# Can I get credit for unused return flight?



## Pit (Sep 16, 2006)

Several months ago, I booked a flight on AA. Recently, I found out I need to go elsewhere after my vacation (i.e. not returning home).

My ticket is non-refundable, so I'm wondering if I can get a voucher or some kind of travel credit for the return flight I will not be using. Anyone know how AA handles this?

TIA


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## philemer (Sep 16, 2006)

Pit said:
			
		

> Several months ago, I booked a flight on AA. Recently, I found out I need to go elsewhere after my vacation (i.e. not returning home).
> 
> My ticket is non-refundable, so I'm wondering if I can get a voucher or some kind of travel credit for the return flight I will not be using. Anyone know how AA handles this?
> 
> TIA



AFAIK, no airline will give you a credit for the unused portion.

Phil


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## EvelynK72 (Sep 17, 2006)

philemer said:
			
		

> AFAIK, no airline will give you a credit for the unused portion.
> 
> Phil



I don't think what Phil said is true.  If you call the airline BEFORE your flight and let them know you will be a no-show, you WILL get credit for that unused portion. However, there will likely be an exchange fee, and some other restrictions.  I know that for one airline (can't recall which one), you can only book the same origin-destination as the original ticket.  So in reality, the credit you get may or may be useful to you.  

I don't know what would happen if you don't call the airline beforehand; you might just call AA and find out. 

Evelyn


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## Liz Wolf-Spada (Sep 17, 2006)

That's one thing I love about Southwest. You get the credit back and can go online to the Travel Center and change your reservation.
Liz


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## Dave M (Sep 17, 2006)

For most airlines and most itineraries, what Phil says is true, no matter when you contact the airline. 

In part, that's because the fare on the no-refund ticket purchased by the OP was undoubtedly a low-priced excursion fare. If the return trip isn't taken, the airline re-prices the ticket as a one-way non-excursion fare, based on fares in effect at the time the ticket is changed. When the $100 ($200 for international trips on most airlines) charge for changing the ticket is factored in, there will rarely be any amount available for a refund voucher.

As Liz states, Southwest, with of its one-way faring mechanism, is one of the exceptions.


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## Luanne (Sep 17, 2006)

Liz Wolf-Spada said:
			
		

> That's one thing I love about Southwest. You get the credit back and can go online to the Travel Center and change your reservation.
> Liz



Me too.  And I love that you can use the credits for other passengers.


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## ira g (Sep 17, 2006)

Dave M said:
			
		

> For most airlines and most itineraries, what Phil says is true, no matter when you contact the airline.
> 
> In part, that's because the fare on the no-refund ticket purchased by the OP was undoubtedly a low-priced excursion fare. If the return trip isn't taken, the airline re-prices the ticket as a one-way non-excursion fare, based on fares in effect at the time the ticket is changed. When the $100 ($200 for international trips on most airlines) charge for changing the ticket is factored in, there will rarely be any amount available for a refund voucher.
> 
> As Liz states, Southwest, with of its one-way faring mechanism, is one of the exceptions.


Same thing for Jet Blue. They credit your jet blue account that you can use for a full year.


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## Maddle (Sep 17, 2006)

"No refund" is not the same as "no change" and the OP would have to call the airline for the specific rules regarding the original ticket fare class.

I had an almost identical situation, and American Airlines offered me the opportunity to pay the change fee, ($100)and book a return flight from my final stop-over for the increased fare. (about $60) Would that I had taken them up on it at the time!!! Now the fares are out of my comfort price range, and I will miss the family reunion. 

Call the airline and discuss your options with the agent. 

Maddle


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## RonaldCol (Sep 18, 2006)

*I Forgot I Had Reservations ....*

Several months back I discovered that a round trip set of tickets had lapsed without me using it. Alright, so we were real busy.

Anyway, I called the airline and asked them about the situation. The customer representative told me that I had the credit and can use that credit against another flight in the future. The limitation, however, was the original buy-date of the original reservation plus a year was the maximum allowable time to use that credit.

The airline was either ATA or Soutwest, but it was certainly not American Airlines.


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## RonaldCol (Sep 18, 2006)

*One Time I Also Forgot We Had a Timeshare Reservation*

.... thinking of forgotten reservations ... early this year my wife reminded me that I had booked a week in Anaheim. I forgot about it completely. Fortunately for us the airfare to Anaheim from our location was relatively cheap despite the fact that we were making airline reservations very close to use dates.


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## maiwah (Sep 18, 2006)

You guys must have too many vacations schedule to forget airline reservation, or trip reservation.


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## Pit (Sep 18, 2006)

In case anyone else can benefit from this info, I spoke to AA today. Much to my surprise, they said I can rebook the return flight at a future time, provided I cancel before departure (otherwise, I'm just a no-show and forfeit the ticket).

By "rebook," they mean that I can book a similar flight segment (must be same origin/destination and same fare class, but doesn't have to be the same flight). I have one year from my original purchase date to do so. When booking, I must provide the ticket # from the cancelled flight segment (which I have carefully noted and stored for safekeeping).

So, next trip, I'll buy the outbound segment and get a "free" return (if I can just remember where I put that note ).


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## Laurie (Sep 18, 2006)

Pit, I had to do this last week on US Air/ America West - cancel a return leg of a round trip before I knew the date I could return (I learned they didn't consider it a "change" but rather a "cancellation") - and sounds like their policy was sort of similar to AA. 

I did use it to rebook 1-way same destination the following week, but could have used it anytime in the next year. One difference: they charged the extra $100 like a change fee, even tho it was technically a cancellation. The other difference: I thought I understood the agent to say that the origin and destination didn't have to be the same - just that it had to be a 1-way ticket, within the dollar amount of the credit or pay the difference in fares, plus the $100.


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## Dave M (Sep 19, 2006)

Yes, what you both say fits within the normal rules and is the same as what Maddie said above.


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