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What to Do When American Airlines Delays Your Flight
American stands out for offering actual refunds on flights delayed by more than four hours, with some restrictions.
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when you click to or take an action on their website, but this does not
influence our evaluations or ratings. Our opinions are our own.
Updated · 4 min read
How is this page expert verified?
NerdWallet's content is fact-checked for accuracy, timeliness and
relevance. It undergoes a thorough review process involving writers and
editors to ensure the information is as clear and complete as possible.
Alisha is a freelance writer and photographer. She is the creator of travel and adventure site Terradrift.com and has written about travel and rewards for many publications, including American Way and Johnny Jet.
Meghan Coyle is an editor on the Travel Rewards team and the co-host of the Smart Travel podcast. She covers travel credit cards, airline and hotel loyalty programs, and how to travel on points. Meghan is based in Los Angeles and has a love-hate relationship with LAX.
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If you're delayed on an American Airlines flight, you're in good company. American was one of the least reliable airlines NerdWallet surveyed in 2024, with almost a quarter of its flights delayed in the time frame we looked at. But the good news is, you might be able to get paid for your trouble.
What American considers a flight delay
Delays caused by American Airlines
If the disruption is the airline's fault or you're diverted to another city, your expenses may be covered. Diversion assistance is contingent on whether you board your next flight before 11:59 p.m. local time on your scheduled arrival day. If you board after midnight, the airline will pay for your overnight stay at an approved hotel.
Delays beyond the airline's control
If the delay is outside of American's control, like weather, a strike or other civil disorder, passengers are responsible for covering the costs of lodging, meals and other expenses.
Tarmac delays
For domestic flights, the airline will not keep passengers on a plane for longer than three hours on the tarmac. International flights, meanwhile, have a four-hour time cap.
In either scenario, the airline promises passengers will have adequate food (such as crackers or biscuits) and water within two hours after the aircraft leaves the gate (for departures) or touches down (for arrivals).
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What to do if your American Airlines flight is delayed
Things can go wrong from time to time, whether it’s due to poor weather conditions, overbooked flights or airline worker strikes. So if you’ve just gotten word that your flight has been delayed, don’t panic.
Search for alternatives using technology
If there’s a severe enough delay that your flight needs to be changed, American will rebook you on the next flight with available seats and reroute your bags, too, once you check in for your new flight.
But rushing to the nearest help desk in a fluster and bombarding airline employees won’t help your situation. Instead, try to stay calm, and if your flight is delayed by more than a reasonable amount of time, use the American Airlines app, website or an airline kiosk to see if there is an earlier flight available that you can switch to.
The app will allow you to view trip changes and updates, and the website will let you see flight changes and accept airline-proposed itineraries. Both tools allow you to schedule a new flight if necessary.
Nerdy Perspective
I've encountered a few delays in flying American Airlines for the past 10 years, but I've been able to rebook quickly through the app, which was way faster than waiting to talk to a gate agent.
Meghan Coyle
Assistant Assigning Editor
Head to a lounge
If your flight is delayed by a few hours, consider using an airport lounge benefit from your credit card, ticket class or other membership. You’ll be able to relax in comfort, often with snacks and beverages, until it’s time to fly.
Even if you don't have airport lounge access, several American Airlines lounges are accessible by purchasing a day pass.
Select Admirals Clubs offer day passes for $79 or 7,900 AAdvantage miles.
Flagship Lounges offer day passes for $150 or 15,000 AAdvantage miles per person.
If your flight is delayed by more than three hours (domestic) or four hours (international), and you don’t accept the alternate flight options available from American (or if there weren’t any available), the airline will refund any remaining ticket value plus optional fees like seat selection or baggage fees.
This is not just a credit or flight voucher — it’s an actual refund. So make sure to ask for it if the airline offers a credit or miles in exchange for the inconvenience. American made these changes in October 2024 to comply with Department of Transportation (DOT) guidelines, which stipulated three hours for domestic flights and six hours for international flights. American lowered the requirement to three, but kept its original four-hour delay window for international flights, which is more generous than what DOT stipulates.
Request a room
If the airline is at fault for the delay and your flight doesn’t board before 11:59 p.m. local time on your scheduled arrival day, American may be able to cover the cost of an overnight stay.
🤓Nerdy Tip
If you decide to book a room yourself and only follow up with the airline afterward, it’s unlikely they’ll reimburse you.
It’s best to go to the nearest help desk to figure out your options and receive authorization from American. Just know that if the delay is due to weather, you’re likely on your own.
Avoiding potential delays is always preferable, so do some research and make the right calls ahead of time to mitigate your risk. You may be able to avoid delays entirely by booking using these tips.
Research delays to and from your destination
With tools like the website FlightAware, which offers a platform for searching various flights and route trends around the country, you can look up how often flight delays occur based on airline, airport and more. The website’s MiseryMap offers a color-coded display of the worst offending airports and routes over the last two days.
If trends don’t look good from your preferred airport, consider booking from a different one nearby. Or if flights get backed up regularly at a certain time of day, avoid that flight window.
Get travel insurance ahead of your trip
While travel insurance can’t ensure your flight departs or arrives on time, it can offer peace of mind and cover costs for things like an extra night in a hotel room if your flight gets canceled or significantly delayed.
You can purchase a travel insurance policy directly through an insurance agency or by using an insurance comparison tool. These aggregators help you quickly shop options from various travel insurance providers. You must purchase your coverage at least one day before your trip — you can't buy it at the airport.
Earlier flights are less likely to be delayed. The reason is simple: Once a few flight schedules get thrown off, be it by midmorning or late afternoon, they have the potential to create a domino effect, delaying more flights for the rest of the day. Choose early morning flights for the best chance at arriving on time.
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