Canceled Flight - reimbursement for pre-paid hotel?

AA just canceled my flight for mechanical reasons. I was planning a one-night, one-day trip, but now I am flying to a connecting airport tonight, then completing the rest of my trip tomorrow morning. I will be able to make my afternoon appointment at my final destination, so the trip in not ruined, just less pleasant.

I'm not asking AA for a hotel voucher, (which I think normally I would receive) because I plan to stay with friends who live near the connecting airport. However, I booked a pre-paid nonrefundable hotel room at my destination, and now I will not be able to use it. Is there a process where AA could refund my hotel expenses? Is that an appropriate request? Who would I contact?

 

Sorry to hear of your trouble and I honestly don't know the answer, but I would doubt they would offer monetary reimbursement. You can always email customer service since that's the only way to reach them. It has to be done through the website here:

http://www.aa.com/contactAA/viewContactAAAccess.do?selectedFileName=aaCustomerRelations.html&selectedCategory=Customer Relations

 

Was the hotel booked on the hotel's own web site? I think it would be worth the call to tell them you have a flight irregularity and ask for a refund under the circumstances, even with a prepaid rate. You have nothing to lose. You might even ask if the night could be used on another date.

Now, if you're talking Priceline or the like, might be out of luck.

 

AA does not refund the cost of the hotel due to a canceled flight.

As a courtesy they *might* provide you an AA voucher for some or all of the cost.

 

I agree with Tom -- contact the hotel in this case. I've experienced a similar scenario (flight cancelled due to weather, prepaid hotel at destination) and when I contacted the hotel, they reimbursed me for the room without any problems. It's good customer service on their part, and it doesn't hurt to ask.

 

I booked through the chain's website, but it is a budget chain and apparently they don't have really tight control over their franchisees. The chain said that it was up to the individual hotel whether or not they would charge my card, and the hotel manager said I canceled within 24 hours, so no dice. And really, I don't blame him - I don't think the hotel should have to make me whole for AA's disruption.

I just wondered if the 'hotel voucher for mechanical cancellations' has ever been stretched to include reimbursement for missed hotel nights. The EXP desk recommended that I ask for a hotel voucher at the airport, but I would rather have just been reimbursed for the night I missed. As it was, I asked for nothing and that is what I received.

 

I've been in the same situation, but with UA. It's a known fact that getting cash out of an airline here in the US is close to impossible, but they were happy to provide me a 250 dollar voucher for future travel (which they would have given me anyways). My prepaid booking was at an SPG property and I called the hotel and spoke to a manager who was happy to refund the entire amount.

 

travel insurance will usually cover this if you have it. Certainly worth looking into if not, or looking at credit cards such as AMEX plat that have it included (between travel insurance and admirals club access, the fee for Amex plat is certainly a good over all 'value' IMO.

 

I always worry about flight delays when I travel because I'm a big fan of Priceline for booking accommodations at a discount rate. Sorry to hear you're experiencing it!

I hope you're not offended by me saying so, but ultimately shouldn't AA be responsible solely for the travel portion of the trip, and the hotel solely responsible for your lodgings portion? Discount airfare and discount lodgings have some similarities. You can pay less for a flight but run the risk of not being able to cancel or change that reservation. Same with hotel lodgings, you can pay less for the room but aren't able to recover your losses when an airplane goes mechanical.

I'm not sure I actually think AA should be reimbursing you for your missed hotel night. They *should* accommodate you for the night since they weren't able to take you from point A to B as promised. What was supposed to happen at Point B after the flight isn't really AA's area of responsibility though, that's for the rules and regulations attached to the room rate you agreed to with your hotel.

Good luck though!

 

Had this happen over christmas a few years ago on AA. Had a priceline stay that I had to eat. I didn't even think about trying to get AA to reimburse me for the hotel.

 

Great point. I never thought of it that way.

I was thinking more along the lines of "AA would normally reimburse/voucher/cover a hotel on the night of the cancellation, so can I pick which hotel they cover?" I guess my logic isn't necessarily... logical.

 

Always wondered how these things work as I always book things by shopping around whatever's cheaper.

Please let us know how you make out.

 

An airline will generally NOT pay for missed accommodations; that is generally up to the individual property, though I have had the central number intervene in my behalf. What the airline may do in the case of a mechanical cancellation (not for weather-related cancellations) for those without status is to issue a voucher for whatever local hotel they are using for that purpose, and one can also prevail on a hotel to book one at the "distressed traveller" rate - which an airline can issue one a chit for, but it may take a long time and some chasing of a person who cares sufficiently to do so.

These are the usual actions, and though there may be exceptions, they are less likely if one has no status with the provider or has booked off-company. The airlines - and hotels - will frequently be more flexible and supportive to those with elite status in their affinity program.