CANCELLATIONS ANY TIME TICKET IS NON-REFUNDABLE IN CASE OF CANCEL/NO-SHOW/ REFUND. WAIVED FOR SCHEDULE CHANGE/ILLNESS OR DEATH OF PASSENGER OR FAMILY MEMBER. NOTE - WAIVER ALSO APPLIES FOR TRAVELING COMPANION. TICKET HAS NO VALUE UNLESS TICKETED FLIGHTS ARE CANCELLED PRIOR TO TICKETED DEPARTURE TIME CHANGES BEFORE DEPARTURE CHARGE USD 100.00. WAIVED FOR SCHEDULE CHANGE/ILLNESS OR DEATH OF PASSENGER OR FAMILY MEMBER. NOTE - WAIVER ALSO APPLIES TO TRAVELING COMPANION. THE ORIGINAL NON-REFUNDABLE AMOUNT REMAINS NON-REFUNDABLE. ------ CHANGES ARE PERMITTED PRIOR TO THE TICKETED DEPARTURE TIME OF EACH FLIGHT PROVIDED THE NEW ITINERARY MEETS ALL THE PROVISIONS OF THE NEW FARE PURCHASED I.E. ADVANCE RESERVATION/TICKET PURCHASE MINIMUM /MAXIMUM STAY REQUIREMENTS. ITINERARIES MAY BE REBOOKED UP TO ONE YEAR FROM ORIGINAL TICKET ISSUE DATE PROVIDED TICKETED FLIGHT IS CANCELLED PRIOR TO TICKETED DEPARTURE TIME. IF TICKETED FLIGHT IS NOT CANCELLED PRIOR TO TICKETED DEPARTURE TIME TICKET HAS NO VALUE. ------- TICKETS AT THESE FARES MAY NOT BE REVALIDATED TICKETS MUST BE REISSUED. FARE DIFFERENCE AND CHANGE FEE MUST BE PAID AND TICKETS MUST BE REISSUED WHEN ITINERARY IS REBOOKED. ------ WHEN THE NEW ITINERARY RESULTS IN A HIGHER FARE THE DIFFERENCE WILL BE ADD COLLECTED AND THE USD 100.00 CHANGE FEE WILL APPLY ----- WHEN THE NEW ITINERARY RESULTS IN A LOWER FARE NO REFUNDS WILL BE MADE HOWEVER THE DIFFERENCE IN FARE WILL BE RETURNED TO THE PASSENGER IN THE FORM OF A NON-REFUNDABLE TRAVEL VOUCHER WHICH MAY BE APPLIED TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF A TICKET VALID FOR TRANSPORTATION GOVERNED BY AA. THE USD 100.00 CHANGE FEE WILL APPLY. ----- PASSENGER HOLDING CONFIRMED RESERVATIONS AND TICKETS MAY STANDBY FOR EARLIER/LATER SAME DAY FLIGHTS FOR WHICH THE FARE IS APPLICABLE AND BETWEEN TICKETED CITY PAIRS. IN ADDITION TO THE ORIGINAL AIRPORT OF DEPARTURE ARRIVAL THE PASSENGER MAY CHECK IN AND STAND BY TO/FROM EITHER AIRPORT LISTED BELOW-- CITY AIRPORT HOU HOU/IAH NYC JFK/LGA/EWR WAS DCA/IAD CHI ORD/MDW IF PASSENGER PRESENTS THEMSELF AT THE AA TICKET COUNTER AT THE AIRPORT OF DEPARTURE NO LATER THAN 2 HOURS AFTER THE SCHEDULED DEPARTURE TIME OF THE FLIGHT SHOWN ON THE PASSENGERS TICKET THE PASSENGER WILL BE ACCOMODATED ON A STANDBY BASIS ON THE NEXT AVAILABLE AA FLIGHT AT NO CHARGE. CHARGE. AFTER DEPARTURE CHARGE USD 100.00. WAIVED FOR SCHEDULE CHANGE/ILLNESS OR DEATH OF PASSENGER OR FAMILY MEMBER. NOTE - WAIVER ALSO APPLIES FOR TRAVELING COMPANION. THE ORIGINAL NON REFUNDABLE AMOUNT REMAINS NON REFUNDABLE. CHANGES PERMITTED PRIOR TO TICKETED DEPARTURE TIME OF EACH FLIGHT. ----- TICKETS AT THESE FARES MAY NOT BE REVALIDATED TICKETS MUST BE REISSUED. FARE DIFFERENCE AND CHANGE FEE MUST BE PAID AND TICKETS MUST BE REISSUED WHEN ITINERARY IS REBOOKED. ------ WHEN THE NEW ITINERARY RESULTS IN A HIGHER FARE THE DIFFERENCE WILL BE ADD COLLECTED AND THE USD 100.00 CHANGE FEE WILL APPLY ----- WHEN THE NEW ITINERARY RESULTS IN A LOWER FARE NO REFUNDS WILL BE MADE HOWEVER THE DIFFERENCE IN FARE WILL BE RETURNED TO THE PASSENGER IN THE FORM OF A NON-REFUNDABLE TRAVEL VOUCHER WHICH MAY BE APPLIED TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF A TICKET VALID FOR TRANSPORTATION GOVERNED BY AA. THE USD 100.00 CHANGE FEE WILL APPLY. ----- PASSENGER HOLDING CONFIRMED RESERVATIONS AND TICKETS MAY STANDBY FOR EARLIER/LATER SAME DAY FLIGHTS FOR WHICH THE FARE IS APPLICABLE AND BETWEEN TICKETED CITY PAIRS. IN ADDITION TO THE ORIGINAL AIRPORT OF DEPARTURE/ ARRIVAL THE PASSENGER MAY CHECK IN AND STAND BY TO/FROM EITHER AIRPORT LISTED BELOW-- CITY AIRPORT HOU HOU/IAH NYC JFK/LGA/EWR WAS DCA/IAD CHI ORD/MDW IF PASSENGER PRESENTS THEMSELF AT THE AA TICKET COUNTER AT THE AIRPORT OF DEPARTURE NO LATER THAN 2 HOURS AFTER THE SCHEDULED DEPARTURE TIME OF THE FLIGHT SHOWN ON THE PASSENGERS TICKET THE PASSENGER WILL BE ACCOMODATED ON A STANDBY BASIS ON THE NEXT AVAILABLE AA FLIGHT AT NO CHARGE.

wahooflyer

How serious does an illness have to be for AA to waive change fees?

Val

You just need to be able to provide a doctors note. That, and the fare has to allow for it. Many international fares do. Not so much on domestic.

brp

Well, at least they'll waive the fee is the pax is dead. Shows that they do the right thing in the extreme .

Cheers.

engineroom

so i wonder if the dead person has to drive to the airport also to get a refund???

brp

Yes; and bring his/her death certificate as proof.

Cheers.

journalist212

no.. per the constanza precident.... you only need bring a picture of you standing by the casket.

Traveller

No, as executrix (sp) of my mom's estate, I had to write a letter to get a refund. I did have to send in the death certificate. It took about a month to get the money back. This was back in 1996.

She was in Miami when she died and the funeral director placed her on a DL flight through ATL to Allentown PA. I wonder who got the miles?

I've never seen a coffin being loaded onto a plane, I wonder how often that happens?