Mar 22, 2016, 10:06 am
Last edit by: JDiver
ARCHIVE: AA Eliminates 24 Hour HOLD 1 Apr 2016
As of 1 Apr 2016: 24 hour free cancellation,
except bookings purchased within seven days of travel.
NOTE: Hold and 24 hour cancelation online can be used currently until it is terminated.
As of 1 Apr 2016: 24 hour free cancellation,
except bookings purchased within seven days of travel.
NOTE: Hold and 24 hour cancelation online can be used currently until it is terminated.
See current thread: Free 24 hr Hold on AA.com Now Only Offered Randomly 3 Nov 2016
Bookings made now state:
"You have 24 hours to cancel your trip for a full refund if you booked at least 7 days prior to departure. (Link to) Refunds policy."
For bookings made online, AA may continue to offer hold for unspecified interim going forward, but 24 hours hold via telephone booking may no longer granted by agents (though occasional ones might anyway).
update July 2016
AA will follow USDOT requirements to the letter, not the industry standards:
● 24 hour cancellation with refund and no penalty, though
● No free 24-hour cancellations for purchases within seven days of flying (except on refundable fares)
● 24 hour hold dropped for telephone bookings 1 April - but per a post here, will continue to be available for an undetermined interim period of time
● 24 hour hold will be offered for online bookings for an undetermined interim period of time
● during this period both free 24 hour hold and 24 hour no fee cancellation will be possible
● Extended hold for pay will still be offered online on many bookings (not within seven days)
● The five day holds for awards, and 24 hours within fifteen days of travel (all awards by non-elites also incur a $75 close in processing fee) remain unaffected
● No free 24-hour cancellations for purchases within seven days of flying (except on refundable fares)
● 24 hour hold dropped for telephone bookings 1 April - but per a post here, will continue to be available for an undetermined interim period of time
● 24 hour hold will be offered for online bookings for an undetermined interim period of time
● during this period both free 24 hour hold and 24 hour no fee cancellation will be possible
● Extended hold for pay will still be offered online on many bookings (not within seven days)
● The five day holds for awards, and 24 hours within fifteen days of travel (all awards by non-elites also incur a $75 close in processing fee) remain unaffected
Gary Leff, From the Boarding Area, 31 Mar 2016: (link) American spokesperson Joshua Freed confirmed to me today:
● They are making the change
● It does go into effect tomorrow, April 1 after all.
● They are making the change
● It does go into effect tomorrow, April 1 after all.
Previous, obsolete thread: ARCHIVE: AA 24 Hour Cancellation Policy: Offer 24 Hour Hold (obsolete)
Prior statement 20 March 2016: "There is not a final decision on this. Moving to refunds instead of a hold policy is something we are looking at, but it has not been decided.
There are some issues and implications we need to sort through before we do anything – which may be nothing at all.
There are some emails and meetings about all of this, and it looks like someone was eager to share the news.
If something officially changes, we will let customers know in advance. Nothing has been decided as I write this at 7:32am on Monday."
- Gary Leff, View from the wing Link
There are some issues and implications we need to sort through before we do anything – which may be nothing at all.
There are some emails and meetings about all of this, and it looks like someone was eager to share the news.
If something officially changes, we will let customers know in advance. Nothing has been decided as I write this at 7:32am on Monday."
- Gary Leff, View from the wing Link
ARCHIVE: HOLD ticket changed 1 Apr 2016 - 24 hr cancellation (but, read...)
Jul 7, 2016, 9:31 am
#376
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: stl
Programs: AA LT Plat/8.1mm now with 1350 miles left in my account and proud of it.. SPG LT Titanium.
Posts: 3,082
I booked a flight last night after putting it on hold the day before (I didn't even realize this is being phased out! 
). I now realized I would like to stay an additional night. I called AAdvantage hotline to ask if I can still use the 24 hour cancellation, since I also used the 24 hour hold, and they said okay... but I was wondering if anyone had any actual experience with this before I go ahead.
Thanks!
). I now realized I would like to stay an additional night. I called AAdvantage hotline to ask if I can still use the 24 hour cancellation, since I also used the 24 hour hold, and they said okay... but I was wondering if anyone had any actual experience with this before I go ahead.Thanks!
Jul 13, 2016, 12:53 pm
#377
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: TPA
Programs: BA Silver; Hilton Gold; IHG Diamond Ambassador; Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,811
You would think it would be one or the other but since they have publicly announced the 24 hour cancellation policy as "their policy" they may be letting us have it both ways while the holds are still out there. I have been holding a ticket for three days and am even getting offered the extended hold period for cash which I actually like.
Jul 24, 2016, 9:50 am
#378
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: DCA/IAD
Programs: AA EXP; 1W Emerald; HHonors Diamond; Marriott Gold; UA dirt
Posts: 7,816
I was offered a hold option yesterday on a standard itinerary.
Jul 24, 2016, 10:43 am
#379
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Columbia, SC
Programs: AA Plat, SPG/Marriot Gold, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Expl
Posts: 2,363
Aug 16, 2016, 8:58 am
#380
Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 9,677
I thought we had the option to cancel a held itinerary before the midnight deadline (this is more of a courtesy to AA, if anything). Now, I can't see any option to do so online.
Oh well.. why do airlines continue to make things difficult?
Oh well.. why do airlines continue to make things difficult?
Aug 16, 2016, 11:38 am
#381
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,546
I just did that a few days ago. There should be a cancel button next to the listing for the held itinerary under "My Trips".
Aug 25, 2016, 3:57 pm
#382
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 699
noticed my fare had gone down apparently 24hrs and 30 min after my flight was ticketed called AA and representative stated I could cancel and rebook because I was within the 24 hr cancellation period and she notated and cancelled my ticket. the current status states "Your request is in progress" and my held reservation is going to expire soon. do you guys this means the refund should go thru okay? dont want to end up with 2 tickets on the same flight! thanks 
called AA and representative stated I could cancel and rebook because I was within the 24 hr cancellation period and she notated and cancelled my ticket. the current status states "Your request is in progress" and my held reservation is going to expire soon. do you guys this means the refund should go thru okay? dont want to end up with 2 tickets on the same flight! thanks
Aug 25, 2016, 6:38 pm
#383
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP/OWE, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 880
noticed my fare had gone down apparently 24hrs and 30 min after my flight was ticketed called AA and representative stated I could cancel and rebook because I was within the 24 hr cancellation period and she notated and cancelled my ticket. the current status states "Your request is in progress" and my held reservation is going to expire soon. do you guys this means the refund should go thru okay? dont want to end up with 2 tickets on the same flight! thanks
called AA and representative stated I could cancel and rebook because I was within the 24 hr cancellation period and she notated and cancelled my ticket. the current status states "Your request is in progress" and my held reservation is going to expire soon. do you guys this means the refund should go thru okay? dont want to end up with 2 tickets on the same flight! thanks That said, just confirm with reservations tomorrow that you're not double-booked (although I am sure it's impossible to be double-booked.) You may also notice that your "My Trips" may show expired held itineraries days after they've expired.
Hope this helps!
Aug 25, 2016, 6:48 pm
#384
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: DCA/IAD/WAS
Programs: MAR AMB, WOH Explorist, AA EXP, UA 2P
Posts: 2,138
BA doesn't confirm a charge to your credit card until the 24 hour period is over (in my experience).
Aug 25, 2016, 8:56 pm
#385
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 699
Weird. I've had zero problem putting tickets on hold. One morning I held an itinerary at 7:30am and had until the next day at 11:59pm to book (40.5 hour hold).
That said, just confirm with reservations tomorrow that you're not double-booked (although I am sure it's impossible to be double-booked.) You may also notice that your "My Trips" may show expired held itineraries days after they've expired.
Hope this helps!
That said, just confirm with reservations tomorrow that you're not double-booked (although I am sure it's impossible to be double-booked.) You may also notice that your "My Trips" may show expired held itineraries days after they've expired.
Hope this helps!
Aug 26, 2016, 2:31 am
#386
Join Date: Dec 2003
Programs: AA Plat Pro, United Silver, Marriott LTT, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,120
In my case, my husband called about 28 hours after ticketing. He was told by the agent that he was "within the cancellation period" and she canceled the booking and told him to go online and request the refund. It's showing as pending review. He needs to book the new dates for his flights but I'm nervous that we've completely lost the value of the original ticket by handling it this way.
Oct 22, 2016, 7:39 pm
#387
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: US
Programs: AAdvantage
Posts: 1,753
Effective October 19, the extended hold options will no longer allow a reservation to be held free of charge for the first 24 hours.
Previously, if a passenger purchased an extended 3/5/7-day hold and purchased the ticket within the first day, the extended hold fee was not charged. Now the first day will be considered part of the extended hold and charged accordingly.
Previously, if a passenger purchased an extended 3/5/7-day hold and purchased the ticket within the first day, the extended hold fee was not charged. Now the first day will be considered part of the extended hold and charged accordingly.
Oct 22, 2016, 9:07 pm
#388
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
NOTE: With the 24 hour hold now history, please follow
How to cancel a ticket / cancellation & refund process (& related issues) for all cancellation and refund issues,
and Free 24 hr Hold on AA.com Now Only Offered Randomly 3Nov 2016 for the latest HOLD policy changes.
Thank you,
/Moderator
How to cancel a ticket / cancellation & refund process (& related issues) for all cancellation and refund issues,
and Free 24 hr Hold on AA.com Now Only Offered Randomly 3Nov 2016 for the latest HOLD policy changes.
Thank you,
/Moderator
Last edited by JDiver; Nov 5, 2016 at 9:17 am