American shortened its free 24-hour refund window

American used to let you cancel any ticket within 24 hours of booking for a full refund, as long as you had bought it at least 2 days before departure. As of a July 30 update to its Conditions of Carriage, that window now requires the ticket to have been booked at least 7 days before departure. Book closer to your flight than a week, and the free 24-hour cancellation simply does not apply to that ticket.

This is not American being unusually strict. It is the airline pulling back to the federal floor: the US Department of Transportation only requires airlines to offer the 24-hour window on tickets bought at least seven days out. American had been more generous, at two days, and has now matched the minimum.

Why it matters

This bites exactly the people least likely to expect it, last-minute bookers. If you book a flight leaving in five days and change your mind an hour later, you no longer get the automatic full refund you would have had a week ago. On a nonrefundable fare that can be the difference between a full refund and a travel credit minus a fee, or nothing at all on Basic Economy.

The rule still works the old way for anyone booking a week or more ahead: 24 hours from purchase, full refund, any fare, including Basic Economy. Only the "how far ahead did you book" test changed.

What to do

If you have just booked a last-minute American ticket and you are unsure, do not wait. The 24-hour clock, when it applies, runs from the moment of purchase. We will read your ticket, tell you exactly whether the window applies to it, and handle the cancellation or change for you.