What is American Airlines Missed Flight Policy

Are you stuck in traffic and don’t know whether you will arrive at the airport on time? Or did your flight segment get delayed and now you are worried about missing your connecting flight? The biggest fear of missing your flight is losing all the money you have spent on it.

If you have travel plans with American Airlines, then this blog is for you. If you have an idea of what to do if you have a missed American Airlines flight then you won’t take unnecessary stress. You can easily tackle such a situation, without losing your mind and money!

American Airlines Missed Flight Policy

AA has drafted specific terms for situations like missed flight American airlines. This guideline makes sure that transparency is maintained between airlines and passengers. It helps passengers to know their rights in case of missing flights, what other options they have, and what to do if you have missed their connecting flight because of an airline delay. American Airlines Missed Flight Policy also makes it clear in what situation the airline will take responsibility and what would be the passenger fault.

Here is the American Airlines Missed Flight Policy explained in simplest terms for your better understanding.

1. American Airlines closed the check-in counter for domestic airlines 45 minutes before the departure.

2. If you know you won’t make it to the flight on time, then you can inform and rebook your ticket up to 15 minutes before and after your departure. It will save you from the No-Show policy and penalties.

3. If you get delayed for your flight but reach the airport within 15 minutes of your flight departure, then you can rebook the next flight. However, there are some conditions associated with AA 15 Minutes Rebooking Policy:

It is not applicable for Economy Class
The reason behind missing your flight wasn’t under your control
Rebooking depends on availability
There would be some charges.

4. If you miss your flight because of the internal operation of the airlines, AA will book you another flight without charging anything extra. If you are not satisfied with this option, then you can ask for compensation.

5. According to the Department of Transportation of the USA, every passenger gets 2 hours grace period. So, if you are running late, you can still pick standby on the next flight and the airline doesn’t charge for this.

American Airlines No-Show Policy

If you missed your flight without canceling or rebooking within the given period, then you will be charged under the No-Show Clause of American Airlines.
The total worth of your ticket will be forfeited if you don’t inform the airlines about being late on time.
If you have any connected flight on the ticket, then you will lose that too. Because AA will automatically cancel it.
If you missed your flight because of a medical emergency or the death of a family member, then you are eligible to get a refund. But you need to submit valid documents supporting your claim to get it.

Steps to Rebook American Airlines Missed Flight

There are many methods available through which you can rebook AA missed flight if your ticket allows:

Via website:

Be on the homepage of the AA official website.
Move your cursor to “Manage Trips” and click the left button.
You will be redirected to another page, sign in with your correct credentials.
Click on the “Find Your Trip” to know the status of your flight.
Click on the rebook the flight and follow whatever instructions are on the screen.
Choose your next flight and make payment to confirm the rebooking.

Via Call:

Once you are sure that you are going to miss your flight or have already missed your flight, immediately dial +1-800-380-5097 for important information.
Connect with the live agent, and inform them about the nature of the ticket and missed flight.
If your ticket permits you, the agent will try to rebook the next available flight for you.
Make sure of the timing of the flight and pay the amount to confirm your ticket.

At the Airport:

There is an American Airlines kiosk for those who are already at the airport.
Either scan the boarding card from your missed American Airlines flight or enter your confirmation code.
After confirming the updated trip details, proceed to find the next flight.
Pay the charge and print the new boarding pass then and there.

What to do in case of an American Airlines Missed Connecting Flight?

If you have missed your American Airlines Connecting then try to keep calm and follow these instructions:

First and foremost, inform AA customer support that you have missed your flight.
If there is a next flight available, then AA will shift you on that, under the same capacity of your ticket. It means your fare class won’t change.
If there is no available flight with American Airlines, it will make sure to find your flight with its partner airlines.
If the delay was substantial, you can also request a refund if you were unhappy with the arrangement.
You can cancel the remainder of your journey and request a complete refund if your initial leg is delayed by more than four hours.

Does AA offer Compensation in case of Missed Flights?

On an American Airlines flight, passengers who suffer substantial, controllable delays have the right to rebooking and compensation.

Significant Controllable Delay by AA: If your flight gets delayed for more than 4 hours or gets canceled because of some reason, and this leads to you missing your next connecting flight, then AA will rebook the next flight for you or offer you some sort of compensation.
Uncontrollable Reason: If the reason behind the delay is neither under the control of the airline, nor yours; then you are not entitled to any compensation.

Compensation by AA for Missing Connecting Flights

American Airlines doesn’t commit to providing you with cash or a travel voucher as compensation in case of delay or missed flights.
However, you can get a meal voucher if the waiting time is more than 3 hours.
If you are left stranded at the airport due to a flight delay or missing a connecting flight due to a flight delay, then AA will arrange a Hotel plus transport facility for the night.

Here is the comparative cart of compensation with different airlines to provide a clear picture what does other airlines also offer in similar case:

Airline	Rebooking	Meal Voucher	Hotel + Transport	Cash/Travel Voucher
American Airlines	Same carrier or partner	✔ After 3+ hrs delay	✔ Overnight if stranded	✘ Not committed
Delta Air Lines	Same carrier or partner	✔ After 3+ hrs delay	✔ Overnight if stranded	✘ Not committed
United Airlines	Same carrier or partner	✔ After 3+ hrs delay	✔ Overnight if stranded	✘ Not committed
Alaska Airlines	Same carrier or partner	✔ After 3+ hrs delay	✔ Complimentary transport	✔ Vouchers after 3+ hrs delay
Hawaiian Airlines	Same carrier or partner	✔ After 3+ hrs delay	✔ Complimentary transport	✔ Vouchers offered
JetBlue Airways	Same carrier or partner	✔ After 3+ hrs delay	✔ Complimentary transport	✔ Vouchers provided
Southwest Airlines	Same carrier or partner	✔ After 3+ hrs delay	✔ Complimentary transport	✔ Vouchers provided
Spirit Airlines	Same carrier or partner	✔ After 3+ hrs delay	✔ Complimentary transport	✘ Not committed
Frontier Airlines	Same carrier or partner	✔ After 3+ hrs delay	✘ Not committed	✘ Not committed
Allegiant Air	Same carrier only	✔ After 3+ hrs delay	✔ Overnight if stranded	✘ Not committed

Tips to Avoid Missing Flights on AA

Arriving at the airport a few hours before your check-in counter closes would be the best for you.
Install the American Airlines App to keep track of real-time flight updates.
By checking in online and avoiding the airport’s long queue.
Join an AAdvantage Elite Membership to get the extra benefits and priority.
If you have a connecting flight, especially one that goes through a crowded airport, pick flights with a long layover.

Conclusion

Now, you may know what to do if you fail to board your AA flight. This blog hopefully gives you peace of mind that failing to catch a flight doesn’t always mean losing the whole amount of money. If you still have any doubts or want to rebook your flight ticket then call us at OTA +1 855-510-4054.