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The Guide to American Airlines Flight Cancellations

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Table of Contents

Why is American canceling flights?

Flyer rights after american airlines flight cancellations, what to do if your american airlines flight gets canceled, how to get a refund after an american airlines flight cancellation, credit card and travel insurance that can get your money back, what to do if your american flight gets canceled.

Airlines have been playing catch up following the post-pandemic slump with so many people taking to the skies this summer. As a result, thousands of flights were canceled in the first half of 2022, leaving passengers scrambling to save their vacations.

You may be asking, "Is American Airlines still canceling flights?" Unfortunately, American flight cancellations aren't as rare of an occurrence as passengers might hope. From January to May 2022, the world's largest airline canceled 3.36% of its flights. That adds up to over 11,500 flight cancellations in just five months.

These cancellations also came after the airline recently stripped passenger rights from its contract with flyers. That means it's as important as ever to know how to protect yourself if you encounter cancellations on American Airlines flights. Here's what you need to know about what to do if your flight is canceled.

There are plenty of reasons why flights can be canceled, which vary in terms of whether or not the airline itself is responsible. Typical scenarios include inclement weather, mechanical delays and staffing issues that range from air traffic control to pilots to flight attendants.

Like other airlines, American has struggled to keep up with passenger demand following a lull in air travel during the pandemic. As a result, in July 2022, the airline announced it would cancel 1,200 flights to manage its schedule better.

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

From the carrier

American Airlines recently stripped away flyer rights from its Conditions of Carriage — which is the contract you agree to when booking an American ticket.

Under the new terms, American Airlines disclaims any liability for not getting you where you need to go if it cancels, delays or changes your flight schedule. So, for example, suppose there's an American Airlines flight cancellation or delay of more than four hours. In that case, American Airlines is only on the hook for refunding the remaining flights on your trip — 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 only "rebook you on the next American Airlines or American partner flight with available seats."

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

From the U.S. Department of Transportation

According to consumer protections from the U.S. Department of Transportation, once you've booked a ticket with American, you're under 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.

Even so, the DOT does not require airlines to provide passengers additional compensation for delayed or canceled flights. Refunds should include seat selection, checked baggage fees, and airfare.

Due to recent DOT proposals, consumer protections for flight cancellations may change this fall.

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 EC261 , can help. Passengers on qualifying canceled flights can get additional compensation ranging from 250 to 600 euros based on distance and delay.

When American cancels your flight, you have two primary options: rebooking your flight or requesting a refund. Let's take a look at what to do in each situation.

How to rebook after an American Airlines flight cancellation

If you're dealing with an American Airlines flight cancellation, chances are that you still want to go on that trip.

Time is of the essence when your flight is canceled. You're likely competing with an entire planeload of passengers — all of whom want to go where you want when you want. That means you should act as soon as possible, potentially trying a few different angles simultaneously.

Start by checking the American Airlines app. By clicking on 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 that doesn't work, 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 if the wait times are too long.

While you wait for a callback, it doesn't hurt to get in line to speak with an airport agent if you're at the airport when the cancellation happens. If the line is long at your gate, try a help desk or an Admirals Club lounge to get an agent quicker.

If you opt for a refund, the process depends on whether you bought a cash fare or used miles to book your trip.

Refunding American Airlines cash fares

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 Airlines right on its website. American Airlines has a dedicated refunds page where you can submit your refund request.

You'll need the passenger's last name and ticket number to get started. You can find that ticket number on your email confirmation from American Airlines with the subject line "Your trip confirmation." Your ticket number is the one that starts with 001.

Each passenger gets a unique ticket number, though the numbers are typically very similar if they were ticketed simultaneously. You'll need to submit a refund request for each passenger.

Refunding AAdvantage award tickets

Many AAdvantage award tickets can be canceled on American Airlines' website. Start by logging into your AAdvantage account, opening All Trips, clicking the reservation you wish to cancel and selecting "Cancel trip."

If your ticket is eligible, you can cancel your award and your miles will be automatically refunded. However, certain award tickets won't be automatically refunded. These include:

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 these cases, you'll need to call American Airlines reservations to request that an agent manually submit a refund request.

Flight cancellations have the potential to disrupt a trip and subject you to extra expenses. Thankfully, if you booked with the right credit card , you might be able to get reimbursed for expenses while you wait for your next flight.

Credit cards with so-called "trip delay reimbursement" cover necessary expenses — such as meals and lodging — incurred when waiting out a delay. However, these credit card protections typically only help when the airline doesn't consider itself at fault, such as severe weather, strikes or equipment failure. In other cases, you'll need to seek compensation from the airline.

» Learn more: What you need to know about Chase's trip delay insurance

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.

on Chase's website

on American Express' website

• Trip delay: Up to $500 per ticket for delays more than 12 hours.

• Trip cancellation: Up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip. Maximum benefit of $40,000 per 12-month period.

• Trip interruption: Up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip. Maximum benefit of $40,000 per 12-month period.

• Baggage delay: Up to $100 per day for five days.

• Lost luggage: Up to $3,000 per passenger.

• Trip delay: Up to $500 per ticket for delays more than 6 hours.

• Trip delay: Up to $500 per trip for delays more than 6 hours.

• Trip cancellation: Up to $10,000 per trip. Maximum benefit of $20,000 per 12-month period.

• Trip interruption: Up to $10,000 per trip. Maximum benefit of $20,000 per 12-month period.

Terms apply.

For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers up to $10,000 per person (and up to $20,000 per trip) to cover nonrefundable travel expenses if severe weather, injury or other covered situations prevent you from traveling.

Consider purchasing travel insurance to get additional coverage for American Airlines flight cancellations. Travel insurance policies may reimburse additional expenses or even cover the cost of rebooking another flight, depending on the coverage.

Remember to act quickly. The airline may automatically rebook you on a new flight, but that might not be your best option. So first, check for options in the app. Then, if those don't work, call American Airlines reservations to see if there are better options.

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

Insurance Benefit: Trip Delay Insurance

Up to $500 per Covered Trip that is delayed for more than 6 hours; and 2 claims per Eligible Card per 12 consecutive month period.

Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply.

Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.

Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

Insurance Benefit: Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance

The maximum benefit amount for Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance is $10,000 per Covered Trip and $20,000 per Eligible Card per 12 consecutive month period.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

on Capital One's website

2x-5x Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

75,000 Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

on Citibank's application

1x Earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible AAdvantage® mile earned from purchases.

70,000 Earn 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $7,000 within the first 3 months of account opening.

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

75,000 Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's over $900 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

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American Airlines (Re)Adds Free Award Changes for Certain AAdvantage Awards

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As part of its switch to dynamic award pricing , American Airlines sunsetted a flyer-friendly policy: Free AAdvantage award changes. Going forward, all AAdvantage awards would be treated like the now-retired Web Special awards. This policy wasn't all bad though. AAdvantage members could still cancel awards and redeposit miles for free. But, travelers would have to book new awards each time they wanted to change or reprice an award.

Today, American Airlines is reversing course. On certain eligible AAdvantage awards, you'll now be able to change your award flights without having to cancel, refund, and rebook your flights. Here are the details of this policy change.

Who's Eligible To Make Free AAdvantage Award Changes

Not all AAdvantage awards are now eligible for changes. Instead, awards must meet all of the following criteria:

• All flight segments must be on American Airlines.
• Limited to domestic award flights only.
• Only one passenger can be in the booking.
• Awards must have been booked with a U.S. point of sale.
• Only the AAdvantage account owner that originally booked the flight can make the change.

That's… a lot of restrictions. But, this is still better than before when no awards could be changed.

To be fair, American Airlines originally introduced similar restrictions when it originally added the ability for flyers to cancel and refund AAdvantage awards online. Then it expanded this ability over time. So, we can hope that American Airlines will similarly expand the ability to change AAdvantage awards online.

How To Change an AAdvantage Award

Assuming your award is eligible (see above section), here's how you can change your AAdvantage award. First, log into your AAdvantage account. Then, head to your My Trips page . Click “Select” for the award you want to change. Then, click the large blue “Change trip” button to start your change.

Next, check the box for “Yes, I want to change this flight” and confirm or change the route and departure date. Then click “Continue”.

For reference, American Airlines will show how many AAdvantage miles and how much you paid in taxes and fees for the original booking. Review the award search results and select the flight you'd rather take.

On the next page, American Airlines will confirm your flight selection and show the price difference for the flight. In this case, American Airlines confirms it will refund 30,500 AAdvantage miles to my account after confirming this award change. Scroll down and click “Continue” to move to the next step.

The next page is pretty similar to the previous one — confirming your new flight details and the price difference. Presumably, this is where American Airlines would request payment if the taxes and fees increased on your new itinerary. Enter your email address for the receipt; agree to the terms and conditions, refund policy, and conditions of carriage; and then click “Submit change” to confirm your change.

If everything worked, you should receive a confirmation that your change is confirmed. For reference, American Airlines kept the same record locator but ticketed my new flight with a new ticket number.

Bottom Line

American Airlines just (re)added free award ticket changes for certain eligible awards. If your ticket is eligible, you'll be able to change and/or reprice awards online without having to go through the hassle of canceling and rebooking an award. That's a nice win for travelers as you won't have to check your credit card statement to make sure American Airlines refunds the taxes and fees on your canceled award.

The downside: Only certain awards are eligible for online changes. You'll need to be a solo passenger on a fully-domestic American Airlines award, purchased within the U.S., and have used your AAdvantage miles to book the award. Hopefully, American Airlines will quickly expand the ability to change more types of AAdvantage awards soon.

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buen dia consulto si hay alguna tarjeta de credito argentina que permita acumular millas en AA,?, lo ultimo que acumule fue por medio de compra de hoteleria. gracias

Hola Mario, No hay información para Argentina en esta lista, pero puedes seguir consultando en el futuro. https://www.aa.com/i18n/aadvantage-program/miles/partners/credit-card/international-credit-and-debit-cards.jsp

hay alguna tarjeta de credito argentina para acumular millas de American A, como era Diner y luego Santander, gracias

Did AA really charge on award ticket change and cancellation recently? I don’t see any fee in any change and cancellation now either.

Changing flight awards You can change an eligible trip online in just a few steps. While you may have to pay the difference, there are no change fees for award tickets.

Canceling flight awards and reinstating miles If your plans change and you no longer wish to travel, you can cancel your trip anytime on aa.com. We’ll reinstate your miles and refund eligible taxes and fees up to 1 year after the ticket issue date, but you have to cancel your trip before the first flight departs. If you cancel your trip on aa.com, your miles will be reinstated and your refund will be requested automatically in most cases. There is no fee to reinstate your miles.

Sam, AA was allowing people to cancel awards without fees but wasn’t permitting changes. Cancel/refund/make a new booking was the only path, which was quite complicated. That still exists for passengers whose tickets don’t meet the restrictions for this new policy allowing changes.

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Welcome to Consumer Rescue

Fiascos and Fixes

If American Airlines changes your schedule, here’s how to get a refund

Michelle Couch-Friedman

Consumer reporter and ombudsman

December 30, 2022

Can American Airlines make wild changes to your flight schedule and, if you object, refuse to issue a refund? 

With $8,171 on the line, that’s what Michael Spanel wants to know after his recent experience with American Airlines. 

He booked four tickets from Richmond, Virginia to Athens, Greece, with a connection in Philadelphia. When he discovered by accident that American Airlines had significantly changed the flight schedule, he asked for a refund. But the airline swiftly rejected his request and gave him an $8,171 flight credit instead. 

Now Michael is asking the Consumer Rescue team for help. He wants American Airlines to give his money back, and he’s hoping we can make that happen. 

So what is a passenger really owed when American Airlines changes their flight schedule? Let’s find out.

Booking flights for a spring vacation to Greece

In November, as days were getting shorter and the air was turning chilly, Michael and his wife turned their thoughts to the warm islands of Greece. 

“We thought we would get a jump on airfare increases for next spring,” Michael told me. “So I checked, and it seemed that the best fare and flight schedule round trip would be on American Airlines.” 

Michael booked the four tickets for his family for a total cost of $8,171. A few minutes later, American Airlines sent him a confirmation of the flights. He scanned the details and confirmed that the dates of travel and names of all the passengers were correct. 

They were all set.

Next, the family happily set about planning the rest of the details for their late spring vacation. 

The trip was coming together very well.

Until, suddenly, it wasn’t.

Surprise! American Airlines changed the flight schedule (in a big way)

About a month later, Michael signed into his American Airlines account to check their trip’s seat assignments. That’s when he got a shock. The itinerary now bore little resemblance to the one he had booked weeks earlier. 

American Airlines had changed the flights so that now we were connecting through New York City. That wouldn’t have been so bad, but these changes American Airlines expected us to accept included a ground connection. They had us landing in LaGuardia from Richmond, and then our flight to Athens took off from JFK. Michael S.

That’s right. The new schedule changes included an American Airlines flight to LaGuardia connecting to an international flight at JFK – miles away. 

For those unfamiliar with New York City – those 11 miles cover some of the most traffic-filled highways in Queens.

Not only did American Airlines make this troublesome change to the family’s itinerary without telling them, but there was also no explanation for how Michael, his family and all their luggage should make this unusual ground connection. 

The travel time between the two airports can fluctuate from 40 minutes or so – to an hour or more depending on the time of day and number of vehicles on the road. 

FYI, there are no free shuttles between the airports, and a metered taxi costs between $40-$50, depending on traffic. But the price of this inconvenience could not be measured and certainly was not how the family wanted to start their Greek adventure. 

Asking American Airlines about a refund for this unusual schedule change

I immediately called American Airlines and told the customer rep this schedule change was unacceptable. She agreed that it was an unreasonable change and that I could get a full refund. We discussed the possibility of the flight change being temporary and if I should wait a few days before canceling the flight entirely. She assured me the refund had no time limit up until 24 hours before departure, so I could wait almost indefinitely. Based on that, I decided to wait a few more days.

Note: It’s important to point out here that what Michael says the American Airlines representative told him is not correct. After a passenger becomes aware of a schedule change, if they don’t ask for a cancellation and refund, the alteration becomes permanent with the same terms and conditions as the original flight. 

In this case, Michael only waited a few more days before he decided to rebook a more reasonable flight with Delta and cancel the American Airlines flight. 

“The American Airlines agent assured me I would get a full refund,” Michael told me. “So we canceled and booked the Delta.”

Michael was pleased to have the situation corrected and relieved not to have to worry about making a mad dash across Queens to try to make a connecting flight.  

But a new, more troubling problem was just about to begin – an $8,171 problem.

American Airlines: The schedule change is less than four hours, so no refund

The very next day, Michael received the disturbing news from American Airlines that it rejected his refund request. 

Michael tried to appeal his complaint with American Airlines but received no response. 

With his $8,171 in jeopardy, Michael turned to the Consumer Rescue advocacy team for help.

Does American Airlines owe this passenger a refund for the schedule change?

When Michael’s case landed in my inbox, it was just a few days before Christmas. This problem was weighing heavily on his mind, and I hoped to be able to put a quick and successful end to his battle.

Reading through his paper trail, I was certain that his refund had been rejected in error, but when I reached the last paragraph, my confidence sank.

In his frustration about American Airlines’ refusal to refund his cash, Michael had made a mistake – but one that many troubled consumers make.

For the time being, I am contacting my credit card company, telling them I dispute payment for the tickets. As you know, this is a stop-gap action to ensure I am not charged interest on the $8,100 while the dispute is being investigated. Michael

Yikes! I quickly responded to Michael and warned him not to dispute this charge. 

Warning: Credit card chargebacks should always be a last resort

A credit card dispute often leads to more significant problems for the troubled customers who file them. That is especially true if the chargeback is filed too soon before the company has a chance to correct the issue.

I would venture to say that most consumers do not understand that a credit card dispute only ends their credit card company’s involvement in the problem. Even if you win the chargeback, the merchant involved is free to pursue you in any legal way they see fit to recover the debt. 

Worse, credit card companies do not investigate cases in the manner that our advocacy team does, so the rate of loss is high for the consumer if the merchant provides any response to the complaint. 

I have seen many situations over the years in which the consumer was correct but still lost the chargeback. And, of course, there are many cases in which the consumer won the dispute but ended up in collections.

Consumer Rescue agrees: American Airlines owes you a refund .

Luckily I caught Michael in time for him to put the brakes on his credit card dispute. I was now confident that we could fix this the right way, directly with American Airlines. 

It was clear that the American Airlines agent who reviewed Michael’s refund request had not considered several things. The schedule change American Airlines had imposed took off three hours earlier than the previous flight. It landed nearly two hours past the original arrival time. Of course, it also added that unusual and unacceptable ground connection in New York. 

I assumed an artificial intelligence bot had automatically rejected Michael’s refund request (or a mathematically-challenged human). 

So I sent Michael’s case to a real executive at American Airlines. That person is someone who I know cares about the airline’s customers. 

Asking American Airlines to refund this passenger for his schedule change

Hi ****! …A few days ago, Michael received an alert from American Airlines about a significant flight change. American Airlines changed his connection airport to LGA instead of Philly, and then the international flight takes off from JFK! So he canceled the tickets expecting a refund (he says he was assured on the phone by an AA representative that this change would qualify for a refund).  But now he just received a notification that he only qualifies for flight credit because the change in the arrival time to Athens is only two hours. This response seems to ignore the fact that the new flight schedule takes off 3 hours earlier, lands 2 hours later AND involves this family finding some way to easily transfer between LGA and JFK with their luggage (obviously not an easy task). This new suggested itinerary adjusts their flight schedule by 5 hours.  Would you be able to have your team take another look at this case? The family would like a refund from American Airlines, not a flight credit. Thank you!😊 Michelle to American Airlines

American Airlines sends the good news!

As I expected, as soon as a crew of humans had a look at Michael’s complaint, there was good news.

Very good news. 

American Airlines reviewed the details of his schedule change and determined that the refund request was rejected in error.

Thank you so much for making this happen, Michelle! You really saved me a lot of time, energy and aggravation.  Have a wonderful and safe Christmas! Michael S.

You’re welcome, Michael! This is exactly why Consumer Rescue is here.😊

Here’s what you need to know about American Airlines schedule changes

Unfortunately, the pandemic inspired some policy changes within the airline industry that are unarguably unfriendly to passengers. Most of those policies, which were initially presented as temporary, appear permanent. 

Many airlines adopted new guidelines for the length of time of a delay before a customer can qualify for a refund. American Airlines is one of those carrier s. Here’s what you need to know about schedule changes for your next American Airlines flight..

• Four hours is the magic number: American Airlines now identifies a four-hour schedule change as the magic number. If the airline changes your itinerary in a way that increases your travel time by four or more hours, American Airlines will approve your refund if you choose to cancel. But…
• A 90-minute delay at the airport:   If you’re at the airport ready to go and American Airlines delays your flight by more than 90 minutes, and you decide to skip the trip, you are eligible for a refund. But keep in mind that is the extent of the airline’s responsibility to you in the United States. You won’t be owed reimbursement for a hotel, car rental, or alternative flights to your destination.
• Reject unreasonable changes: A passenger is under no obligation to accept an itinerary change that will require a land transfer which the airline is not providing. Regardless of the number of hours a schedule change involves , if it includes unreasonable components (like a connection between two airports miles apart), you can reject the update and request a refund. 
• A canceled flight always qualifies for a refund : When American Airlines cancels your flight, it owes you a refund if you want one. But it might automatically send you a new itinerary that may or may not fit into your plans. Before accepting the replacement flight, make sure you agree to the new itinerary because you won’t be able to change your mind later. If in doubt, ask for a refund so you can rebook an itinerary of your choice. We know that sometimes an airline might imply that you’ll receive a voucher if you don’t accept the new suggested replacement flight. As much as the airlines might wish this to be true, it isn’t. 

Remember, if the airline cancels your flight, the Department of Transportation says you qualify for a refund. No questions asked. (Michelle Couch-Friedman, Consumer Rescue)

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American Airlines changed my flight, but won’t give me a refund

Q. Last year, I booked a flight from Seattle to Miami on American Airlines. The flight was a red-eye leaving at 12:39 a.m. This itinerary was ideal for me because I work late nights and didn’t want my trip to interfere with my schedule.

Before my flight, I received an email saying that my flight time had changed and would be departing at 10:15 p.m. I couldn’t make this flight because I was working late that night.

I called American, and a representative told me she could not refund me because it was less than a four-hour schedule change. She said I would have to apply for a refund online, and she canceled my ticket.

I applied for a refund online and received an email a week later stating that my refund was denied because of American’s policy and because I had purchased a cheap ticket.

I called American again and spoke to a supervisor. She would not even give me a flight credit for future use. She did give me an option to book another flight at that time and possibly get me money back. When I said I didn’t have any known plans to travel, she suggested I call back when I’m ready, and someone could possibly help me. But she could not promise anything.

American told me to cancel my ticket and apply for a refund. Then it denied my request for a refund. I think that’s a deceptive business practice. Can you help me get a refund?

NEIL GUPTA, Seattle

A. If an airline changes its schedule, it should offer you a full, no-questions-asked refund. But American Airlines is correct: It gives itself the right to change its schedule by up to four hours without offering your money back.

The amount of delay required for a refund varies by airline. If you’re flying in the European Union, it is standardized at two hours under the European airline consumer protection regulations.

Your situation was a little different. You had spoken to an American Airlines representative who led you to believe that you just needed to apply for a refund, and she canceled your ticket. The representative should have told you that there was no way you could get your money back, even if you applied for a refund.

By the way, how much you spent on your ticket is irrelevant. The refund rules govern all tickets, no matter how much you paid.

I think this one’s on American. If a representative suggested you might get a refund, you should reasonably expect to get your money back. And, on top of that, a supervisor also suggested you could get a credit. Even if it’s a misunderstanding, American could give you a ticket credit as a gesture of goodwill.

A brief, polite email to one of the American Airlines executive contacts might have helped. I publish their names, numbers, and emails on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org .

I contacted American on your behalf. To be clear, American wasn’t required to do anything under its policy. But I think a refund would have been the right thing to do under your circumstances.

American Airlines agreed to refund your ticket.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy ( elliottadvocacy.org ), a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at [email protected] or get help by contacting him at elliottadvocacy.org/help/ .

As the omicron variant rises, here’s what to do if you need to cancel your trip

Update : Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here .

Cases of the highly transmissible COVID-19 delta variant started rapidly rising around the world this summer. And just in time for the busy holiday travel season, we're also seeing the rise of the omicron variant, which may be more contagious than others and contains several spike protein mutations that may make it less responsive to COVID-19 vaccines.

Earlier this fall, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its mask guidance and is recommending people in high-risk areas wear masks indoors again — vaccinated or not. Some states, local governments and even theme parks are again requiring it.

Related: Things are changing quickly: What to know about traveling right now during omicron

Although the U.S. isn't planning to return to widespread lockdowns , given the evolving nature of the situation, you might be rethinking your own upcoming travel plans .

Still in the planning stage? With the free TPG app , you can track your progress toward your next trip, and get spending recommendations to help you reach your travel goals.

Luckily, many travel providers are letting you change or cancel your bookings for free, including ones that originally let their COVID-19-related flexible travel waivers expire. Even better, in most cases, these changes and cancellations can be made online. Some airlines that had reintroduced some more restrictive 'Basic Economy' fares that aren't as flexible are adding some temporary waivers for those fares as pandemic-related cases spike up once again.

Related: Pfizer says its booster shot is effective at protecting against omicron variant

Today, we're going to take a look at everything you need to know if you're considering modifying your plans — again.

New to The Points Guy? Sign up for our daily newsletter and check out our beginner's guide .

Airline change and cancellation policies

Alaska airlines.

Trips booked between Feb. 27, 2020, and April 30, 2021, can be changed or canceled for no fee, as long as the new travel takes place within a year of the original travel date. Additionally, Alaska has permanently removed change and cancellation fees for new main cabin and first-class bookings. Newly booked Saver fares (basic economy) cannot be changed or canceled.

You must change or cancel your flight before departure to be eligible for flight credit. Apart from same-day confirmed changes, you will be liable for any fare difference if you choose to change a flight.

For more information: See the full Alaska policy .

Allegiant's change and cancel fees have been temporarily reduced to $25 per person, per segment. However, any changes or cancellations must be made within seven days of departure unless you've purchased Trip Flex . This add-on, which can only be purchased at the time of booking, allows a one-time change or cancellation until one hour before departure.

For more information: See the full Allegiant policy .

Related: How to avoid airline change and cancellation fees

American Airlines

American Airlines no longer charges change or cancellation fees for domestic U.S. flights, short-haul international flights or select long-haul international flights. You will only pay the fare difference when changing flights.

The one exception is Basic Economy tickets. Basic Economy fares bought on or after April 1, 2021, for travel originating in the U.S. cannot be changed or canceled unless a travel waiver is in place. As of now, there's no travel waiver specifically for the delta or omicron variants.

For more information: See the full American policy .

Delta Air Lines

Delta no longer charges change or cancellation fees on flights within the U.S. or international itineraries starting in the U.S. You're only liable for the fare difference if you change to a more expensive flight. While basic economy tickets usually don't get this flexibility, Delta is temporarily allowing free changes on basic economy tickets for travel through Dec. 31, 2021 .

For more information: See the full Delta policy .

Related: Delta just made basic economy tickets fully flexible once again, but why?

Frontier Airlines

Frontier only offers free itinerary changes when requested 60 days or more before departure. There's a $49 change fee from 59 to seven days from departure ($39 for bookings made through 7/26/21). That climbs to a $79 fee within six days of departure ($59 for bookings made through 7/26/21). You can also get no change fees by purchasing the add-on option called The Works . All of these change fees are in addition to any fare differences.

For more information: See the full Frontier policy .

Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiian has discontinued change fees for all destinations on Main Cabin fares or higher. You're only responsible for paying the fare difference if switching to a more expensive flight. If the airline cancels the flight, you can request a full refund to your original form of payment.

Although new Main Cabin Basic bookings cannot be changed, under the airline's COVID-19 travel waivers, you can make free changes if you purchased your ticket before March 1, 2020, and through April 30, 2021.

For more information: See the full Hawaiian policy .

JetBlue normally doesn't charge change or cancellation fees unless you're booked in Blue Basic. These tickets can be changed or canceled for a $100 to $200 fee, based on the route. However, JetBlue waived these fees for Blue Basic bookings made between Aug. 25 and Oct. 31, 2021.

You'll need to pay the fare difference if switching to a more expensive flight. Also, note that you will be charged a $25 fee if you process your change or cancellation over the phone. Further, same-day changes cost $75 and the fee is waived for Mosaic elite members.

For more information: See the full JetBlue policy .

Southwest Airlines

Southwest has a long-standing policy of not charging change or cancellation fees. While you'll usually have to make up for any difference in fares, there have been some reports of Southwest offering completely free changes if you keep your original routing. Also, note that the credit received for a canceled flight can only be used by the person whose name originally appeared on the ticket. Paid Wanna Get Away tickets must be canceled at least 10 minutes before your scheduled departure time.

For more information: See the full Southwest policy .

Related: How to reprice a Southwest flight when the fare decreases

Spirit Airlines

Spirit has a tiered fee structure for flight changes and cancellations. Changes made 60+ days from departure are free. Then, flights changed or canceled 15 to 59 days from departure are $39, 7 to 14 days are $59 and 0 to 6 days are $79. That said, flights booked before March 31, 2021, can be changed or canceled for free. Spirit elite members are also eligible for free same-day standby to an earlier flight.

Note that if you choose to cancel, the flight credit you will receive will only be valid for six months.

For more information: See the full Spirit policy .

United removed change and cancellation fees for all flights within the U.S. and Puerto Rico, between the U.S. and Mexico and the Caribbean and all international flights departing the U.S. Basic economy tickets are normally excluded from this flexibility.

However, in light of the current climate, United will allow customers to make free changes to basic economy tickets purchased through Dec. 31, 2021. Beyond then, you'll be able to " upgrade " these tickets to standard economy for a nonrefundable fee and then cancel your ticket. Keep in mind that you're liable for any fare difference.

For more information: See the full United policy .

Related: Here's where you can quickly get a COVID-19 PCR test for travel

Hotel change and cancellation policies

Best western.

Individual hotel cancellation policies in place at the time of the reservation will apply.

For more information: See the full Best Western policy .

All new reservations will follow the individual hotel's policy that was in place at the time of booking.

For more information: See the full Choice policy .

Individual hotel cancellation policies in place at the time of the reservation will apply. That said, all hotels offer fully flexible booking options. Most hotels offer rates that give you the flexibility to change or cancel up to 24 hours before your arrival day.

For more information: See the full Hilton policy .

Related: An inside look at how Hilton is cleaning hotel rooms between guests

All reservations booked on or after July 1, 2020, are subject to the cancellation, deposit and/or refund policy disclosed at the time of reservation. Hotels are allowed to adjust their policies during high-demand periods, so you should always review the cancellation policy of the specific property you're looking at before confirming your booking. That said, Hyatt shared that it remains committed to offering rates with flexible cancellation options at all hotels globally.

For more information: See the full Hyatt policy .

For more information: See the full IHG policy .

Marriott Bonvoy

For guests making new reservations for arrival dates on or after Sept. 1, 2021, individual hotel cancellation policies in place at the time of the reservation will apply. Note that changes to reservations are subject to any rate differences.

For more information: See the full Marriott policy .

Related: All of the elite qualification changes you need to know about this year

For stays until Dec. 31, 2021, in any Radisson Hotel Group hotel in Europe, Middle East, Africa, India and Asia Pacific, the most flexible options allow free cancellation or modification of your reservation up to 24 hours before arrival. For other rates and/or promotional offers, you'll need to consult their terms and conditions.

For stays in the U.S., Canada, Caribbean and Latin America, the individual hotel cancellation policies in place at the time of booking will apply.

For more information: See the full Radisson policy .

Wyndham Hotels and Resorts

All new reservations will follow the individual hotel's policy that was in place at the time of booking. While many rates have flexible cancellation policies, some rates are non-cancellable.

Guests who are prohibited from traveling to their booked hotel under applicable law will have their cancellation or change penalties waived on direct bookings.

For more information: See the full Wyndham policy .

Cruise change and cancellation policies

If you cancel a booking for a cruise scheduled during a declared emergency or must cancel your booking because you are prohibited from traveling to the vessel due to a governmental travel restriction, but the cruise is not canceled, you are entitled to a future cruise credit for the amount paid to Carnival. The standard cancellation policy will apply in all other cases, as outlined in the ticket contract for your cruise.

If you, your family members living with you in the same household or traveling companions assigned to the same stateroom cancel a cruise booking due to testing positive for COVID-19 within 14 days of embarkation, you and they are entitled to a future cruise credit for the amount paid to Carnival. You're also eligible for a future cruise credit if you had close contact with a positive or suspected COVID-19 case within 14 days of embarkation and Carnival deems you are unfit to travel.

For more information: See the full Carnival policy .

Related: Here's how to cancel or postpone a cruise due to coronavirus

Celebrity Cruises

You have up to 48 hours before you sail to cancel and receive 100% Future Cruise Credit to use by May 31, 2022, toward any sailing through December 31, 2022, or one year from your original sailing date, whichever is later.

For more information: See the full Celebrity policy .

Crystal Cruises

Crystal is offering waived admin fees and relaxed cancellation schedules for cruises set to depart in 2021. You can cancel up to 60 days before sailing and receive a 100% credit that may be redeemed on any future voyage through the end of 2022. Meanwhile, for cancellations made at least 30 days in advance, you'll get a 75% back for cancellations made 60-31 days in advance, 50% back for cancellations made 30-8 days prior and no refund for cancellations made 7 days in advance or less.

For more information: See the full Crystal Cruises policy.

Disney Cruise Line

For sailings through Dec. 31, 2021, the cancellation fee schedule has been temporarily relaxed from beginning as early as 119 days before sailing to 59 days before sailing for guests booked in non-suite and non-concierge categories. For guests booked in suite and concierge categories, cancellation fees over the deposit amount will temporarily begin 59 days before sailing. Reservations for inside, outside and verandah categories with restrictions remain nonrefundable and nontransferable.

Within 14 days of the sailing, booked guests with COVID-19-related health concerns (symptoms or exposure) can receive a full refund without Disney-imposed cancellation fees or apply their cruise fare toward a future sail date.

For more information: See the full Disney Cruise Line policy .

Related: Will I need a COVID-19 vaccine to cruise? A line-by-line guide

Holland America Line

For bookings made by Sept. 30, 2021 (that depart through Dec. 31, 2021), you can cancel for any reason up to 30 days before departure and automatically receive a future cruise credit. You may cancel up to your sailing date if you, or someone in your immediate travel party, test positive for COVID-19.

For more information: See the full Holland America Line policy .

Lindblad Expeditions

For new bookings made by Sept. 30, 2021 (for departures through March 31, 2022), you can cancel your expedition at least 14 days before departure and receive 100% future travel credit for expedition fare paid to be used on any future 2021 or 2022 expedition.

For more information: See the full Lindblad Expeditions policy .

MSC Cruises

Bookings made through Sept. 30, 2021, for cruises departing through Sept. 30, 2022, can be canceled for a credit up to 48 hours before departure. If you would like to change your cruise plans, you must call the contact center and advise them you would like to take advantage of Total CruiseFlex 48 hours before your cruise by 5 p.m. EST.

For more information: See the full MSC Cruises policy .

Norwegian Cruise Line

For all cruises departing through March 31, 2022, cancel up to 61 days prior for a full refund.

For more information: See the full Norwegian Cruise Line policy .

Princess Cruises

For bookings made through Sept. 30, 2021, for voyages departing through Dec. 31, 2021, you can cancel up to 30 days before you sail and get your cancellation fees back as a future cruise credit. Within 30 days of your sail date, you will receive a future cruise credit for the amount of non-refundable unused services and a refund to the original form of payment for all taxes, fees, port expenses and pre-paid onboard experiences and shore excursions purchased through Princess, if you or your immediate travel party in the same stateroom tests positive for COVID-19.

For more information: See the full Princess Cruises policy .

Quark Expeditions

If you're booked or plan to book Antarctica 2021/2022 or Arctic 2022 by Aug. 31, 2021, you can easily rebook your trip for any reason up to 30 days before your voyage. If you have to cancel due to COVID-19 reasons, you can easily rebook your trip within 29 to one day of the voyage.

If Quark Expeditions cancels a voyage due to COVID restrictions, you have the option to get a cash refund.

For more information: See the full Quark Expeditions policy .

Viking Cruises

Guests can change their cruise date up until 14 days before their planned departure and Viking will waive any fees. This offer covers all Viking reservations made between Dec. 1, 2021 and Dec. 31, 2021, on any 2021 or 2022 voyage.

For more information: See the full Viking Cruises policy .

Virgin Voyages

-You have the most flexibility outside of 120 days prior to your voyage. If you're booking at this time, you have a 7-day grace period to request a full refund on your deposit and any other payments made. Refunds will be issued to your original form of payment. After the grace period -- but still before the 120-day mark -- you get a full refund on any payments, not including your deposit. For your deposit, you will receive a future voyage credit.

Between 119 and 45 days, any funds paid will be converted to a future voyage credit, good to use on any voyage one year from the original voyage start date. Within 44 days of your voyage, all funds paid are final. But you do have the option to send someone else in your place up to 48 hours before your voyage.

For more information: See the full Virgin Voyages policy.

Windstar Cruises

Travelers who cancel a 2021 cruise booking at least 48 hours before departure will receive a future cruise credit in the amount of the cancellation fees collected, excluding fees collected for air, transportation, and hotels. All future cruise credits must be used within 24 months of issuance on another Windstar departure.

For more information: See the full Windstar Cruises policy .

Train change and cancellation policies

Amtrak is waiving all change fees for reservations made by April 30, 2022, including reservations made with points. It is also removing some restrictions on Multi-Ride tickets on the Northeast Corridor through that date. Changes to reservations can easily be made directly through Amtrak's website or app.

For more information: See the full Amtrak policy .

Things to keep in mind

Why you might want to wait to change or cancel your flight or cruise.

In most cases, when you voluntarily change or cancel a flight or cruise, you'll receive a credit for future use with the company — not a refund. However, if the company ends up canceling your flight or cruise or making a schedule change, then you are entitled to your money back. Airlines typically wait until the last minute to process flight cancellations, so it could pay for you to also wait until the last minute to make any changes.

You can cancel bookings made through travel portals

Travel portals such as American Express Travel , Chase Ultimate Rewards , Citi ThankYou Travel Center and Capital One Travel let you make changes to your bookings per the policies of the individual airline, hotel or car rental agency. If you're eligible for a refund, you'll typically be refunded in your original form of payment. This means that if you paid with points, you should be credited back with points. That said, data points have suggested this isn't always the case. Your best bet would be to call in before canceling and confirming how your refund will be issued before canceling.

Pay with a credit card that offers trip protection

Several of the top travel rewards credit cards come with travel insurance benefits, including trip cancellation and interruption protection . This can help you get your money back for nonrefundable travel expenses when you need to cancel a trip for a covered reason (though many pandemic-related reasons are excluded). Cards that offer trip cancellation and interruption benefits include the Chase Sapphire Reserve, Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and The Platinum Card® from American Express.

Additional reporting by Benét J. Wilson

May 24, 2024

Singapore Airlines Turbulence: Why Climate Change Is Making Flights Rougher

Warming temperatures are likely to mean that more of your plane ride will have rocky conditions, creating potentially dangerous situations

By Carissa Wong & Nature magazine

Valeria Mongelli/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Severe turbulence on a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore has left a 73-year-old man dead and injured more than 70 people. The incident, although rare, is raising questions about what caused such a serious disruption to the flight — and whether climate change will make the strength and frequency of turbulence on planes worse.

The plane, which departed on 20 May, experienced a sudden drop of around more than 1,800 metres that launched people and objects towards the cabin roof. It is the airline’s first fatal incident in 24 years.

“Severe turbulence is the one that turns you into a projectile,” says atmospheric researcher Paul Williams at Reading University, UK. “For anyone not wearing a seatbelt it would have been a bit like being on a rollercoaster without any restraint in place — it would have been terrifying,” he says.

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Nature looks at the science of air turbulence and how climate change will influence it.

What causes turbulence in aeroplanes?

Most flights experience some level of turbulence. Near the ground, strong winds around the airport can cause turbulence as planes take off or land. At higher altitudes, up- and downwards flows of air in storm clouds can cause mild to severe turbulence as planes fly through or near them. “Nobody likes flying through a storm,” says Williams.

Air flows that move upwards over mountain ranges can also create turbulence. “As the air blows over the mountain, the plane gets lifted up and can become turbulent,” says Williams. Moreover, turbulence often occurs on the edges of jet streams, which are strong air currents that circle the globe. Any turbulence that occurs outside of clouds is called “clear air” turbulence. It could take weeks to establish what kind of turbulence caused the Singapore Airlines incident, says Williams. “Provisionally, there was a storm nearby, but also the conditions were right for clear air turbulence — we need to do some more digging before we can say,” he says.

Is climate change making turbulence worse and more frequent?

Climate change is making turbulence more frequent and severe, says atmospheric researcher Jung-Hoon Kim at Seoul National University.

In a study published last year, Williams and his colleagues found large increases in clear-air turbulence between 1979 and 2020. Over the North Atlantic, severe clear-air turbulence — which is stronger than Earth’s gravity — became 55% more frequent. There were similar increases in turbulence all over the world, he says. The increase is almost certainly the result of climate change, which is strengthening the jet streams that cause turbulence, says Williams. “We already know it’s having an impact,” he says.

In another study, Williams and his colleagues used a climate model to predict that clear-air turbulence would become more severe and frequent as the climate warms. The researchers estimated that severe turbulence would increase in frequency more than light or moderate levels of turbulence. In line with this, Kim and his colleagues found that clear-air turbulence around clouds and mountains would become more frequent with climate change, in a study published last year.

Despite the probable rise in turbulence, most flights will carry on as they do now — with light or mild turbulence, says Williams. “It is not that we’ll have to stop flying, or planes will start falling out of the sky,” says Williams. “I’m just saying that for every 10 minutes, you’ve spent in severe turbulence in the past, it could be 20 or 30 minutes in the future,” says Williams.

Can we predict and prevent bad turbulence?

Pilots use turbulence projections to plan flight paths. Researchers at weather centres can predict turbulence based on data collected from ground-based sensors and satellites and communicate predictions to pilots. On the plane, pilots use radar to identify storm clouds to avoid. This relies on radiowaves being sent out from the aircraft, which are then reflected back towards sensors that map out the surrounding area.

But radar cannot detect cloudless clear air turbulence. Another technology called LiDAR could help, says Williams. “LiDAR is similar to radar but uses a different wavelength of light,” says Williams, “Unfortunately it’s expensive, and requires a big heavy box, but it can see invisible clear air turbulence.” If the box can be miniaturised and the cost comes down, it could soon be used, he says. “I’ve seen some experimental flights, and you can indeed see clear air turbulence 20 miles, for example, ahead of the aircraft,” he says.

Until then, “I hope that everybody when they travel, please fasten your seat belts,” says Kim.

This article is reproduced with permission and was first published on May 22, 2024 .

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