The 24-Hour Hold Option is Back at American Airlines

If customers book at least one week in advance, they can keep a reservation for 24 hours without charge.

American Airline's complimentary 24-hour hold option has been restored to new reservations.

American Airlines has resumed offering customers the option to reserve a flight for 24 hours at no cost if they book at least one week in advance. A spokesperson for American Airlines confirmed this to Travel + Leisure Friday. Customers have one day to decide if they want the reservation to be confirmed or canceled.

The option was temporarily paused while a limited random test was conducted to assess how the 24-hour policy was used.

“We continue to evaluate our product offerings to customers on aa.com and understand customers may need flexibility when booking travel plans,” the spokesperson told T+L.

If a traveler places a ticket on hold (which can be done via the "Review & Pay" page), they will need to call reservations to make their booking. Customers can cancel online if they do not call within the 24-hour grace period.

Although other airlines in the United States do not offer a 24-hour hold option for tickets, they allow customers to cancel their tickets within 24 hours after booking and paying. The U.S. Department of Transportation mandates that airlines either hold a reservation at the quoted fare for 24hrs without payment or allow cancellations within 24 hours. This is called the "24-hour reservation requirement ")."

Many airlines in the U.S. have eliminated change fees from most tickets. This includes United Airlines which was the first to do so on domestic flights in 2021. American Airlines and Delta Air Lines are followed closely by Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, American Airlines, and American Airlines. These policies don't apply to basic economy tickets.

United began offering basic economy tickets to customers in April. They can either upgrade to standard economy tickets or cancel their ticket for a fee.

 

Source: travelandleisure.com