What is American Airlines Cancellation Policy?

No one likes to cancel a confirmed booking. However, things happen and you have to cancel your travel plans. To help you in such a situiation, American Airlines covers you with its smart policies. So, count on American Airlines cancellation policy if you have to cancel your booking. 

The airline’s policies are simple and add flexibility to your trip. Here’s the information that you must have while canceling your AA tickets with whats and hows of getting a refund. 

What is the American Airlines Cancellation Policy?

Do you have to cancel your reservation with AA? Go through the American Airlines flight cancellation policy highlights below - 

• Basic economy tickets can be canceled and refunded only within 24 hours of booking. 
• Refundable tickets get a full refund on cancellation. You don’t have to pay a cancellation fee for these tickets. 
• Non-refundable tickets are refunded with a travel credit for future bookings. 
• Passengers can request a refund to their original method of payment when canceling full-refundable tickets. 
• Cancel your Award flights and get your miles redeposited to your account without any further charges. 

Does American Airlines Have a 24-hour Cancellation Policy?

Yes, American Airlines has a 24-hour cancellation policy that covers you for refunds even if you are not eligible for it. Here’s how - 

• Cancel your trip within 24 hours of booking to avoid any cancellation fees. This applies to all ticket types. However, your scheduled flight must depart after 2 days or more. 
• Refund on non-refundable tickets is given only if you cancel those within this risk-free 24-hour period. After 24 hours, you must pay cancellation charges. 

Please note 

If you cancel an American Airlines booking made as part of a group block, there will be no ticket refund on it. 

Why American Airlines Cancels Flight Tickets?

There are plenty of reasons that lead to flight cancellations, be it the mechanical problems with the aircraft, fuel issues, staffing problems, and more. Let’s round off both controllable and uncontrollable reasons why American Airlines flights get canceled. 

Controllable Reasons

• Staffing delays
• Technical Issues in the Aircraft
• Lack of fuel at the moment

Uncontrollable Reasons

• Bad weather
• Heavy air traffic

Be mindful that American Airlines doesn’t share the true reason of flight cancellation, but allows passengers to rebook their tickets without any extra charges. 

What is the American Airlines Cancellation Fee?

With a refundable American Airlines ticket, you need not pay a cancellation fee. However, you have to pay charges for changing or canceling a non-refundable ticket. 

Voluntary cancellation of a Basic Economy fare ticket before first flight departs $99 for AAdvantage® members traveling within the 50 U.S. states

How to Cancel an American Airlines Flight Booking?

When flying on American Airlines flights, if you have to cancel a trip, select from online and offline methods. Here are both the methods to help you cancel your AA trip - 

Online Method

• Visit the official website of American Airlines. 
• Choose Your Trips / Check-in.
• Select the booking that you have to cancel.
• Click on Cancel Booking.
• Hit the Confirm button. 

After the booking cancellation, the airline deducts cancellation charges and sends you a voucher for the remaining ticket value (if any). 

Offline Method

As per the AA flight cancellation policy, you can also cancel your booking via phone call. Here’s how - 

• Call 800-433-7300. 
• Listen to and follow the IVR prompts.
• A live representative gets connected with you.
• Request a cancellation. 
• Share the reservation details required. 

What is the American Airlines Refund Policy?

If you want to get a refund on your AA canceled trip, know the guidelines. So, here are American Airlines refund policy highlights to give you an idea of the same - 

• Nonrefundable tickets are not refunded. However, AA refunds if - 
  1. The traveler, travel companion, or a family member dies
  2. AA schedule changes
  3. Serious illness for international trips, including flights to or from the U.S. Virgin Islands or Puerto Rico
• Submit your refund request within one year’s validity from the original booking date. 
• Submit the refund request separately for every ticket. Request refunds individually for flight tickets, seats, etc. 
• Contact the third party for refunds through which you have made the booking. 

How Can I Request an American Airlines Refund?

If you want to request American Airlines to refund your canceled flight, follow the steps mentioned below - 

• Go to prefunds.aa.com. 
• Hit the Refunds button.
• Proceed to the Request a Refund option. 
• Enter the traveler’s last name and ticket number.
• Click “Submit”. 
• Verify the cancellation details.
• Click “Continue”.

What if American Airlines Cancels My Flight?

If the airline cancels your flight or a delay occurs due to which you miss a connection - 

• AA rebooks the next flight available with seats
• Your bags will be when you check in to your new flight.

Whatever be the cause of flight cancellation, the airline offers multiple methods to handle the situation. You can either rebook your flight or request a refund, depending on your preference. Let’s find out the details here.

Rebooking a New AA Flight

You can check your new booking or select another flight in the following ways - 

• Via the American Airlines app
• On the official website of AA
• Visiting a kiosk in the airport

Raise a Refund Request

Don’t want to fly any longer? Raise a refund request either online, over the phone, or at the airport to get your money back. The airline is bound to offer a refund if it cancels your flight tickets. 

You will get 100% of the ticket value (if unused) in your original payment method in such cases. 

In Conclusion 

Therefore, count on the flexible American Airlines cancellation policy if you can’t continue with your original travel plans. Since AA understands how troublesome the situation can be, it invests its best approaches to cover you well. 

So, follow the guidelines mentioned above and follow the steps. Thereby, you will have a stress-free experience of canceling your booking and getting a refund on it. Do you have to cancel your AA booking? Check its guidelines set for cancellation and refund, and you will be good to go. 

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