The Guide to American Airlines Flight Cancellations

Travel can be stressful even when everything goes to plan. However, a flight cancellation can completely upend your trip.

A cancellation on your departure from home could mean arriving late for hotel reservations, tours or a cruise. A cancellation on your way home could mean a later return to work than planned or rearranging pet or child care.

If you're flying on American Airlines, there's a chance you'll have to make these last-minute changes. Although its operational performance is improving, American still isn't the most reliable airline.

As with so much in travel, knowledge is power. Let's walk through the American Airlines flight cancellation policy and what to do when dealing with American cancellations.

Airlines can cancel flights for many reasons. Some are considered within an airline's control — such as mechanical delays and staffing issues — while others aren't. Examples include inclement weather and air traffic control delays.

Unlike some airlines, American doesn't publicly share why it canceled a flight. However, you can request a written statement of the reason for American Airlines flight cancellations.

Alternatively, you can use third-party programs like ExpertFlyer to see why a flight was canceled. On the Flight Status page, enter the departure date, airline code and flight number.

Then, select "Search" to query the reason for the cancellation.

You'll likely have to decipher some shorthand to understand the reason for the cancellation. For example, the American flight in the example below was "CXLD DUE TO A/C MAINTENANCE." Translation: Canceled due to aircraft maintenance.

» Learn more: How to book a flight that (likely) won't get canceled

When American cancels your flight, you can accept one of two resolutions: rebooking on another flight or abandoning your trip and requesting a refund.

Rebooking

If you opt for rebooking, the airline will first try to rebook you on another flight on the airline itself at no additional cost. If that's not available, then it will rebook you on a partner airline or another airline at no additional cost.

If the cancellation results in passengers waiting for three hours or more for a new flight, the airline will also provide you a meal or meal cash/voucher.

If you must stay overnight due to the cancellation, you'll be provided complimentary hotel accommodations, plus ground transportation to and from the hotel.

Requesting a refund

You might opt to figure out another way to get where you're going and book it independently. In certain qualifying instances, you may be eligible for a refund of the unused portion of your ticket.

Jump to learn more about getting a refund for an American flight cancellation »

From the carrier

In 2021, American removed flyer rights from its "Conditions of carriage," which is the contract you agree to when booking a ticket.

American disclaims any liability for not getting you where you need to go if it cancels, delays or changes your flight schedule. For example, suppose there's an American Airlines flight cancellation or delay of over four hours. In that case, American is on the hook for refunding the remaining flights on your trip only — even if that leaves you stranded somewhere.

If American cancels or delays a flight and causes you to miss a connection, the airline's contract says it will "rebook you on the next American Airlines flight with available seats at no additional cost. If no American flights are available until the next day, and the disruption is caused by us, we’ll rebook you on one of our partner airlines with available seats at no additional cost."

American makes some exceptions for elite status flyers and passengers booked in premium cabins and other exceptional circumstances — such as those with military orders, passengers with disabilities and unaccompanied minors. Also, let the agent know if you're traveling to a funeral or surgery or catching a cruise, as that may unlock more rebooking options.

From the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)

According to federal consumer protections, once you book a ticket with American, you're under the airline's contract of carriage.

Currently, if American cancels your flight, you have two options:

• You can accept a rebooking from American.

• You can have your money refunded to the original form of payment.

The DOT doesn't require airlines to provide passengers additional compensation for delayed or canceled flights. Refunds should include seat selection, checked baggage fees and airfare.

If your American flight departs from a European Union member country or territory and is canceled for a reason that's within the airline's control — such as mechanical issues — Flight Compensation Regulation 261/2004, often referred to as EU261, can help.

Passengers on qualifying canceled flights can get additional compensation ranging from $269 to $645 (250 to 600 euros) based on distance and delay.

How to rebook after an American Airlines flight cancellation

If American canceled your flight, you likely still want to take that trip. Time is of the essence when you need to rebook a canceled flight. After all, you're competing with an entire planeload of passengers for available seats. That means you should act as soon as possible — and potentially even try a few different options simultaneously.

Start by checking the American app. By tapping the flight cancellation button, you may be able to quickly snag a seat on another flight without having to make a call or speak with an agent.

If you don't find an option that works for you, call American Airlines reservations. Working with a reservations agent will be the next best way to get rebooked. To avoid waiting on the phone, you can set up a callback contact.

If you're at the airport when the cancellation happens, we recommend getting in line to speak with an airport agent while you wait for a phone agent to pick up or for a callback. Travelers with Admirals Club access may find shorter lines inside the club rather than at a general help desk or the gate counter.

How to get a refund after an American Airlines flight cancellation

If your American Airlines flight cancellation wrecks your trip, you can opt for a refund instead of being rebooked. DOT regulations require that an airline refund your ticket price and any associated fees anytime an airline cancels your flight. But the process to claim a refund from American depends on whether you bought a cash fare or used AAdvantage miles.

For cash fares, skip the phone lines. The wait times are likely long and the process can be arduous. Instead, request your refund from American on its website. American has a dedicated refunds page where you can submit a refund request.

To get started, you'll need the passenger's last name and ticket number. You can find that ticket number in your email confirmation from American with the subject line "Your trip confirmation." American ticket numbers are 13 digits starting with 001.

Each passenger gets a unique ticket number, though the numbers are typically similar if the tickets were issued at the same time. You'll need to submit a refund request for each passenger.

Many AAdvantage award tickets can also be refunded on American's website, but the process differs. Start by logging into your AAdvantage account, opening “All Trips,” clicking the reservation you wish to cancel and selecting "Cancel trip" on the sidebar.

If your ticket is eligible, you can cancel your award and American will automatically refund your miles, taxes and fees. However, you'll need to call American Airlines reservations to have an agent manually refund award tickets in the following cases:

• Trips that have already started.

• Award flights on partner airlines.

• Tickets purchased outside the U.S.

• Trips that have been changed since originally ticketed.

In addition to disrupting your trip, flight cancellations can also lead to extra travel expenses. If you booked with the right credit card, you can get reimbursed for necessary expenses — such as meals and lodging — incurred when waiting out a delay.

However, these credit card protections typically help only in certain situations that are generally considered outside of the airline's control — such as severe weather, strikes or equipment failure. In other cases, you'll need to seek compensation from the airline or rely on a more general travel insurance policy.

Credit card protections can also help soften the blow if severe weather completely wrecks your trip. Cards with trip cancellation/interruption insurance can reimburse you for nonrefundable travel plans as long as you've paid for the trips with your card.

For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card reimburses up to $10,000 per person (and up to $20,000 per trip) to offset nonrefundable travel expenses if severe weather, injury or other covered situations — such as being called to jury duty — prevent you from traveling.

» Learn more: The best airline credit cards right now

Credit card coverage can be useful in certain situations, such as weather delays. But not all delays and cancellations are covered.

If you want to ensure you’re covered, consider purchasing a separate travel insurance policy to get coverage for American Airlines flight cancellations. Travel insurance policies may reimburse additional expenses or cover the cost of rebooking another flight, depending on the coverage.

If your American flight is canceled, remember to act quickly. The airline may automatically rebook you on a new flight, but there may be better options. We recommend first checking for options in the app.

If those don't work, call American Airlines reservations to see if there are better options. If you're already at the airport, get in line to speak with an agent while waiting for a phone agent to help you.

If you bail on the trip, requesting a refund can generally be done online, saving you the hassle of waiting for an agent over the phone. However, the process varies depending on whether you booked a cash fare or used miles to book your trip.

Finally, if you're unsuccessful in obtaining a refund from the airline, you may be eligible to recoup some of your costs from your credit card's insurance or a travel insurance policy.