How to get a refund from American Airlines
If American cancels your flight or changes it significantly and you choose not to rebook, you are owed a prompt refund of the fare, taxes and fees, requested through its online refund form. Otherwise cash refunds on non-refundable tickets are limited to the 24-hour window and a few special cases.
Checked against American Airlines's own help pages on October 24, 2026.
Official ways to reach American Airlines
Request a refund
Listed on aa.com/web/i18n/customer-service/contact-american/receipts-and-refunds.html
Check the status of a refund
Listed on aa.com/web/i18n/customer-service/contact-american/receipts-and-refunds.html
Share feedback (Tell us how we did)
feedback.aa.com/Contact-American
Listed on aa.com/web/i18n/customer-service/contact-american/american-customer-service.html
Reservations, English (U.S. and Canada, 24 hours)
Listed on aa.com/web/i18n/customer-service/contact-american/reservations-and-ticket-changes.html
American says tickets bought from a travel agent or on another website must be refunded by that seller, not by American.
What American Airlines's help pages say about refunds
- If American cancels your flight or makes a significant change (3 hours or more domestic, 4 hours or more international, a different airport, a lower cabin or more connections) and you decide not to rebook, it promptly refunds the fare including taxes and fees, but accepting a rebooking ends your refund right. Source
- Any ticket type can be cancelled for a full refund within 24 hours of first buying it, as long as you booked at least 7 days before departure. Source
- American does not give cash back on non-refundable tickets outside the 24-hour rule, significant disruptions and a few cases such as death or military orders, and cancelling instead earns a Trip Credit or Flight Credit if done before the first flight departs. Source
- Refunds on refundable tickets go back to the original card within 7 business days (showing in 1 to 2 billing cycles), other payment types within 20 days, and requests must be made within 1 year of the ticket issue date. Source
- Cancelling: Cancel your trip on aa.com or in the app before the first flight departs. A non-refundable ticket cancelled on aa.com becomes a Trip Credit, and a ticket not cancelled before departure loses its remaining value. Source
Policies change. Follow the source links for American Airlines's current wording before you rely on a detail.
Write your American Airlines refund request
Paste the receipt or billing email American Airlines sent you. We'll pull out the charge details and write a specific request you can send through any of the routes above, plus a script if you'd rather call.
American Airlines refund questions
Does American Airlines have an email address for refunds?
We didn't find a customer email address on American Airlines's own help pages. Its published routes are request a refund, check the status of a refund, share feedback (tell us how we did), reservations, english (u.s. and canada, 24 hours). Paste your written request into the form or chat so your wording is on record.
How do I contact American Airlines about a charge?
Use the routes above, all taken from American Airlines's own pages, including the phone number 800-433-7300. Have the charge date, amount and your account email ready, and ask for a reference number.
What if American Airlines won't refund me?
Send one follow-up with a short deadline, keeping everything in writing. If you paid by credit card, you can dispute a charge for something not provided as agreed with your card issuer, generally within 60 days of the statement that showed it. Consumer agencies like the FTC or your state attorney general take complaints too.