But, as this is not mandated, and it is not published by AA, it could change at any time. So, counting on it could be dangerous.
If I understand it correctly, AA's implementation as you spelled it reflects the law/regulation,
14 CFR 259.5 (b)(4) which states, after the revision made
here:
(4) Allowing reservations to be held at the quoted fare without payment, or cancelled without penalty, for at least twenty-four hours after the reservation is made if the reservation is made one week or more prior to a flight’s departure;
Note the
or; it's not an
and.
So, if you book at least one week or more ahead:
- If you're given an option to hold a fare, and you purchase it (either immediately or after you held it for a bit), you're not legally owed a refund.
- If the option was never there, and you therefore bought the reservation, then you're owed a cancellation (and refund of any funds that might have been charged) within 24 hours.
If you book less than a week ahead, none of this applies.
The
Customer Service Plan, however, does not reflect the reality of reservations one week or more out that aa.com does not allow to be held, and so it does not appear to comply with US law/regulations:
When you make a reservation by telephone or via aa.com for American Airlines flights (including American Airlines flights operated by codeshare partners), the reservation can be held and the fare quoted will be guaranteed for 24 hours or until 11:59 p.m. Central Time the following day, whichever allows you more time to purchase your ticket. If you elect to make changes to the itinerary within this timeframe, the ticket price may change and once payment is received, normal refund policies apply to the ticket.