Last year, I booked a flight from Seattle to Miami on American Airlines. The flight was a red-eye leaving at 12:39 a.m.
This itinerary was ideal for me because I work late nights and didn’t want my trip to interfere with my schedule. Before my flight, I received an email saying that my flight time had changed and would be departing at 10:15 p.m.
I couldn’t make this flight because I was working late that night. I called American, and a representative told me she could not refund me because it was less than a four-hour schedule change. She said I would have to apply for a refund online, and she canceled my ticket.
I applied for a refund online and received an email a week later stating that my refund was denied because of American’s policy and because I had purchased a cheap ticket. I called American again and spoke to a supervisor. She would not even give me a flight credit for future use.
She did give me an option to book another flight at that time and possibly get me money back. When I said I didn’t have any known plans to travel, she suggested I call back when I’m ready, and someone could possibly help me. But she could not promise anything.
American told me to cancel my ticket and apply for a refund. Then it denied my request for a refund. I think that’s a deceptive business practice.
Can you help me get a refund? If an airline changes its schedule, it should offer you a full, no-questions-asked refund. But American Airlines is correct: It gives itself the ri.
