American Airlines has been quietly making changes in the last year. In Dec. 2025, the Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier cut AAdvantage mileage and Loyalty Points tracking from its cheapest fares. Then, in May, the airline stopped allowing elite status members to select a seat for free and options to upgrade when they purchase a basic economy ticket.
Now, on July 29, the airline made a quiet change that affects travelers seeking refunds for last-minute tickets. American Airlines has had a longstanding policy allowing travelers to cancel a ticket within 24 hours of booking for a full refund; however, the airline has changed that rule, limiting passengers’ eligibility for a refund.
American Airlines Makes Change To Refund Policy For Last-Minute Tickets
American Airlines, like all U.S. carriers, is legally required to offer a refund if a traveler cancels their ticket within 24 hours of booking. However, American Airlines quietly updated the eligibility requirement on its website. Now, the flight must be scheduled at least seven days before the purchase date.
“You have 24 hours from the time you first buy your ticket for a refund if you booked at least 7 days before departure,” American Airlines states.
This rule change effectively ends travelers’ option to cancel a last-minute flight for a full refund. This 24-hour rule applies to those labeled as non-refundable. Previously, American Airlines allowed travelers to cancel for a refund if their flight was within two days. American had the previous rule for around nine years before this change.
In 2017, the airline moved away from the legally mandated seven-day window to two days.
Now, the airline is back to following that legal minimum.
American Airlines confirmed the new seven-day minimum in a statement and added that it has implemented new refund technology for passengers required to change seats to a different cabin.
“American Airlines strives to provide every customer with the travel experience they’ve selected. In the rare instances where operational needs require a change in cabin, we have implemented new technology that refunds customers for the difference between the original fare and the fare for the cabin flown on the affected flight. We also offer customers the ability to get a full refund if they purchase a ticket within 24 hours and booked at least 7 days before departure,” the airline said in a statement to TheTravel.
The airline also affirmed that it continues to offer passengers the option to put a trip on hold for free for 24 hours.
Information On Legal Requirement For Refunds And A Recent Refund Incident
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) requires all U.S. airlines to offer travelers a 24-hour window to cancel their booking for a full refund, provided the reservation is made at least seven days before departure.
Not all airlines follow this rule to a T, however.
Delta Air Lines is known for its generous cancellation window that allows customers to cancel their flight for a full refund even if the departure is on the same day as booking.
This change comes on the heels of two recent incidents in which American Airlines passengers struggled to secure refunds for flights they did not take.
American Airlines customer Jim Schuette told TheTravel about an April trip for which he has yet to receive a refund. The trip was to attend his first cousin’s funeral, which was scheduled to depart at 7:20 p.m. on April 23, connect through Chicago, and arrive in Milwaukee at roughly 10:20 p.m.
When he and his wife arrived at the airport, American Airlines texted him that his flight was delayed. The carrier rebooked their connecting flight, but it meant they would arrive the next day. However, they had already booked a nonrefundable hotel room and car rental in Milwaukee, so they decided to purchase far more expensive Delta Air Lines first-class tickets to arrive in Wisconsin that day.
He asked the American Airlines agent to cancel their tickets for a refund. The agent then told the couple that it typically takes between seven and ten business days for the refund to be processed.
Another Incident Of American Airlines Travelers Struggling To Get A Refund
He told TheTravel that he contacted both the airline and Citibank when he didn’t receive his refund, and Citibank told him that the airline had claimed that “services/merchandise was completed,” despite never going on the flight.
“I have still not received a meaningful response. At this point, I am still trying to obtain a refund for tickets that were never used and to understand how American Airlines concluded that I had traveled on a flight I did not take,” Schuette said.
Another traveler shared their trouble with trying to get a refund for an American Airlines flight they did not take.
In a Reddit post, a couple’s original American Airlines itinerary was from Tel Aviv, Israel to San Diego. They said they paid $1,232.80 per person for fully refundable round-trip tickets — $2,465.60 total.
The return flight to Tel Aviv was canceled, however, due to the conflict in the country. They said American Airlines offered them a free rebooking to fly back to California from Cairo. The couple tried to get an earlier flight, but the carrier said the booking was no longer in the system and offered a replacement flight from their original departure city, Tel Aviv.
The couple decided to purchase tickets from another airline to fly out of Cairo. American Airlines issued only $252.15 per ticket, according to the traveler; it also refused to pay for the last-minute replacement flights. Meaning the couple was out $504.30 for the unused leg plus however much the additional Cairo flight cost.
These incidents highlight how challenging it can be to secure a refund for an unused flight, and American Airlines’ new rule change adds yet another hurdle.
