Sometimes things happen that are out of our control and can affect our travel plans. The flight cancellation process can be expensive and complicated.

If you booked your flight with American Airlines and need to cancel, Cancel American Airlines Flight Tickets, you're in the right place! Here's all the information you need to navigate their cancellation policy and determine which policies apply to your situation.

Cancellation Policies Due to COVID-19
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, you can now make unlimited changes to your trip and the change fee will be waived (you are only responsible for paying the fare difference). You can cancel your trip online and rebook at a later date, except Basic Economy.

American also waived all change fees for First Cabin, Business, Premium Economy and Main Cabin (excluding Basic Economy) tickets on short-haul domestic and international flights for tickets issued on or after August 31, 2020 and for all flights. international long distance flights originating anywhere in the world for tickets issued on or after November 19, 2020 (see full policy).

If you booked through a third party, please check with your booking provider for their policies.

Effective November 11, 2020, American Airlines has waived all cancellation, change, and redeposit fees on award tickets.

How to cancel American Airlines flights free of charge?
American Airlines' cancellation policy is governed by the type of airfare you book when reserving your seat. The more expensive your flight ticket is, the more flexibility you will experience in modifying your reservation. One important thing to keep in mind when asking for American Airlines flight cancellation policy is that American Airlines has three types of tickets: refundable, non-refundable, and partially refundable. If your ticket is non-refundable, AA has every right to deny your request for cancellation or rebooking.

American Airlines Cancellation Policy for Basic Economy Class
Canceling your reserved air ticket is now easy. A passenger can cancel their flight through the airline's website simply by following these simple rules:

Visit the American Airlines website and click on the Your Trip or Check-in option on the screen. Enter your name and record locator. If you are logged in to the website, your trip details will automatically appear on the screen.

In the popup window, choose your trip from the flight lists and choose 'view/select'. There are two options: change a trip and cancel a trip. Simply click the required option and the airline will guide you step by step to change or cancel your flight based on American Airlines' basic economy cancellation policy.

American Airlines Cancellation Fee
As mentioned, an American Airlines refundable ticket is when you book and want to cancel your AA flight for any reason at no cost. However, AA will charge USD 150 to cancel your reservation. An American Airlines non-refundable cancellation policy is when you book a ticket. The airline is willing to change or cancel it for cases such as a death in the family or health problems at no cost. According to the American cancellation policy, a partially refundable ticket is when you book and cannot board the flight on the departure date. AA charges USD 50 for cancellations more than 7-10 days before travel.

American Airlines cancellation policy 24 hours
American Airlines is very flexible in its policies, and many customers have found the rules favorable and easy to follow when making flight cancellations, refunds, or changes. However, each rule must be followed step by step. Canceling your AA airline ticket within 24 hours is the rule of thumb in this category. You can get a full refund of your reserved airfare only if you follow American Airlines' 24-hour cancellation policy. The refund amount will be reflected in your account within 7-10 business days. However, if the cancellation time exceeds 24 hours, there are a few options regarding the cancellation fee.

Basic Economy: no cancellation fees on domestic or international flights
Tourist: USD 200 charge for all domestic or international flights
Premium Economy: USD 200 fee for all domestic and international flights
Business Class - Zero charges for all domestic and international flights
First class: zero fees for all domestic and international flights
Reward Tickets: Zero Fees for all domestic and international flights

American Airlines Ticket Cancellation Policy
American Airlines cancellation policy differs from booked airfare: economy, basic economy and economy class. For AA basic economy class, the ticket cancellation and refund policies are applicable only for 24 hours from the airline ticket reservation. After the 24 hour period is exceeded, no cancellation fee is allowed.

Per American Airlines cancellation policy for economy, canceling your tickets within 24 hours encourages a full refund. Economy fares are slightly higher than basic economy tickets. Still, according to the rules, tickets beyond 24 hours from AA will invite a charge of USD 200 according to the cancellation policy. The airline will refund the remaining amount to the customer's account.

American Airlines' main cabin cancellation policy allows you to change or cancel your reservation at any time. Still, if you need changes or cancellations, you must take immediate action at least 24 hours before the flight takes off. If you are unable to cancel your reservation within 24 hours, a fee will be charged. Reservation cancellation made for Main Cabin is USD 200. The fee applies if you change or cancel your American Airlines reservations after 24 hours.