On October 23, 2019 I booked an AA non stop ticket Chicago/Prague-Budapest/Chicago reservation departing on May 30, 2020, return June 12/13, 2020 (see below), dates to bookend a Danube River cruise. When Covid-19 became an ugly reality my doctor advised cancelling due to underlying health issues. Little did I know the breadth and depth of the pandemic would be expected to go on for this length of time, precluding any travel for a solid year and more.

In November of 2019 while doing a routine check of my reservation I discovered that without contacting me AA had rerouted my return non stop flight from Budapest to Philadelphia with a four hour layover before my final destination to Chicago on what was to have been my original return date of June 12, 2020. I contacted AA and was told that due to schedule changes a direct flight on June 12 was no longer available but would be the following day of June 13, 2020. I then rebooked for the following day which then would entail paying an extra hotel night in Budapest which I was not happy about but as a senior female solo traveler I was reluctantly willing to do.

Since I cancelled the ticket instead of waiting it out I am now stuck with an $1800 outlay with deadline to use by October 23, 2020. In addition, the outgoing flight is an upgrade to Business Class from Comfort Class using 25,000 miles plus a $350 charge. Return flight was in Comfort Class awaiting a Business Class upgrade which never came available prior to cancelling.

When I called to cancel and was told there would be a $75 change fee I asked to speak to Customer Relations since I had a doctor's letter to the effect that due to health reasons it was not recommended that I fly. I was given the ticket number and told to email Customer Relations, attach a copy of doctor letter and request change fee be dropped. I did receive a reply from Customer Relations to the effect that the change fee would be dropped.

When it became clear that the pandemic was going to go on into next year at least I began emailing AA Customer Relations to request an extension of the deadlne to use my ticket to October 2021. Since May I have submitted four additional emails requesting an answer but to date have not seen bubkas. I have tried calling as well, several times and have waited upwards of 2 hours on hold before giving up or been disconnected after many minutes of listening to that interminable music. discouraging to say the least. I have Aadvantage miles which I painstakingly accrue but am not an elite traveler, just one of the little guys. I fly Comfort Class or upgrade to Business because at the age of 79 flying in the back of the bus is a DVT health hazard

Comments and advice appreciated as to what steps I can take at this point. I am a serial traveler and very much hope that after this nightmare is behind us there will be domestic and international travel to look forward to once more for we oldies who survive.
travelchat

UPDATE:
Finally able to reach an AA agent after a wait on hold of a mere fifteen minutes yesterday. No answer or explanation given as to why my multiple emails to Customer Relations have had no response. Agent reluctantly agreed to help after initially saying she could not assist if I had previously been in touch with Customer Relations. I challenged her with the fact that after almost six months of multiple attempts I had not had a glimmer of a response and really need an answer.

Lo and behold, upon looking up my record using the ticket number she found that the change fee had been cancelled as I said from the first and only CS reply and there would an extension for use that applies through December 31, 2021,

Let's hope that when the time comes to travel once more this will still be the case without complication.

Yesterday AA canceled 40000 flights in October including our first flight out of three on our reservation. How are we supposed to get there when they canceled our hour and a half flight to get to that second, now first, flight? Sheer stupidity..
I will call them to see what other options they have or get a refund and book with another airline. We have Gold status with them which may help.

We now have a third or fourth itinerary from AA to return home after spending the summer away, much better, all large planes, no CRJ where you are more crowded together. And they sent us each a voucher for 47 cents!