American Airlines Inc is one of the biggest airlines in the United States with a huge fleet size, the largest number of passengers carried and its headquarters is in Fort Worth, Texas within Dallas.
American Airlines Cancellation Policy
Airline’s last-minute cancellations can spoil your travel plan completely and you can stand in a middle seeking options. Such unexpected cancellations can be frustrating and nerve-racking.
We bring you complete information about the American airline’s cancellation and refund policy so you can make the best decision out of it.
How can I cancel my airline ticket online?
To cancel your air ticket online you first need to log in at www.americanarlines.com and click on the Mytrips option.
Enter the passenger’s first name, last name, and last airline’s booking reference number to open your flight itinerary.
You can cancel your booking by clicking on cancel trip and your ticket will be canceled at the airline’s end.
How can I cancel my airline ticket if I booked from a travel agent or any online website?
If you have booked your air ticket from any travel agent or any third party online website you need to get in touch with them to cancel your air ticket or you can call airlines directly to cancel your air ticket as well but you need to pay additional charges of $50/- per passengers as cancellation charges.
American Airlines flexible option in Covid Situation
In this pandemic era, American airlines are offering flexible cancellation plans to all their booked customers which they can opt for while traveling with them. According to the Department of Transportation, all passengers are allowed to get a full refund for their tickets booked by airlines within 24 hours of booking no deduction will be allowed in this case. Rest for every ticket which passengers want to cancel due to Covid situation or on a voluntary basis they will be charged a certain amount and rest they will be issued future credit voucher which they can use in their next travel by American airlines.
Cancellation fees charged by American Airlines
Based on your ticket purchase price at the time of booking/ buying the ticket, cancellation charges depend as per below:
- If the ticket is booked in a base fare, in this case you are not allowed to cancel the air ticket due to fare limitation. However, you can cancel and get a full refund if the booking is done and cancel within 24 hours of purchase.
- For non-refundable fares, you won’t be allowed to get any refund in case of cancellation except for some taxes which airlines need to refund back to their customers. However standard cancellation charges of American airlines are $200 for domestic sectors and $750 for international air tickets.
- Tickets purchased within 24 hours can easily be canceled and refunded back to customers without asking any questions.
- Refundable tickets that customers buy at a higher price can easily be refunded back with minimum cancellation charges paid by the customer. The rest is given back to the customer in the form of future credit which the customer can easily use in his/her /her next future travel.
- From 11th November 2020 American airlines have eliminated all the cancellation charges and redeposit fees on all his awarded tickets.
Is a full refund possible if I cancel my ticket?
Yes, in some cases you are eligible for a full refund if you cancel your air ticket any time before the airlines depart. However, if you cancel your ticket on a voluntary basis then you will be charged with the cancellation fees.
For all non-refundable tickets of American Airlines
The American Airlines cancellation policy for all non-refundable tickets has been made easier for their clients. There will be no cancellation charges levied on domestic or international flights. However, you need to cancel your air ticket either domestic or international prior to your flight’s departure.
You can use the unused value of your air ticket within 1 year from the date of issuance of your original air ticket.
In the non-refundable ticket, you are eligible for a full refund in case of sudden death or receive any military order after submitting the valid documents.
Fee waiver by American Airlines
American airlines are not charging any cancellation fees if:
- If your flight is within the United States
- If your flight is to/from the U.S Virgin island, The Caribbean, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Canada, or Central America
- If your flight includes all international flights starting from the United States.
- Fees waiver doesn’t apply to basic economy fare that cannot be canceled or changed unless they are under travel fees waiver.
Get a refund from America airlines
You will get automatically refund if you cancel your air ticket within 24 hours after booking your air ticket. However, in other cases, you need to cancel your air ticket to apply for a refund or else it will not be processed.
- If you have purchased an air ticket from the American Airlines website you can easily cancel them online.
- If you have purchased an air ticket from a travel agent you need to contact them directly and ask for a refund.
If you are cancelling a ticket online you need to fill out an online refund form to apply for a refund. If you have purchased the air ticket by debit/credit card the refund will be processed in the same within 7 working days or some time it takes 2-3 billing cycles depending on the airlines.
Cancellation of American airlines done by miles
If you have bought the American airlines air ticket by your miles you can cancel the same by login into www.aa.com and clicking on the Login option with your details to enter into your account. Once you cancel your booking you will be receiving an email on your registered email id where you can get the complete details. You can recheck your miles again after logging into your account. Know all about the American Airlines Cancellation Policy
How to save money on American airlines
- 24 Hours cancellation policy – As per the department of transportation if you cancel your ticket within 24 hours of booking you are eligible for a full refund.
- Delay by airlines – If your flight has been delayed or given any alternate options you are allowed to get a full refund.
- Schedule change by airlines – If airlines change schedule you can ask for the new option or else you can ask for a full refund if the given option doesn’t suit your requirement.
- Elite Status – If you are an American Airlines Platinum member you are eligible for free cancellation for your award/ miles ticket.
- Special circumstances – In case of any special circumstances where you miss your flight due to sudden death or any military call by showing valid documents you can apply for a full refund.
F.A.Q.
Yes as per the Department of Transportation you are eligible for a full refund in case of cancellation within 24 hours of booking, but below 02 conditions need to be matched
The ticket needs to be purchased 2 days prior to the departure.
Cancellation should be done within 24 hours of booking.Any type of fare purchased from American Airlines within 24 hours including the basic economy except group booking.
However below are not refunded:
Non-refundable taxes
Reservation service charges
American airlines usually take 7 working days to make a refund but sometimes due to heavy backlog it can take up to 2-3 working billing cycles.
Passengers need to carry a negative COVID-19 test report while boarding American airlines and its airlines their responsibility is to check the documentation before issuing boarding pass to passengers to avoid the spread of diseases.
Yes, it is possible to cancel an American airlines ticket without penalty if the booking is made within 24 hours, or if due to sudden death of the co-passenger/ military orders by showing valid documents.
If the ticket is bought directly from the American airlines website refund of the refundable ticket will be processed within 7 working days in your credit/debit card used at the time of booking the ticket. If the ticket is purchased in cash or check then the complete process will take at least 20 working days after receiving the complete refund request.
In the case booking is done by a travel agent or any online platform like Expedia then you need to contact them directly for a refund.
American Airlines doesn’t provide refunds for non-refundable air tickets except if the ticket is purchased within 24 hours of booking, if the schedule change is more than 4 hours, or due to sudden death of a co-passenger or any military orders. Below documents required:
24 hours refund policy and refund will be done in the same mode of payment
Death of the passenger/ co-passenger refund will be done in the same mode of payment
Schedule change more than 4 hours refund will be done in the same mode of payment
Military order/ Change of duty refund will be done in the same mode of payment
However, some taxes are included in your purchase ticket:
A refund can be processed in the written request, taxes or fees not imposed by the airline that is specific to destinations.
Few taxes and fees won’t be refunded if the same has to pay by American airlines.
Refundable fees and taxes will be refunded in the same mode of payment.
Yes, you are entitled to use the unused amount of your purchase ticket in your future travel depending on your air ticket fare rules.
You can use it anytime within 01 years from the time of ticket purchased
If you cancel your original ticket before the departure of your first flight
If American airlines canceled passengers will get a notification on his/her registered mobile number along with an email on their registered email-id. You can check the status on the American airlines website as well by clicking on Flight status and entering your flight details in it.
It purely depends on the situation why the flight is canceled:
Within American Airlines’ control or if your flight was diverted to another city and you’re not boarded by 11.59 pm local time to your final destination, in such case, American airlines provide hotel accommodation but that is also subject to availability.
If the situation is not in hands of American airlines that is due to weather changes, floods, etc. you need to arrange your accommodation on your own and you can ask for the unused amount for a refund from American airlines.
You can easily cancel your flight by visiting the American Airlines website that is www.aa.com and then clicking on Mytrips and opening your itinerary. After logging into your itinerary you can click on Cancel trip and your ticket will get canceled for same, you will be receiving a notification on your registered mobile number and email-id.
