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Cancel American Airlines Flights

Learn how you can cancel American Airlines flights at Alternative Airlines

Cancel American Airlines Flights

Nothings more frustrating than needing to cancel flights. At Alternative Airlines we strive to take the stress out of cancelling your American Airlines flights by making it easy and offering a range of ancillary packages to help you get your money back. In this article we'll go over how you can easily cancel your booking, and receive a refund if applicable when you decide to cancel your American Airlines flights.

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How to cancel American Airlines flights at Alternative Airlines

1. Self-service flight cancellation via 'Manage my booking'

Cancelling your American Airlines flights independently is made easy at Alternative Airlines. All you have to do is log into our Manage My Booking portal. Here, you'll be shown how much of a refund you will receive based on American Airlines' cancellation policy. You'll also find options to change or cancel your flights.

This is where our new ancillary package, Cancel For Any Reason, comes into play. If you added Cancel For Any Reason to your booking at checkout you can now claim on it. You will be able to claim a partial refund equal to 70% of your basket's total value when you checked out. This refund will automatically be delivered to you 30 days after you request a cancellation for your flights. Note: This coverage is valid until 48 hours before your departing flight's scheduled departure time.

Worried you might need to cancel your American Airlines flights for emergency reasons? Then Cancellation Protection is the right choice for you! Cancellation Protection allows you to claim a full refund if you need to cancel your flights for emergency reasons. The full details surrounding which extenuating circumstances are considered emergency are detailed in our Cancellation Protection Terms and Conditions. Note: Most airlines tickets are non-refundable as per the terms and conditions of the airline.


2. Contact us

Our friendly Customer Service Team is always happy to assist you with cancelling your American Airlines flights. We're also happy to advise if you need more information about our policies and processes.

Activate Cancel For Any Reason in Manage My Booking

Can I get a refund for my American Airlines flight cancellation?

American Airlines are prepared to offer refunds on all standard fare non-refundable tickets if one of the following requirements is met:

  • You cancel within 24 hours from the time you first buy your ticket
  • There is a schedule change of more than 4 hours and you decide not to travel
  • There is a schedule change of 90 minutes or more within 72 hours of your scheduled departure time and you decide not to travel
  • There is death of the passenger / travelling companion
  • Military orders / change in duty
  • If you don't meet any of the above requirements to be issued a refund, you are still eligible if you added one of our ancillary packages to your booking. If you have, the amount you will receive in compensation will be in compliance with your selected package when you cancel your flights.
Add Cancel For Any Reason during booking process

What ancillary packages do Alternative Airlines offer?

Cancellation Protection

Worried you might need to cancel your American Airlines flight due to unforeseen emergency or happenstance? Cancellation Protection guarantees you a full refund if you need to cancel your booking due to circumstances considered 'emergency.' A few examples of what might be considered emergency include: court summons, personal injury and the failure of personal or public transport. If you cancel a booking which has Cancellation Protection applied then you are eligible for a full refund. Your final compensation may be subject to a small cancellation fee which is automatically deducted from the refund amount. You can read a full list of circumstances considered emergency by reading our full Refund Protect terms and conditions.


Cancel For Any Reason

If you would like to cancel your flights for any reason beyond just emergencies, you might want to consider our new ancillary option: Cancel For Any Reason. If you book a flight with Cancel For Any Reason applied then you can cancel your booking whenever you like (up to 48 hours before your departing flight) for whatever reason you like! It gives you the ultimate freedom to change your travel plans, knowing you're going to get 70% of your money back, no questions asked. Cancel For Any Reason refunds are automatically distributed 30 days after the flight cancellation is finalised.

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Can you cancel an American Airlines flight within 24 hours?

Yes. American Airlines' cancellation policy outlines that passengers have 24 hours from the finalisation of their booking to cancel their flights and receive a full refund. This policy applies to all ticket types however group ticket bookings are not valid to receive the refund if they are cancelled. American Airlines full refund policy can be found in their FAQs section pertaining to refunds. If you have any further questions or would like more information, please reach out to our Customer Service team and we will be happy to advise.

It is important to note that you if booked your flights through Alternative Airlines and you would like to cancel your flights within 24 hours you must contact us within our hours of operation (9am - 5pm GMT) so that we can process your request before the 24 hour window has elapsed. Any requests submitted outside of our hours of operation are not guaranteed to be processed before expiring.

We're here to help

Our customer service team is always happy to help if you need assistance cancelling your American Airlines flights. Feel free to reach out if you would like any additional information about our processes and policies, or if you need any help with your American Airlines booking.

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American Airlines Cancellation FAQs

Can I cancel an American Airlines flight?

Yes you can. American Airlines' cancellation policy dictates that you can cancel your flight at any time, however you will only be eligible for a refund if you meet one of the criteria listed above, or you have applied one of our ancillary packages. Some cancellations will be subject to a small fee. To find out more about American Airlines' cancellations get in touch with our Customer Service team who will be happy to assist you.

How do I request a refund for an American Airlines flight?

If you would like to request a refund for your American Airlines flight, you can do so in our Manage My Booking portal.

Get a full refund through Cancellation Protection:
Sometimes plans are disrupted and you need to cancel your flights. This is already frustrating, and that stress can compound if you can't get your money back. If you are worried that an emergency may disrupt your travel plans then you should consider adding Cancellation Protection to your booking. Adding Cancellation Protection is the best way to ensure you get a refund if you need to cancel your travel plans for emergency reasons. You can claim a refund through our Manage My Booking portal or contact us for more assistance.

Get a partial refund through Cancel For Any Reason:
You might want to cancel your flights for reasons which aren't necessarily emergencies. In such cases we suggest our new ancillary option: Cancel For Any Reason. If you cancel your American Airlines flights with Cancel For Any Reason applied you will receive a refund equal to 70% of your bookings total value in 30 days.

What is American Airlines cancellation policy?

American Airlines' outlined cancellation policy contains the following caveats to your ticket, if you would like to cancel it:

  • They do not refund cash for non-refundable tickets.
  • They will refund a non-refundable ticket to the original form of payment if it meets one of the extenuating criteria outlined above or in their FAQ outlining their cancellation policy.
  • Refunds will be made to the original form of payment. Supporting documents may be required.
  • You have 24 hours from the time you first buy your ticket to cancel for a refund if you booked at least 2 days before departure. After 24 hours, refunds to your original form of payment are not allowed.
  • If you're an AAdvantage member and cancelled your flight on or after January 17, 2024, you can receive a travel credit, minus a Basic Economy cancellation fee.
Is Cancel For Any Reason worth it with American Airlines flights?

100%, Cancel For Any Reason gives you the freedom to cancel your flights if they no longer work for you, and receive 70% of your money back, no questions asked. This makes planning your vacation a lot less stressful, and gives you peace of mind if you are booking in advance.

Booking flights is an expensive endeavour, and if something goes wrong you don't want to get caught out. Sorting your holiday with the knowledge you're protected is a great feeling, and makes Cancel For Any Reason totally worth it.