dreamercruise

3 hours ago, ORV said:

Just so we're clear, my flights were not cancelled. They fit in the timeframe for being able to cancel yourself without penalty. I got all my miles back as well as taxes with no fee to do that. Money is back on my CC and miles back in the acct. 

 

I believe if your flight is between now and Sept 30th you can cancel with no penalty. I did have to call them. 

Does this Penalty-free cancellation rule apply to non-refundable tickets?  Please clarify rule for voluntary cancellation of non-refundable tickets.  Mine were non-refundable.  I got free cancellation because AA cancelled my flight.  Do not think I can get full refund if I cancel the flight before AA does.

On 4/8/2020 at 1:34 AM, dreamercruise said:

I am thrilled and relieved to learn that AA has just waived change fee and extended air credit for travel till Dec 31, 2021.  I can cancel original booking and rebook later.  Now, I can relax and rebook my Africa trip next year.

Hope the new information also helps you.

Update - I patiently waited for AA to cancel my non-refundable flight to South Africa, and the wait paid off.  When I noticed one of the flight segment disappeared in my account, I called AA, and the agent confirmed flight cancellation.  I opted for cancellation/full refund (instead or rebooking or flight credits) and followed simple, online directions to request refund.  Now ten days later, I got email confirmation about refund granted and to be deposited back in my credit card.  Thank you, AA.  In addition, thanks AA for extending my elite status for another year.

If you also have upcoming flights with non-refundable tickets, you may also consider waiting for your airline to cancel flight.

Like the OP, I found out the information about AA cancelling flights and not notifying passengers yet from az2sea ‘s thread “Flight Warning” under Regents Seven Seas.  My cancelled (involuntarily by AA) scheduled in June was a non-refundable ticket.  Due to the cancellation, I am entitled to a refund.

I do not fault AA for not informing me timely, because I think they got their hands full with many last-minute flight cancellations and reshuffling.  Rather, I thank AA for being very accommodating; first allowing me to re-book up to Dec 31, 2021 without change fees, and now refunding me 100% for non-refundable tickets.  If I had booked some other airlines, I could end up with restrictive future flight credits, which may likely not be used amid a dangerous virus outbreak.

If you have AA flight reservations, I suggest that you monitor your flight status frequently and adjust your travel plan accordingly.

Wholeheartedly agree with papa B Me about thanking OP az2sea for starting this informative and helpful thread.  I also benefited from it.  The “warning“ word in the title caught my attention.  I looked up my June, RT AA flight from US -> LHR -> CPT South Africa.  Surprised to see that the segment from LHR to CPT was cancelled.  Never got a notice from AA.  Perhaps AA is currently overwhelmed with flight cancellations and reshuffling.  Since my flight was non-refundable, I called AA to inquire.  Agent said I had a choice of refund or rebooking.  She helped me cancel my flights, and instructed me to go online prefunds dot aa dot com to request refund.  The request process is simple.  It has a drop-down menu for refund reasons and a comment section for me to indicate that the cancelled flight segment was reason for my refund request.

Although AA is already very generous to allow passengers who shall be flying up to Sept 30 to rebook anytime up to Dec 31, 2021, I much prefer the flexibility of getting refund due to uncertainty of the virus and availability of vaccine.

My final payment for a guided land tour is due in May.  Now, I need not let non-refundable ticket loss to affect my decision to cancel the tour, before I dump more money into the pot of future tour credits.  I thank OP for this timely thread.

On 4/6/2020 at 10:13 PM, dandee2 said:

I agree 100%.

No going anywhere before a vaccine is found.
Not going anywhere until medication is found

Not going anywhere until we are really welcome. Countries here and abroad are grieving.
Not worth my $ or my health for a few Margaritas and nice photos.
Meanwhile please give generously to your local charity.

Cheers

+1

Went on three cruises and two land tours last year.  Will be difficult to fight withdrawal symptoms while I wait for the vaccine.

I am thrilled and relieved to learn that AA has just waived change fee and extended air credit for travel till Dec 31, 2021.  I can cancel original booking and rebook later.  Now, I can relax and rebook my Africa trip next year.

Hope the new information also helps you.

1 hour ago, Travelcat2 said:

 

If, however, a passenger is ill and contagious, it would be up to their insurance company to get them home.  I do not see why prices would need to go up.

Just because Regents includes air in cruise fare does not make it different than other cruiseline who offers air for an additional price.  In both cases, it is the cruiseline’s responsibility to fly the passengers back home, based on your answer.  The question is, as pointed out by Grey kitty, in case of a cruise with sick people onboard, who pays for the special chartered flight back home for passengers who are not infected and those contagious virus carriers who do not show symptoms?  Would Regents charter flights to each country?

i expect the cruise fare would go up due to disruption and cruise cancellations as a result of the virus outbreak.

No need to explain to me how many thousands of dollars Regents each Regents cruise costs.  My last cruise costs about the same amount, but for one person only.

1 hour ago, greykitty said:

I think any of the first cruises out should have passengers signing in virtual blood that they understand they will not receive repatriation from their governments and that all expenses will need to be paid by themselves.  Especially if any cruise line is foolhardy to set sail before verified, legitimate medical treatments and/or vaccines are available.  

 

And, maybe more than time that crew receive compensation more in line with their duties and risks - based on US salaries, since the cruise lines seem to like to headquarter here at least.

I asked the question, because I think it is unfair for cruisers to expect someone else (such as taxpayers) to pay for their risk taking decision.  I like your idea of the cruiseline making a rule for the passengers to bear the expenses.  Perhaps, the rule would encourage more people to stay quarantined at home and help stop the spread of the virus.  As much as I sympathize the cruise industry and staff for loss of revenue and jobs, I feel very sorry for the hospital workers, public transportation workers, and all those who are potentially exposed to the virus due to infected cruise passengers.

When the danger of Coronavirus is over, I expect the cruise fare to be higher, and am willing to pay the higher price.  After all, the cruiselines need to recuperate the loss from the virus disruption.  Just hope that the cruiselines can hold on longer and stay in business.

I assume that AA would automatically refund you for everything your charged for your air.  Just to make sure, call AA.  It is possible that AA, while busy with rebooking and cancellations, would not know about the extra you paid for seat selection.  Of course, you can do nothing, and wait for the credit to appear on your credit card account to find out.  The refund process may take long nowadays.

Last year, I booked British Airways.  My flight was cancelled due to pilot strike.  When I called BA to rebook, the new flight had only three seats left to choose for my husband and me.  All three seats were middle seats far apart.  I had to remind the agent about the extra money I paid for seat selection.  The agent then talked to his supervisor, and refunded me the charge for seat selection.

I voted not until a vaccine is available, even if I have to pay higher fare for both cruises and air.

Some side questions for those who plan to cruise before a vaccine is available - do you expect your government to send a ship and/or plane to transport you back to your home country?  If so, do you expect someone (govt or taxpayers or cruiseline) other than yourself and/insurance to pay for expenses of evacuation and medical expenses outside of your home country?

Forgot to mention some tips for flights.  It is much less expensive to book a round trip international air between your home country and Narita or Kansai International Airport and then take local flights (e.g., Nippon).  I usually stay one night at Narita or Kansai airport before heading to Sapporo Airport the next morning.  The rest is much needed after a long haul flight and before adjusting to time zone difference.

For your information, I visited Nagasaki and Hiroshima in my two previous cruises years ago.  In comparison, I enjoy Kansai and Hokkaido much better.

I had explored cruising in Japan, but found that the country was better appreciated by land tours.  One suggestion is to pick itinerary so you can combine with a guided land tour in any one or two of the following regions:  Kanto, Kansai, and Hokkaido.

Airport in Kantos (East) region is Narita.  Best cities of interest are Tokyo (Fuji Mountain) and vicinities.  Flavor is modern.

Airport in Kansai (West) is Kansai International Airport.  Best cities of interest are Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, and Kobe.  Flavor is culture and ancient history.

Airport in Hokkaido is In Sapporo.  Flavor is adventure and appreciation of nature.

Check out the tour operator Superatour dot com.  This tour operator is my favorite land tour operator, because I like its tour itinerary (excellent), service (excellent), food above average), and accommodation (above average).  As reference for my rating for cruiselines, I would rate Princess good to above average, Viking above average to very, very good, and Scenic or Crystal excellent.

Ckeck out superatour’s “Island of Hokkaido”.  The tour is given in four seasons, each of which has a special theme for the season.  Itinerary for each season varies a little.  I took the Spring tour for Sakura Cherry Blossom, and want to take the tour again in Winter.

Note that it is easy to travel to different regions or cities within Japan.  Besides air, the public train transportation is excellent.  Non-Japanese visitors pay half fare for bullet trains if they apply.  I applied for the discount voucher near airport or railroad station.  Since most Japanese do not speak English, it is best to inquire information at the airport’s Customer Service counter or hotel concierge.

Will look into flying Delta in future.

Wish AA also extends deadline of travel credit.  I was being naive for purchasing air tickets way too early.  No way I shall fly in a few months time.

No cruises booked.  I shall wait until early next year to assess situation before deciding.  Do not care if the cost will significantly increase then.  My safety is much more important than money, and I do not want to take valuable medical resources away from others in case I get infected during trip.
 

Booked two land tours this year, in June and October.  Will cancel June tour (more likely cancelled by tour company), and watch situation before cancelling the October one. 
 

Agree with others about waiting for vaccine and doubt other countries will be ready for visitors.

Jben999,

yes, Metropolitan Touring often allows cruise liners and independent tour companies charter their ships.  My favorite land tour company also charters La Pinta on a total of eight sailing trips per year.  The accommodation, food, and excursions are the same for booking independently as on a chartered sailing (with any other operators).  I imagine (not proven) the difference would be the onboard experience in terms of educational experience and the various grades of the naturalists/guides.

I am a big fan of Viking (number one in enrichment in my opinion), but I would try Silversea or Celebrity if I were to do the trip over.  Reason is that Silversea and Celebrity have their own designed ships, and I think their cabins, food, and service would be better.  I am not suggesting that you try Silversea or Celebrity instead of Viking.  I am merely thinking it out loud, after I experienced an outstanding luxury expedition cruise to Antarctica recently.

We booked directly with Metropolitan Touring (package 7-night on LaPinta plus 2nts in Sheraton In Quito, includes RT air between Quito and the island and all transfers).  Like, donaldsc we are pleased with the tour.

As you know, Metropolitan owns and operates La Pinta and Santa Cruz.  Most premium and luxury cruiselines and land tour operators contract Metropolitan for Galapagos Cruise.  Other than the land portion, the cruise is basically the same.  In our case, we met many different travel groups from all over the world on LaPinta.  In the pre-cruise hotel in Quito, I saw Regents people taking the Santa Cruz.

If you want different ships/yachts, you may want to check out Celebrity or Silversea, who have their own ships to the islands.

1 hour ago, TSUmom said:

I found this out when looking into canceling our Alaska flights.  I purchased the flights in Feb so will have to use them by Feb 2021.  Unfortunately our next cruise is in April 2021 out of NY so now I will have to find an alternative trip to use them.  Not even sure what travel will be like between now and Feb or where we could possibly travel to.  

I have exactly this problem, but my new flight will need to be much sooner.  This challenge is why I want to delay cancelling my flight, hoping that AA will cancel or change my original flight.  My chance is great, because my flights involve multi country bans.  One country bans US travelers, and US govt bans the second country.  Even if AA does not cancel the route completely, it may combine flights, making me take a flight from a different airport.  As for your case, you may want to assess the possibility of AA canceling or changing your flights.  Another option is to talk to AA to see if you could have your new air date extend 3 more months.

Lesson learned is book air through cruiseline or tour operator or not purchase air too early.

I read from AA website that if AA changes or cancels, my flight, I have the option of rebooking or asking for full refund.  If, however,I cancel the reservation, I must take another flight within one year of ticketing date or end of this year, whichever is earlier.

i do not mind about not getting refund, as long as they give me one year from original travel date instead of ticketing date.  There is a slim chance that I shall fly this year not to mention in a few months’ time, given the Coronavirus situation.

i am not stressing as much as I should at the moment, because the chance of AA changing or cancelling my flight is very high.  Right now, not too many countries accept US travelers.  We are number one scariest country, thanks to our great leaders who think Coronavirus is nothing but a common flu.

Make sure you call or read the cancellation policy very carefully.  The credit can be a bit complicated, because there is a deadline for its use.  In some cases, the deadline is until end of this year, or one year from date of ticketing, whichever is earlier.  Thus, if you purchased your ticket early to mid last year, you will have only a few months to use the credit.  

If the cruise itinerary is what I want very badly, then I would have done the same.  If it is not on top of my list, then I shall cancel and wait.  Too much anxiety is not worth any savings.  There is always a next to take the cruise.

2 hours ago, 13cheermom said:

I know for a fact my daughter booked with Delta and in similar situation, booked last December so her credit is only good through 12/20/20 of this year.  Whereas they aren't charging a cancellation fee, I feel some leniency should be given to extend from a year from cancellation date rather than ticketed date.  She also doesn't know if she will be able to use it by the end of the year with the state of affairs going on.

Totally agree with you about the need for some leniency In light of the situation.  I do not think the airline should encourage/force us to travel at this time, spread virus, and overwhelm the medical system.  I shall try to plea for extension to next year (at least one year from original flight departure date).  If refused, I’ll wait for airline to cancel on its own (not unlikely possibility) and end up refunding me cash 100%.  Worst case is that I would waste the $$$ ticket instead of flying, and avoid the airline in future.

53 minutes ago, travellingnana said:

Not sure about AA, but JetBlue (which was a nonrefundable ticket) allowed us to cancel, and while we didn't get $ back, we got a credit from them with a year to use it.

Thanks for reply.

is your air credit good for one year from date of purchase?  I bought my ticket very early, so one year from purchase means I shall have only months to use the credit.  Do not think the virus situation will improve much in a few months.  Just look at China.  Although there are no new cases (if we can believe the data), people can still get infected if they travel within China now.  If the outbreak started way back in December, the virus can last many months.

1 hour ago, travellingnana said:

Our return flight home on March 28th was booked through EZ Air.  We got a message from American Airlines today telling us that one leg of this flight has been cancelled, and they are attempting to re-route us.

A question for you regarding your AA flight.  If AA cancels one segment of your flight, are you able to cancel the entire trip with 100% refund?  I have a similar problem, but I booked a nonrefundable ticket on my own.  Wonder if I can get 100% refund with no penalty.  I do not want to change flight, because I cannot see myself flying this year as I do not think the Coronavirus situation will be under control this year.

We did not get to keep the orange rain jacket.  It was loaned to us, because our parkas were stuck at Customs.  Scenic diligently tried and later succeeded in obtaining replacement parka for us to wear and keep.  I do not care much about the replacement parka, because I prefer the original one that probably has the Scenic Eclipse logo (and may be of higher quality material).  I prefer the rain jacket, because I do not need another winter jacket, and the rain jacket s suitable for the expedition weather.  The cut of the rain jacket is not tailored fit, so there is room for me to tug my binoculars and iPhone inside the zippered jacket, thereby shielding them from water droplets while doing zodiac cruising.