American Airlines Canceled Your Flight? Here’s How to Get Compensation

Without a doubt, one of the most frustrating travel issues you can encounter is a canceled flight. It throws off your travel itinerary, making you lose time with family, miss that important business meeting, or shorten a well-earned vacation.

Well, carriers like American Airlines have an obligation to their customers. And when your flight is canceled, you are entitled to certain services and amenities, depending on the reason for cancellation. 

What American Airlines Owes You for a Cancellation

When American Airlines cancels a flight for reasons within their control, it’s written into their own fine print that they owe you compensation for meals and accommodations, and/or a refund.

Rebooking and other services

When your American Airlines flight is canceled, the airline says they will rebook you for free on the next available flight. They promise to keep you in the same cabin or class, too.

The airline has committed to working with their partner airlines to get you where you need to go, so if there are no available American flights, they may book you with a different carrier. 

Vouchers

If you’re stuck waiting for a new flight for over 3 hours, American Airlines says you are entitled to a food voucher to cover a reasonable meal within the airport. 

Complimentary accommodations

If your rescheduled flight doesn’t board before midnight of your travel day and you’re away from home, American Airlines says they will provide complimentary overnight accommodations. This includes associated ground transportation. 

If there are no rooms available in American’s partner hotels, you can get written authorization for reimbursement on a room you book yourself. Just keep your receipt, and don’t book the fancy penthouse suite!

Refunds

Refunds are available for your unused ticket if you opt not to accept a new flight from the airline, essentially canceling your trip. 

But if you accept any forms of compensation (meal voucher, overnight accommodations) from the airline, you are not eligible for a refund. 

Understanding Your Rights when American Airlines Cancels Your Flight

Not all cancellations are created equally, and your rights to every form of compensation don’t apply to all categories of cancellations. 

What makes an eligible cancellation

For you to be eligible for meal vouchers and complimentary accommodations, your flight has to be canceled for reasons within the airline's control. This includes crew delays, mechanical issues, and fueling or baggage problems.

Other cancelations occur because of uncontrollable factors, and the airline is not responsible for providing you the same care in those circumstances. 

You are not eligible for vouchers when your flight is canceled due to:

• Extreme weather
• Security issues
• Medical emergencies
• Air traffic control problems

However, a regulation from the Department of Transportation entitles passengers to a full refund if their flight has been canceled, regardless of the reason, if the passenger chooses not to continue their trip. 

So, if your flight was canceled because of an extreme snowstorm and you decide not to take the rebooking, American Airlines owes you a full refund! 

How the Department of Transportation fits in

Within the last few years, the Department of Transportation has improved its process for holding airlines accountable when they don’t treat customers right.

Technically, the DOT actually doesn’t have any of their own specific requirements for airlines related to customer care during travel interruptions, besides the refund regulation. 

However, the DOT does enforce the promises that airlines have made to their customers, which are specific and include amenities and services for customers experiencing controllable cancellations.

The DOT has created an Airline Cancellation and Delay Dashboard that details what each airline has committed to providing for customers in the instance of flight delays and cancellations. 

I highly recommend you check it out and have it handy whenever you’re flying — it’s a fantastic resource!

If American Airlines doesn’t offer you all the services they’ve promised they will, you can file a complaint with the DOT, which will ensure you receive your compensation. 

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Claiming Compensation

When you know your rights, you’ll be able to advocate for yourself and claim all the compensation you’re due!

Rebook like a pro

American Airlines should automatically rebook you for the next available flight. But you can manage your booking yourself on the American Airlines website or app, or talk with the gate agent if the rescheduled flight won’t work for you. 

If you’re hoping to get on a different flight with a carrier other than American, the gate agent should be able to book it for you since you won’t be able to. 

Documentation is your best friend

It’s always a good idea to keep receipts in a circumstance like this. If the airline can’t offer you a meal voucher once you’ve been waiting 3 hours on a controllable cancellation, they need to reimburse you for a meal. 

The American Airlines website doesn’t have a form to submit, so ask the gate agent how you’ll be reimbursed when you speak to them about a meal voucher.

Communicate with the gate agent

If you have any questions or issues with your canceled reservation, the gate agent should be able to help you. 

They’re also the ones who will be supplying vouchers and booking hotel rooms for stranded passengers, so make sure they know what you need — and that you know what you’re entitled to!

Other Compensation Options

Travel insurance policies and credit card benefits can both provide compensation when your flight gets canceled — and in most cases, it’s more generous than what airlines provide.

Travel insurance

If your flight gets interrupted for any reason, your travel insurance policy can provide additional compensation, like a larger meal budget or lounge access. You’ll also receive booking support to get you back en route ASAP. 

Your accommodations and other prepaid activities are also reimbursable. So, if you ended up stuck somewhere overnight because your connection was canceled, you wouldn’t be out money for the suite and dinner reservation you booked at your destination.

READ MORE: Which Situations Are Covered by Trip Cancellation Insurance?

Credit card benefits

Lots of top credit cards come with travel insurance as a benefit. So, if you used that credit card to book the trip, you might already be covered. 

For example, if you booked your flight with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, you could receive up to $500 in compensation per ticket if it takes longer than 6-12 hours for the airline to book you on a new flight.

If your trip is totally canceled (say, if bad weather or a strike means no flights are available at all and you need to forfeit the whole thing), you could get up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip to cover any prepaid, nonrefundable costs. 

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TL;DR: How To Get American Airlines Flight Cancellation Compensation

American Airlines owes you a new flight if yours has been canceled. And if the cancellation was their fault, they need to take care of you! 

If you’re waiting over 3 hours for a new flight, you are entitled to a free meal. And if the delay means you’re stuck overnight, they need to provide you with a hotel room and the associated ground transportation.

You can turn a travel disaster into, well, less of a travel disaster when you know what you’re entitled to. Knowledge is your greatest travel companion!

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Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.