Jul 17, 2017, 8:26 am
Last edit by: Prospero
Passengers may cancel their tickets (for free) within 24 hours from the actual time of purchase if their travel is farther out than two days / 48 hours away, and get full refunds. This applies to nonrefundable tickets as well as refundable.
The US Department of Transportation only requires airlines allow a 24 hour free hold or 24 hour refundability if the ticket is purchased seven days or more from departure. The refund is to be made to the original form of payment.
If you purchased your ticket from AA, your refund will be processed within seven days and will go be credited to the credit card you used to book. You may cancel online here, or by calling reservations.
The refund may take one or two billing cycles to reflect in your statement. If your purchase was made with cash or check, processing will take place within 20 days. If your purchase was through another vendor, you must cintsctbthst vendor to cancel and request a refund; other vendors may require additional fees, etc.
AA originally offered a 24-hour free hold option before purchasing tickets. but changed to a 24-hour cancellation policy in April 2016. (Award tickets may still be placed on free 24 hour hold, but not paid tickets.) AA 24 hour cancellation policy is now aligned to that of Delta, Southwest, United, etc. but is more liberal than the actual USDOT requirement.
Link to Time - Money article, 1 Apr 2017
Link to Gary Leff article in View from the Boarding Area, 24 May 2017
Link to The Points Guy article, 24 Jun 2017
Link to AA FAQ including cancellation, holds.
FAQ
Q. When AA says "24 hours from purchase", what does that mean?
You have 24 hours from the moment you purchased your ticket, regardless of where that was.
Q. Have AA done away with Holds?
Not entirely. Awards may be put on hold. In "select markets", and AA may offer free 24 hour hold if your travel is seven days or more after booking. Look the “hold” option on the review and pay page when you book an AA or codeshare flight on aa.com.
Q. Do AA still offer extended / seven day holds?
In "select markets" you may be offered the opportunity to hold a ticket marketed by AA and operated by AA or its American Eagle affiliates for up to seven days. There is a nonrefundable fee charged for this service. You can not make free changes to itineraries on extended hold.
Refunds (2018) link
Q. If I cancel my trip within 24 hours of purchase, can I get a full refund?
A. You have up to 24 hours from the time of ticket purchase for a refund if you booked at least 2 days prior to departure. You must cancel your trip for a refund.
Refunds will be issued in full amounts, less:
Sale-imposed nonrefundable taxes
Service charge for booking through Reservations
Q. If I cancel my trip within 24 hours of purchase, can I get a full refund?
A. You have up to 24 hours from the time of ticket purchase for a refund if you booked at least 2 days prior to departure. You must cancel your trip for a refund.
Refunds will be issued in full amounts, less:
Sale-imposed nonrefundable taxes
Service charge for booking through Reservations
If you purchased your ticket from AA, your refund will be processed within seven days and will go be credited to the credit card you used to book. You may cancel online here, or by calling reservations.
The refund may take one or two billing cycles to reflect in your statement. If your purchase was made with cash or check, processing will take place within 20 days. If your purchase was through another vendor, you must cintsctbthst vendor to cancel and request a refund; other vendors may require additional fees, etc.
AA originally offered a 24-hour free hold option before purchasing tickets. but changed to a 24-hour cancellation policy in April 2016. (Award tickets may still be placed on free 24 hour hold, but not paid tickets.) AA 24 hour cancellation policy is now aligned to that of Delta, Southwest, United, etc. but is more liberal than the actual USDOT requirement.
Link to Time - Money article, 1 Apr 2017
Link to Gary Leff article in View from the Boarding Area, 24 May 2017
Link to The Points Guy article, 24 Jun 2017
Link to AA FAQ including cancellation, holds.
FAQ
Q. When AA says "24 hours from purchase", what does that mean?
You have 24 hours from the moment you purchased your ticket, regardless of where that was.
Q. Have AA done away with Holds?
Not entirely. Awards may be put on hold. In "select markets", and AA may offer free 24 hour hold if your travel is seven days or more after booking. Look the “hold” option on the review and pay page when you book an AA or codeshare flight on aa.com.
Q. Do AA still offer extended / seven day holds?
In "select markets" you may be offered the opportunity to hold a ticket marketed by AA and operated by AA or its American Eagle affiliates for up to seven days. There is a nonrefundable fee charged for this service. You can not make free changes to itineraries on extended hold.
AA Ticket 24 Hour Free Cancellation Policy & Hold as of Apr 2017
Mar 30, 2018, 5:22 am
#31
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: DEN
Programs: AA EXP, AA Million Miles, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,581
Should be able to cancel and refund a fully refundable fare right up to scheduled departure tine.
(note: I never fly on refundable fares, so my knowledge is theoretical not applied)
Mar 30, 2018, 12:52 pm
#32
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
But if it's truly a fully refundable fare then the 24-hr cancellation policy is irrelevant right?
Should be able to cancel and refund a fully refundable fare right up to scheduled departure tine.
(note: I never fly on refundable fares, so my knowledge is theoretical not applied)
Should be able to cancel and refund a fully refundable fare right up to scheduled departure tine.
(note: I never fly on refundable fares, so my knowledge is theoretical not applied)
Apr 8, 2018, 7:36 pm
#33
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: SFO/SMF
Programs: Hertz PC
Posts: 173
I booked a flight on 4/7 at 1am. I just called in and she said since it's still 4/8 (slightly past 24 hours) she would still be able to cancel it for a full refund.
However, after I ended the call with the CSR I never received any email confirmation regarding the refund. On AA.com, the status simply shows "this flight is cancelled."
However, after I ended the call with the CSR I never received any email confirmation regarding the refund. On AA.com, the status simply shows "this flight is cancelled."
May 10, 2018, 4:02 am
#35
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: SIN
Programs: EK Blue, EY Guest, AA, QR
Posts: 288
I had called AA to cancel 3 tickets less than 24 hours after purchase and the agent said a refund request was sent for all of them
When I check the status at prefunds.aa.com, I am taken to the page asking me to enter contact info and then submit a refund request.
Should I resubmit the requests online just in case?
I am a bit anxious as when I had called the help desk a second time for another reason and asked for the refunds just in case, the agent said the 1st agent had send 2 out of 3 requests and the 3rd one was stuck and I could do it myself (!)
So just debating if even after the agent has submitted a request, whether I should go to prefunds.aa.com and submit a refund request .....
When I check the status at prefunds.aa.com, I am taken to the page asking me to enter contact info and then submit a refund request.
Should I resubmit the requests online just in case?
I am a bit anxious as when I had called the help desk a second time for another reason and asked for the refunds just in case, the agent said the 1st agent had send 2 out of 3 requests and the 3rd one was stuck and I could do it myself (!)
So just debating if even after the agent has submitted a request, whether I should go to prefunds.aa.com and submit a refund request .....
May 10, 2018, 8:13 am
#36
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: STL/ORD/MCI/SAN
Programs: AA CK MM, AC SE100K, UA 1K, DL Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 1,986
I had called AA to cancel 3 tickets less than 24 hours after purchase and the agent said a refund request was sent for all of them
When I check the status at prefunds.aa.com, I am taken to the page asking me to enter contact info and then submit a refund request.
Should I resubmit the requests online just in case?
I am a bit anxious as when I had called the help desk a second time for another reason and asked for the refunds just in case, the agent said the 1st agent had send 2 out of 3 requests and the 3rd one was stuck and I could do it myself (!)
So just debating if even after the agent has submitted a request, whether I should go to prefunds.aa.com and submit a refund request .....
When I check the status at prefunds.aa.com, I am taken to the page asking me to enter contact info and then submit a refund request.
Should I resubmit the requests online just in case?
I am a bit anxious as when I had called the help desk a second time for another reason and asked for the refunds just in case, the agent said the 1st agent had send 2 out of 3 requests and the 3rd one was stuck and I could do it myself (!)
So just debating if even after the agent has submitted a request, whether I should go to prefunds.aa.com and submit a refund request .....
This is really the only reason I ever consider using OTAs -- I've never had an issue getting a prompt 24 hour refund from, say, Expedia, but AA has been a different story, especially recently.
May 10, 2018, 8:19 am
#37
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,222
But you must read the fare rules (under Penalties), and that's where it will say whether you need to cancel before departure. If it doesn't say that, then you don't need to.
If you book online there are no fees. If you book with an AAgent, the service fee is nonrefundable.
May 11, 2018, 1:23 am
#38
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: SIN
Programs: EK Blue, EY Guest, AA, QR
Posts: 288
I booked a flight on 4/7 at 1am. I just called in and she said since it's still 4/8 (slightly past 24 hours) she would still be able to cancel it for a full refund.
However, after I ended the call with the CSR I never received any email confirmation regarding the refund. On AA.com, the status simply shows "this flight is cancelled."
However, after I ended the call with the CSR I never received any email confirmation regarding the refund. On AA.com, the status simply shows "this flight is cancelled."
Then i called a 3rd time, and this agent confirmed all 3 were cancelled.
What upsets me about the gray process is what confirmation is there that the cancellation was made within 24 hours?
May 11, 2018, 5:22 am
#39
Join Date: Aug 2010
Programs: AA,CX, BA, Priority Club, SPG, Hilton
Posts: 1,397
Jul 5, 2018, 10:27 am
#40
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: ORD
Posts: 1,844
24 Hour Hold Refund - How long to money posts?
"After canceling a ticket within the 24 hour refund rules, how long before the refund posts to your credit card account?"
ANSWER IS IN THE WIKI.
ANSWER IS IN THE WIKI.
Last edited by zznoname; Jul 6, 2018 at 12:11 am
Sep 12, 2018, 7:46 am
#41
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: BA
Posts: 954
Surprised to see that there is indeed still a 24 hour hold option on my PHL-MAN revenue flights. Does this mean that there will NOT be a 24 hour cancellation if I actually choose to book it (regardless of whether or not I first hold it- since I was given the option to hold it)?
Sep 12, 2018, 7:57 am
#42
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: WAS/NYC/LON
Programs: AA EXP, HH DIA, Hyatt DIA
Posts: 286
Surprised to see that there is indeed still a 24 hour hold option on my PHL-MAN revenue flights. Does this mean that there will NOT be a 24 hour cancellation if I actually choose to book it (regardless of whether or not I first hold it- since I was given the option to hold it)?
Sep 12, 2018, 8:04 am
#43
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: BA
Posts: 954
Both exist. The hold is slightly better because you generally have until 11:59PM the next day for the time zone of the departing flight, which could be up to an effective 48-hour hold, depending on the time you selected it. You do lose the flight if you forget to purchase (vs. forgetting to cancel a purchased flight)
I agree the hold is better, as it's easier to keep stringing along holds if unwilling to commit and the fare stays the same (though unlikely the fare stays the same if you keep holding fares which could cause the pricing system to increase fares).
Last edited by wiivile; Sep 12, 2018 at 8:37 am
Sep 12, 2018, 8:52 am
#44
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 3,698
Technically speaking, AA isn't required to allow both, but there is nothing in the 24 hour refund policy that makes an exception for reservations that were previously on hold.