Claim Compensation for American Airlines Canceled Flights

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American Airlines canceled flight compensation

If you’re reading this right now, you probably feel like your vacation has been ruined.

Don't worryit doesn't have to be all that bad. Cancelations happen, you just need to deal with them productively.

For many people, traveling is the only way to spend a vacation. For some, it’s a chore. They have to put up with it because of work, family, and so on, but they’d much rather stay at home.

It's difficult to say which of the two types of people dislike flight cancelations or delays more. Is it worse to cancel or delay something you're looking forward to, or to delay something unpleasant you know you'll have to do eventually?

No matter your attitude to travel, you're bound to get more than a little annoyed with cancelations and delays. You may roll with it, or you might decide to ask for a refund. If you feel like you deserve compensation for the long hours spent at the airport, the devastation of your plans, or just your bad mood, here’s what you need to know.

How to get a refund for a canceled/delayed flight with American Airlines

You can get refunded if the plane arrives at your destination three or more hours too late, or if the flight has been canceled with less than 14 days' prior notice. This is not set in stone, though — there are always conditions such as bad weather, which can't be influenced by the airline. In those cases, the airline is not liable for the delay of the flight, and it is not obliged to reimburse you.

If there are grounds for asking for compensation, this is what you’ll need to do.

Find airline agents at the airport. Make sure you know exactly what your rights are in that particular case, and ask about the procedure for filing your claim.

Carefully collect all the necessary info — your flight details, the check-in details, and so on — and take it to the claims department of American Airlines. They might still refuse to give you a refund. They are not required to do so by the law, and they’ll likely try to offer to rebook you on the next flight to your destination with available seats. If a later flight is an unacceptable option for you because the delay of cancelation has caused irreparable damage to your plans or opportunities, you can take the matter to small claims court.

Of course, this is an entirely dull and unpleasant process. If you want to go through it by yourself, be ready for difficulties at every step – the airline will not gladly compensate for your discomfort.

How to get reimbursed for a canceled/delayed flight with DoNotPay

Find out just how simple it is to get compensated for delayed or canceled flights.

If you’d prefer to avoid all the hassle, there’s a much easier way to go about it. DoNotPay can do a good portion of work for you, and save you a lot of time and effort. The only thing you have to do is have a quick chat with the chatbot, and you’re done.

Here’s what you need to do:

  1. Open the app in .
  2. Choose "Customer Service Issues."
  3. Write "American Airlines."
  4. Choose "Fight the issue for me."
  5. Answer a few quick questions about your flight and put in the desired sum of reimbursement.
  6. Submit your email address.

It takes you a few minutes, and you're free as a bird, while the app fights your battle. It will provide feedback in 48 hours, and you'll know whether the claim was successful.

As said before, airlines won’t look forward to compensating their passengers, even if the delay or cancellation is entirely their fault. Your claim could be rejected anyway.

If that’s the case, DoNotPay can help you sue the company in a small claims court. The app will do all the legwork for you. With little to no effort and time spent on the problem, you’ll have a detailed demand letter and all the necessary documentation, which you can use to present your case.

About American Airlines

American Airlines started almost 100 years ago — on April 15, 1926. In the beginning, they only worked as mail-carriers, and later they developed into what we know them as today. In 2013, the American Airlines Group was formed by combining AMR Corporation and U.S. Airways Group. In 2015, they flew for the first time with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and in 2019, their last MD-80 aircraft retired after long 36 years of service.

  • Headquarters: 1 Skyview Drive, Fort Worth, TX 76155
  • Bases:
  1. LaGuardia Airport
  2. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
  3. Los Angeles International Airport
  4. O'Hare International Airport
  5. Philadelphia International Airport
  6. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
  7. Charlotte Douglas International Airport
  8. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
  9. John F. Kennedy International Airport
  10. Miami International Airport
  • Fleet Size: 945 in service, 229 on order
  • Average Fleet Age: 11.1 years

American Airlines compensation policy for overbooked flights

Overbooked flights are a relatively common phenomenon with virtually every airline. The airlines sometimes sell the same seat twice to capitalize on the no-shows. While this practice is undoubtedly morally debatable, it's not prohibited by the law, so you should be prepared to face this issue should it arise.

The airline will probably ask you nicely to give up your seat. They'll compensate for that in some way. They can reduce the price of the ticket, or they could offer any other kind of compensation. If that is worth it to you more than getting to your destination in time, you'll probably accept it.

Word of caution here: before you accept a later flight, ask for details. If they have a later flight that’s not fully booked, it’s okay — you'll wait for some time and then go on your way. If they offer to put you on standby for a fully booked flight, you might be in for a very long wait.

They should also offer free food and drinks, as well as an opportunity to make phone calls free of charge. Otherwise, you’d probably need to spend extra money while you wait for the next flight.

If you don’t want to wait for the next flight, the airline can still force you to do so. In that case, they have an obligation to provide you with a written statement outlining your rights, and they have to compensate you for your troubles.

There’s a catch, though — you mustn’t be late for the check-in, or you won’t qualify for reimbursement.

If you miss a connecting flight because you were bumped on your first one, it requires additional compensation. In essence, they need to make every effort to get you to your destination in as little time as possible. American Airlines will generally offer to reroute you to your final destination if that's possible. Alternatively, they will try to rebook your flight for a later date or compensate for your ticket and give you a return ticket in case you're at the second airport, and you've missed your connecting flight already.

American Airlines compensation policy for canceled flights

If your flight was canceled and you were not notified at least two weeks in advance, you are entitled to compensation.

The company’s first attempt at solving the issue is always to put you on the next flight to your destination. If you need to catch a connecting flight and you’re about to miss it, American Airlines should offer to find you a place to stay overnight, provided you can’t reach your final destination by 11:59 pm.

If the cancelation was caused by factors over which the airline has no control, they won’t arrange a place to stay for you, but they should provide assistance in finding suitable accommodation.

If you don’t want to wait for the next flight, though, you can ask for a refund for your ticket.

American Airlines compensation policy for delays

If the plane is delayed, American Airlines will go through every effort to make you comfortable while you wait. They will provide food, drinks, bathroom, and basic medical assistance, if need be.

If your flight arrives at its destination more than three hours late, you are entitled to delay compensation or a refund for your ticket.

American Airlines codeshare partners

American Airlines codeshares with the following airlines:

  1. Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air
  2. Iberia
  3. Fiji Airways
  4. Etihad Airways
  5. Finnair
  6. China Southern Airlines
  7. Royal Jordanian Airlines
  8. Malaysia Airlines
  9. SriLankan Airlines
  10. Qatar Airways
  11. Hawaiian Airlines
  12. Qantas
  13. Seaborne Virgin Islands
  14. S7 Airlines
  15. Cape Air
  16. Cathay Pacific
  17. Japan Airlines
  18. LATAM Airlines
  19. Air Tahiti Nui
  20. Interjet
  21. British Airways

American Airlines flight destinations

American Airlines flies to over 150 domestic and international destinations.

Domestic Flights
AlaskaAnchorage, Fairbanks
ArizonaPhoenix, Tucson
ArkansasBentonville
CaliforniaSanta Ana, Santa Barbara, Palm Springs, Ontario, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Diego, Burbank, Los Angeles, Oakland, Fresno, San Jose
ColoradoColorado Springs, Denver, Hayden, Montrose, Vail
ConnecticutHartford
ColumbiaWashington, D.C.
FloridaFort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, Sarasota, Pensacola, Tampa, West Palm Beach
GeorgiaAtlanta
HawaiiHonolulu, Kahului, Kailua-Kona, Lihue
IdahoBoise
IllinoisChicago
IndianaIndianapolis
IowaDes Moines
KansasWichita
KentuckyLouisville
LouisianaBaton Rouge, New Orleans
MainePortland
MarylandBaltimore
MassachusettsBoston, Worcester
MichiganDetroit
MinnesotaMinneapolis
MissouriKansas City, St. Louis
MontanaBozeman, Missoula
NebraskaOmaha
NevadaLas Vegas, Reno
New JerseyNewark
New MexicoAlbuquerque, Santa Fe
New YorkAlbany, Buffalo, New York City, Rochester, Syracuse
North CarolinaCharlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh, Wilmington
North DakotaBismarck, Fargo
OhioAkron, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Toledo
OklahomaOklahoma City, Tulsa
OregonPortland, Redmond
PennsylvaniaHarrisburg, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh
Puerto RicoSan Juan
Rhode IslandProvidence
TennesseeKnoxville, Memphis, Nashville
TexasAustin, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, San Antonio
UtahSalt Lake City
U.S. Virgin IslandsSaint Croix, Saint Thomas
VirginiaNorfolk, Richmond
WashingtonSeattle, Spokane
WisconsinMilwaukee
WyomingJackson

International Flights
CountryCity
Antigua and BarbudaSaint John’s
ArgentinaBuenos Aires, Córdoba
ArubaOranjestad
AustraliaSydney
BahamasNassau, Freeport
BarbadosBridgetown
BelgiumBrussels
BelizeBelize City
BermudaSt. George’s Parish
BonaireKralendijk
BrazilBrasilia, Manaus, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo
CanadaCalgary, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal
Cayman IslandsGeorge Town
ChileSantiago de Chile
ChinaBeijing, Shanghai
ColombiaBarranquilla, Bogota, Cali, Cartagena, Medellin, Pereira
Costa RicaLiberia, San Jose
CroatiaDubrovnik
CubaHavana
CuracaoWillemstad
Czech RepublicPrague
Dominican RepublicPuerto Plata, Punta Cana, Santiago de los Caballeros, Santo Domingo
EcuadorGuayaquil, Quito
El SalvadorSan Salvador
FranceParis
GermanyBerlin, Frankfurt, Munich
GuadeloupePointe-à-Pitre
GreeceAthens
GrenadaSt George’s
GuyanaGeorgetown
HaitiCap-Haïtien, Port-au-Prince
HondurasRoatán, San Pedro Sula, Tegucigalpa
HungaryBudapest
IcelandReykjavik
IndiaBangalore
IrelandDublin, Shannon
IsraelTel Aviv
ItalyRome, Venice, Bologna, Milan
JamaicaKingston, Montego Bay
JapanTokyo
MartiniqueFort-de-France
MexicoSan José del Cabo, Mexico, Zihuatanejo, Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, Oaxaca, Cancún, Cozumel
MoroccoCasablanca
NetherlandsAmsterdam
New ZealandAuckland, Christchurch
NicaraguaManagua
PanamaPanama City
PeruLima
PolandKrakow
PortugalLisbon
Saint Kitts and NevisBasseterre
Saint LuciaVieux Fort
Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesKingstown
Sint MaartenPhilipsburg
South KoreaSeoul
SpainBarcelona, Madrid
SwitzerlandZürich
Trinidad and TobagoPort of Spain
Turks and Caicos IslandsProvidenciales
United KingdomLondon (Gatwick, Heathrow), Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow

How to get in touch with American Airlines customer service with DoNotPay?

If you need to get in touch with American Airlines customer service, you can use DoNotPay to make it easier.

If you feel more comfortable talking to a customer service rep over the phone, you can use the app to get through the troublesome phone queues. All you need to do is access the app from , choose American Airlines, confirm the call, and continue with your life.

The app continues to work somewhere in the background and notifies you once your call has gone through. Using DoNotPay helps you save a lot of time, and be much more productive without having to wait for hours for someone to answer your call.

Other ways to reach American Airlines customer service

If you’d prefer to do things in a more traditional way, you can always contact America Airlines through regular customer service, their website, or social media.

Here is the basic contact info:

If you opt for this route, make sure you keep a cool head, and arm yourself with tons of patience — you’re going to need it.

DoNotPay can do other stuff too!

Getting your flight compensation is not the only thing DoNotPay can do. Let us help you with your other concerns, such as:

Using the app makes everything much more convenient, so don't hesitate to try it out!

Final thoughts

Cancelations and delays are uncomfortable and annoying, but they sometimes happen. If you're flying at the peak of the season, these issues are more common. If you want to ask for a refund or compensation, you can do it — and with DoNotPay, it’s no hassle at all!

Want your issue solved now?