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Note: Rule 240/80 refunds must be processed by AA only. Travel agencies may not process refunds. AA reservations sales representatives may not authorize exceptions to this policy.
Agencies may reissue the ticket provided that there is no change to the dates, origination and destination cities, fare, or fare basis. Agencies are never allowed to refund a non-refundable ticket.
Definitions:
Rule 240
Domestic tariff rule which states AA's obligations to our customers when their flights are changed or cancelled as a result of schedule changes / irregularities.
- Rule 240 applies to travel wholly within the 50 U.S., travel between the U.S. and Canada and travel between the U.S. and Puerto Rico / U.S. Virgin Islands.
Rule 80
International tariff rule which states AA's obligations to our customers when their flights are changed or cancelled as a result of schedule changes or schedule irregularities.
- Rule 80 applies to all international travel except travel between the U.S. and Canada and/or between the U.S. and Puerto Rico / U.S. Virgin Islands.
- Rules 240/80 protect all ticketed
passengers/including AAdvantage, AA codeshare and agency free/reduced rate.
- AAirpass® tickets should be handled in the same manner as revenue tickets and are considered ticketed at all times.
Schedule Change
A planned change or cancellation of a flight which occurs prior to the day of departure. Examples - Change of flight times, change of flight numbers, reduction of service, discontinuation of all service in a market/station closing. Reaccommodations or refunds do not apply when the schedule change only involves a change in flight number.
Schedule Irregularity
An unplanned change or cancellation which normally occurs on the day of departure.
Examples - mechanical, ATC (Air Traffic Control), crew legality, weather.
Application
The following Rule 240/80 guidelines apply unless a special protection agreement is made with another carrier and published in Agency Reference at www.aa.com/agency. This may happen when AA has discontinued all service in a market and alternate AA reaccommodations are not feasible. If an OA agreement exists, the special provisions must be followed. If the OA protect is not acceptable to the customer, a refund may be offered. Refunds must be processed by AA. If no OA protect agreement exists, the protect must be booked on AA or the ticket refunded by AA.
Protection For Schedule Change
Passengers are to be protected by one of the following polices:
1. On AA flights in the same inventory/date as ticketed, if available. If same inventory is not available, rebook in the lowest available inventory in the same cabin as ticketed. If a flight is not available on the same date, or is not acceptable to the customer, they may be rebooked on the previous or next day. Customers may be rebooked over a different routing (same origination and destination) as long as it is a valid routing for the fare being used.
The PNR must be documented with the following OSI:
OSI AA INVOL REROUTE/AA FLIGHT NUMBER/DATE/CXLD OR SKED CHG
Notes:
AA flight number is the old flight number.
Date is the old flight date.
Only one OSI per PNR is necessary even if multiple flights are impacted by the schedule change.
2. If available reaccommodations are not acceptable to customer.
Full refund of unused portion of the ticket as follows -
A. If schedule change is from a nonstop to a connection, a refund to form of payment (FOP) is allowed.
B. If schedule change is from a through flight to a connecting flight, a refund to the FOP is not allowed unless "C" applies.
C. If schedule change results in change of flight times of 90 minutes or greater, refund to FOP is allowed.
D. If schedule change is less than 90 minutes, refund to voucher only is allowed.
Change fee does not apply. Refunds must be processed by AA only - travel agencies may not process refunds.
Exception: travel agencies may refund their bulk fare and opaque tickets.
Refunds
Refund requests should be sent:
Regular Mail
American Airlines, Inc.
P.O. Box 582880, MD 755
Tulsa, OK 74133
Attn: Passenger Refunds
Registered Mail
American Airlines Inc.
7645 E. 63rd Street
Tulsa, OK 74133
Attn: Passenger Refunds-MD 755
Can also be processed online at www.aa.com/refunds
Travel agents and customers may use www.aa.com/refunds to request a refund of both refundable and nonrefundable fares when a scheduled flight cancels. When the request is submitted, the request will be sent through the automated refund process if the flight has been cancelled; however, the flight must be in AA's flight cancellation database to qualify. The AA flight cancellation database is loaded into AA's accounting system daily for the previous day's flights. If a flight is cancelled on the same day that the customer requests a refund, the accounting system will not recognize the flight as cancelled yet. Therefore, the customer should wait until the following day before requesting a refund. The AA accounting system will refund all open coupons when the flight is cancelled. If the customer is still planning to travel on any part of the ticket, it is best to request a refund after all travel as been completed. The AA Refunds site offers a free text box that provides the customer or travel agent with an area for further explanation of the refund request, which will be reviewed by an AA Refunds agent.
Note: Rule 240/80 refunds must be processed by AA only. Travel agencies may not process refunds. AA reservations sales representatives may not authorize exceptions to this policy.
Protection For Schedule Irregularity
Passenger are to be protected by one of the following three policies:
1. On next AA flight in the same inventory as ticketed if available. If not available, rebook the lowest available inventory in the same cabin as ticketed.
Note: Next AA flight may be either earlier or later than the originally scheduled flight.
2. Next AA/American Eagle online alternate city such as all multi-airport cities JFK/LGA, DCA/IAD, ORD/MDW, DFW/DAL, HOU/IAH. AA also allows customers to be rebooked to/from any city within an approximate 100-mile radius of the origin/destination city. Protect in the same inventory as ticketed if available. If not available, rebook the lowest available inventory in the same cabin as ticketed. Next flight may be earlier or later than the originally scheduled.
The PNR must be documented with the following OSI:
OSI AA INVOL REROUTE /AA FLT NUMBER/DATE/CXLD OR SKED CHG
Notes:
AA flight number is the old flight number.
Date is the old flight date.
Only one OSI per PNR is necessary even if multiple flights are impacted by the schedule change.
3. Full refund of unused portion of the ticket if available reaccommodation is not acceptable to customer. Change fee does not apply. Refund must be processed by AA only - travel agencies may not process refund.
Exception: Travel agencies may refund their bulk fare and opaque tickets.
Note: For international travel, when flights are delayed or cancelled due to weather, Rule 80 does not provide for either AA or OA protection. The only option is a full refund of the unused portion of the ticket (by AA). However, to promote good customer service, if another AA flight is available in the same cabin, book the passenger and document PNR with the following OSI:
OSI AA INVOL REROUTE /AA FLIGHT NUMBER/DATE /WEATHER CANCELLATION
Notes:
AA flight number is the old flight number.
Date is the old flight date.
Only one OSI per PNR is necessary even if multiple flights are impacted by the schedule change.
Ticketing
Note: This applies to paper or electronic.
The issuing travel agency may only reissue a ticket per Rule 240/80 if the date and origin and destination are unchanged and there is no change in fare or fare basis. The ticket should be issued as an even exchange, putting "sked chg" in the endorsements box. The change fee will not apply. If e-tickets, make sure the Virtual Coupon Record (VCR) is associated to the PNR after itinerary changes are completed. Customers may also bring tickets to be reissued per Rule 240/80 to any AA ticketing location. Once reissued, any changes to the itinerary would be subject to the applicable rules of the ticketed fare. If protected itinerary involves a new connection where new/additional passengers facility fees (PFCs) segment taxes (ZP) or security fees (AY) apply, they will be absorbed by AA.
Where there is both AA and codeshare service, you may protect on either. If protected flight is now codeshare service, the customers must go to AA for re-ticketing.
Promotional Tickets
Generally, customers with promotion tickets are to be reaccommodated, per Rule 240 in the same manner as a revenue customer. For assistance with any questions regarding a schedule change or a schedule irregularity on a promotional ticket, please contact the American Airlines Promotions Desk at 1-800-237-7981.
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Reservations
