Can You Cancel an American Airlines Flight Booked with Miles?

Jul 02, 2025

Sometimes, as much as you prepare for a trip, travel plans can change. Whether due to a scheduling mix-up, personal emergency or simply realizing your original itinerary doesn’t work anymore, you may need to cancel or change your flight.

If you need to cancel an American Airlines flight booked with AAdvantage® miles, you can typically do so until your flight departs. Keep reading to learn how to change your travel plans.

When to cancel

You can cancel an American Airlines flight booked with miles any time, although you’ll only have your miles reinstated and receive a refund on eligible taxes and fees for up to 1 year from the date you bought the ticket. You must also cancel your ticket before the flight leaves the airport. If your award ticket includes several connecting flights, you’ll need to cancel your ticket before the first flight departs.

How to cancel

The cancelation process for a ticket booked with AAdvantage® miles is relatively straightforward. You can either go online to aa.com or call the American Airlines reservations phone number (1-800-433-7300) and speak to a representative.

You’ll want to prioritize speaking to a representative as soon as you can if your flight has already left the airport, you were booked on a partner airline, or an event out of your control contributed to your change of plans. In these instances, an airline representative will need to assist you to get your miles reinstated.

In most cases, American Airlines will fully refund any eligible taxes and fees included in the purchase of your original ticket at no charge and reinstate the miles you used to book the flight. That said, there may be some taxes and fees that are not eligible for a refund, particularly if your flight has already left the airport, you booked a ticket with non-refundable taxes, or you are in a country with rules about refunds that the airline must follow.

Reinstated miles should appear in your account within a few days. Any monetary refunds will go to the credit card used to make the booking, which may take longer depending on your bank.

Changing award flights

If your plans change, you can modify an award flight in a few simple steps. To get started, go to aa.com or call the American Airlines reservations phone number. There are no change fees for awards tickets, although you may need to pay the difference in taxes between your original ticket and your new ticket.

To change your award flight, follow these steps:

Step 1: Locate your confirmation code: This 6-character code is part of the confirmation email you received when you booked your ticket.

Step 2: Click on the Find Your Trip link on aa.com: Enter your information.

Step 3: Find the "Change Trip" option: Follow the instructions. If the new trip costs fewer miles, any difference in AAdvantage® miles will be credited to your account. If your new trip costs more miles, they’ll be deducted from your account. Reinstating miles may take up to 72 hours.

Step 4: Make a payment: You'll need to pay any taxes associated with your new trip.

Step 5: Check your email: Make sure you receive the new ticket information and confirmation code. 

Disclosure: This article is for educational purposes. It is not intended to provide legal, investment, or financial advice and is not a substitute for professional advice. It does not indicate the availability of any Citi product or service. For advice about your specific circumstances, you should consult a qualified professional.

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