American Airlines has historically been the only major US airline to allow complimentary ticket holds. In mid-September, the airline ran a trial whereby it eliminated that option for some customers. The good news is that this trial has ended, so all customers should once again have access to this feature. Let’s recap all the details.
Continue reading: American Airlines Restores 24-Hour Ticket Holds
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
For me, the AA 24 hour hold has always been one of the bases for my preference of flying American. I know that I can get a refund on other carriers within 24 hours, but I'm more comfortable with the AA system which I find easier to deal with if my plans change, and if AA ended the 24 hour hold it would become just another carrier for me.
Yeah, this has been one factor that made me choose American Airlines over others. It will be a shame if they change it! They are definitely all in a race to the bottom. Very sad how low the standard has become.
I tried to Hold tickets yesterday and no options I think it could come back but with a charge, possibly the charge might be refunded if you book the ticket. No whether AA's technical systems could handle that process?
Since I travel while working this was a good feature because I could check hotel rates and make sure they weren't jacked up because of a local event.
Not a big American flyer because of location, but unless you’re holding lots of tickets at a time how is this functionally different than the 24 hr refund policy (other than the need to proactively cancel vs doing nothing lets the hold expire)?
The 24 hour hold is not really necessary since passengers can still get a refund in that time.
No hold cuts down on multiple, speculative bookings which benefits everyone...
...well...
...everyone except the person who tries to block space on multiple flights.
Hard to understand how they evaluate this two week test. It’s not like they’re adding a new feature to see how it works, they’re eliminating something. If it’s solely based on pushback from elite status customers, count me on the side of keeping the hold.
Seems a bit premature when I still can't ever get my flight/trip credits to work on aa.com and have to put my itinerary on hold and call an agent. Fix the tech first, AA.
I think the hold should be keep. Many times when I’m trying to make arrangements they are not set in stone and I can provide a cost to my clients in finalizing the decision and client commitment.
Nice courtesy for booking flights that might set AA apart from other airlines. Don't ruin it.
Time for a campaign to deluge AA with requests to keep the 24-hour hold policy?
Holding tickets for the24 hours is very important to me. I guess I will just go to the other airlines. I am platinum pro. I have been using all Citi cards and aviator cards. That will change. Start looking for another airline.
But ... Why?
None of the other airlines offer courtesy holds, and you can still cancel without penalty within 24 hours. Is ability to hold tickets as opposed to being able to cancel for free the only reason you've been booking with AA?
I just went through the booking process to see if this was indeed true. I had problems choosing my seats and then cancelled before I booked the flight but after I confirmed Ben's horrifying observation. Get this, I just received an email saying I had been upgraded. On a flight that I never booked. They are having issues over there at AA. Double check your flights and seat assignments!!
@Mary....the article just said AA is the only airline that offers this option. Good luck looking.
I was surprised that on a UK booking for transatlantic travel with AA I was not only offered the 24-hour hold, but also longer periods for a fee. I chose a 5 day hold for $25. Perhaps this is the way they're going. This was 2 weeks ago by the way.
This article is very strange as I just placed a ticket on hold on Tuesday as I had to call to use 2 trip credits. I went to the site and checked today and I was able to use the hold feature
This is rather sad.
As an AAPLatinum for years now, this option always seemed secured- a safe way to book but not commit for 24 hours.
I will miss it - big time.
Interesting - the hold button is gone for me. But if I exit the reservation instead of paying for it, then view My Reservations, it is listed there as On Hold until EOD. I've now tried this multiple times with multiple itinerates and they all stick.
Maybe its an "internet issue".
Last Friday, I was unable to do anything on SIXT--- frustrated I gave up only to learn that their "System" was shut down.
AA can not turn away 24 holds.
Too strange.
Some flights are over booked so eliminating the complimentary 24 hour hold may be the difference between getting a seat or flying standby.
As a AAPlatium 2+million Mile
customer, the
24 hr hold allows me to confirm hotels, shuttles before purchasing my ticket. It is essential
So sorry to this go
If AA is making money why change so much
My three trips gotten way back in late 21 and early 22 have been changed three times
Time to do the right thing for paying customers
Another overlooked perk of Amex Platinum is the ability to cancel within 24 hours of booking, even with less than seven days until the flight.
American, please don’t remove holds until aa .com can actually process all forms of unused/partially used tickets as payment. If I’m going to have to call or DM, I would like to have the PNR built/priced already. The fare can evaporate before y’all answer.
Why? Book the flight, pay for it and if you can’t make the other arrangements simply cancel the flight within 24 hours and get a full refund.
Why is that so hard for people? Guess some just look to complain about anything (or look to bash AA over nothing) SMH
That is a benefit any person can use. It is Federal law that airlines have to refund the cost of any flight canceled within 24 hours - not an AA elite benefit.
This. I am consistently impressed with Delta’s IT. I can do just about anything I want with my itinerary save for fly the plane myself, all through the mobile app. And the interface is very user-friendly. AA and UA are way behind in this category.
I most of the time use the HOLD feature,. I an AA loyal customer and would Hate to see this feature leave. Customers are getting less and less for all airlines, including AA. and the prices have really gone up. More miles are needed for redemption. And it is almost a secret policy since seldom is information is available to the member.
I am a two million miler on AA, and I used to believe that they were far and away the best US airline. That began to change when they merged with US Airways. Since that time they have been actively engaged in a "race to the bottom" with United and Delta. They consistently take away the reasons why I was so loyal to them. Now they are just another crappy company that thinks customers are expendable. This attitude is reflected in their dismal stock performance over the past decade. Their only "benefit" is that Delta and even more, United are worse. I will hold my nose and continue to use them because I can't fly Emirates or lots of other foreign carriers. Sad, very, very sad...
I agree Jeff. It's a good policy that should be retained. For that reason, AA will scrap it to "compete" with Delta and United, two other crappy carriers!
I wish AA would follow WN's lead and get rid of the expiration date for flight/trip credits. It would also be great if AA combined both into a single category of travel credits, to make their use easier. It is sad when a LCC has more generous terms than a legacy/full service carrier.
@Santos The benefit of DAL is they have had the profits to consistently invest in their IT infrastructure and have the leadership team to execute their mobile app. AA's portal is still light years ahead of dealing with JetBlue's app/website.
Good. The honeymoon is over people. Wait until you see the airfares over the holiday season.
Mary, ZERO other airlines offer this. Plus there is already and existing way to accomplish this.
Confused over here, so you had 3 bookings in 2 years and haven't flower any of them? Are you wanting AA to extend your credits in perpetuity?
My cynical take on this... Having to actually -pay- them for the 24 hours allows AA to make money money on the float which probably eclipses the transactions fees on either end when you add everything up.
I have nearly 5 million miles on American. The 24 hour hold is CRITICAL to my planning and loyalty. It allows me to choose date, route, price and then share with partners/participants and my budgeting/planning process. If it is eliminated it would be bad and a reason for us to reconsider using American not just for myself but for all of our travel across many companies and partners.
That they foisted this upon us the users without any warning shows what they think of us. I was in the middle of trying to plan trips and they took this away without warning last night. Ruined my redeye from LAX to JFK as I had to stay up and rebook everything and causes a lot more real time messaging burden.
American if you are reading these boards do not please make this change.
Who cares. You can book a ticket and cancel it or cancel and rebook (if there is a cheaper price) within 24 hours anyway, so it does not matter if they take away this feature. I guess it is tough regarding sales of seats if you don't really know how many you sold based on people holding it and not paying yet. Some of them may pay in the end others may not.
More and more I find myself irritated by AA’s continued descent to the lowest levels of customer service Hell so I guess this shouldn’t surprise me.
At least with AA you knew you were not going to have them keep your money. United's website promises a 24 hour refund policy yet even when I called them, their agent was unable to confirm if this applied to reservations made less than 7 days prior to the flight.
Was holding off moving over all the way to Alaska, but the 24 hour hold is super helpful. If they remove it in 2 weeks, makes the decision to move. Hope they don’t. AA ExPlat.
@Mary I am with you on this. Not that other airlines do it, but this perk keeps me loyal. So then it’s time to lean elsewhere.
At least from FT some people see the Hold when they go to book, some don't. Doing live beta testing seems moronic. Either have the feature or announce the feature is being done away with.
AA knows how many flights are put on hold and either cancelled or booked and how many "abuses" of the system exist. The Hold feature has been around for years. Presumably it's likely used mostly by Elites that know it exist. So it would be their Elites that would "miss" the option.
This is just one more example of “if USAir didn’t do it, American is not going to keep doing it”.
I think that will be very sad! I love American Airlines and don’t use any other airline. I think it’s good for me as I am able to have 24 hours to make the final decision!
Please don’t remove! That’s why you stand out from the others!
The 24 hour hold is an essential tool, especially when you're planning a trip with others and waiting for them to confirm. Also useful to allow time for confirming meetings with out of town clients
Booking a flight can be a substantial commitment of several hundred dollars or more. There are so many factors to weigh when planning a trip that it really helps to have the 24-hour hold as a way of buying time to finalize your decision. The hold option avoids the stress of the refund process, having to go through an extended waiting period to see if and when you get your money back. Given all the ways that air travel has gotten less pleasant and offered fewer perks over the years, I hope that American Airlines will decide to keep this one perk for the sake of its customers.
As a 2 Million Mile and Executive Platinum client, I would be very disappointed with American if they eliminate the one day hold. It is very helpful when coordinating other pieces of a planned trip, including confirming other traveling companion's schedules, before making a purchase. This would be a huge takeaway if this becomes American's new policy and a waste of energy every time I need to resort to using the mandated 24 hour cancelation and refund process.
Aaarghhh! I book 8 people's tickets from four different airports. I put them all on 24 hour holds because inevitably the first arrival time doesn't work for the last ticket booked, and we all have to arrive at the same time. I cancel the ones that don't work, book another that does, then lock them all in at once.
Without this feature, I'd have dozens of credit card refunds or flight vouchers resulting from booking just one trip, and I book 80+ trips per year.
Dammit
As an Executive Platinum million miler, To reiterate what another reviewer stated, the 24 hour hold allows confirmation of hotels, other reservations, and other affected travelers’ schedules: please reconsider keeping the 24 hour hold
I agree with many on here about using the hold option as a frequent traveler - Executive Platinum. I own a company and we sometimes need to coordinate travel or research multiple airports so we use this feature nearly every time we book tickets. The hold also allows time to confirm car, hotel, meetings, etc. before purchasing. It is a nice feature and would hate to see it discontinued - it will make my travel life very inconvenient.
From a personal and business perspective I would hate to see this feature eliminated. Personally, it is nice to hold a fare for 24 hours while you coordinate with other family members etc. It also provides a large group whether it be family, or a business team, time to coordinate flights with others, hotels, etc. We use American exclusively with very rare exceptions, and fare hold is one of the deciding factors for us.
I always use American's hold feature.. and always purchase! I hope the hold feature will be reinstated .. I am a loyal American Airlines traveler.
As a AA EP 2 million miler, based in Italy, I use this feature extensively to coordinate worldwide travel ... always trying to stay loyal to AA when I can. Apparently, the bottom line totally outweighs customer service ... the way of the world today. It seems everything is becoming more profit driven ... evident after the government COVID bailout that resulted in poorer service. Who is coming up with these ideas? It seems customers get less while the payout to the CEO and others just gets higher.
I use this feature extensively, as it allows to reconfirm my plans prior to ticketing. For me it is a very valuable and useful tool. I agree with one of my previous commenters who mentioned that, at the very least, this should be delayed until AA can fully implement online changes. Too often I have to call to use flight or trip credits and wait for a callback hours later.
Once upon a time, companies were in it for the long haul. Now everything is about "mergers and acquisitions" and making a fast buck for the shareholders. Everything seems to be owned by a hedge fund these days. Only a matter of time before a company gets stripped and its assets sold off to make money.
Keep the hold feature. use it all the time and at least 90% of the time, I end up booking. Rather than eliminating this, they should concentrate on hiring more customer service people as some times the waits even for Plat Pro can be 2-3 hours for a call back.
I use the feature all the time and usually end up buying the ticket. I've needed it twice recently and it wasn't there, which is how I found this article. I will be very unhappy if it goes away.
Agree with TravelerMSY. I recently went through hell trying to use 2 trip credits for my husband and me, couldn’t use the hold feature as it was gone. Of course when I got to payment page a note popped up saying I could put the ticket on hold and call cs…uhh, no. Of course I called cs and with high volumes my return call was not for 16 hours and by that time the fare had gone up $90 per ticket. What bs. I have Platinum life status on both AA and UA, my husband has Diamond life on DL. AA would make a big mistake taking hold away, it really makes a difference where I book.
What an absolutely horrible idea. The hold feature is an essential part of my business travel planning tool set. With this I can hold the flight, figure out the rest, then come back and purchase once those additional details are confirmed. If AA eliminates this they lose the last major differentiation between them and the rest of the majors.
I was wondering why I couldn't see the hold feature. It's something I value and I'm annoyed enough now that I'm going to check other airlines for ticket prices. I've been an elite AA traveller for 10+ years, so I always check there first but this really pisses me off. It feels like we're getting nickwled and dimes. Again.
This sucks. I use the 24-hour hold to have time to book hotels, restaurants, but theatre tickets, etc. Now more people will, book, and request refunds within 24 hours. I am angry that the government rescued our airlines during the pandemic.
What did you expect from what was gone from a proud and great airline to simply the worst managed, worst performing airline with mostly angry employees who could give a darn about you or your problems with them. This is the end of my use of them as it was the only advantage left. Sigh.
Yes please keep this option. I use this almost exclusively mostly to try and coordinate hotels, rental cars, shuttles and family availability. It is a really nice feature and I try to fly AA because if it.
It's a small detail but, I believe they would still be required to offer a refund for tickets purchased w/in 24 hours if I'm not mistaken. Essentially they are removing the 'no risk' hold and making it a 'risk' hold, i.e., the risk being that you forget to call cancel your ticket w/in 24 hours of purchase and they choose to play hardball and not give you a refund. Essentially, they are saying that to now 'hold' a reservation you must at least 'temporarily' pay for it. So, in airlinespeak - you still have the ability to hold a reservation but you have to put a temporary FOP in to do so, if you do not cancel w/in 24 hours it is a purchase and rules of fare apply.
It saddens me should that feature go away as with challenges often getting rental cars at airports and other logistics it served many so well to have that 24 hour hold.
Continue to hear conversations that the federal government is pursuing its rules for airlines affecting passengers. Might the current rules be a subject of a future article?
For years, I've regularly used the 24 hour hold feature and almost always purchased a fairly high cost business fare after sorting out the rest of my travel in that 24 hour period. Two weeks ago, the feature didn't appear, which ticked me off. I checked transcontinental business fares at Delta and United and decided I'd give Delta $500 more than American was quoting because Delta also was being honest that my ticket (not just in 24 hours) would be "fully refundable" while American was still playing games with what is and isn't provided in their "flexible fare." Plus I'd have a window side, no person next to me lie flat seat, versus American's increasingly second rate business A321T.
This is an important plus feature when one has to coordinate flight dates with hotel locations and rates. As a life platinum (which means very little now that American has taken its program from the best in the industry to the worst, this is another reason for me to shop other airlines.
I use the ticket hold option all time as an Executive Platinum member it allows me the freedom to hold the ticket and my seat while addressing other travel details prior to purchase. I love this feature and hope it continues for years to come.
I agree with all the others. KEEP the 24 hour hold feature. It's unique to AA so why would AA want to race to the bottom. That's not how you stay competitive.
I fly AA and OneWorld exclusively. I use the 24 hold on every paid flight I book. I’d hate to see it go. Big advantage over the other airlines.
I always use AA and just went to book a flight to California and could not find the hold option. I have always used it while I coordinated the hotel, rental car etc. I am so disappointed they are taking this away.
I am an EP with AA. If you want to keep me you need to reconsider this move. 24 hour holds are so you can arrange the rest of your trip. Quit taking things away from people. There are other airlines.
Really dumb move.....i have always used that 24 hours to firm up the rest of my reservations for car, hotel...etc.....it will cost them more than it will save......I can still pay for the ticket and then cancel it within 24 hours and get a full refund. I think that it is more costly to American to process a refund than just cancel a reservation.....
I sincerely hope that AA keeps this wonderful policy in force. I have often recommended AA to friends and family when considering their travel plans. They are often not immediately ready to commit- so the 24 hour courtesy hold Allows them enough time to secure their plans. AA- it’s t your economic advantage to keep this feature! Don’t screw it up!
If the DOT have clearly established what Airlines must comply but they do not, isn't that a delinquent performance ?
I always like the 24 hour hold. A couple weeks ago I saw it was no longer available. It was upsetting.
I'm with you. I'm not EP, but when I didn't get the hold, I went straight to Delta. (Won't travel on United.)
I really like the 24 hour hold. With that option, I can book my trip and then make certain all the other aspects of the trip (hotel, car rental, wife's approval) are confirmed. Very convenient! I am a frequent AA customer and this draws me to AA site first for all air bookings.
I am an AA Platinum million miler, and regularly use the 24-hour hold. It is a major benefit when working to coordinate flight times, ground transportation, and people's availability for meetings. Having 24 hours to change a booking is not nearly as helpful now that there are such long wait times to talk to a representative. Two weeks ago I did need to change a flight and some glitch in the system left me with my employer's credit card already charged but no ticket for four days; it took literally hours of waiting for call-backs and time on the phone to get that fixed. The 24-hour hold allows me generally to avoid the risk of that kind of problem.
Competitive differentiation is hard to come by and AA is currently positively differentiated with this low cost benefit. To me, removing the 24 hour complimentary hold would diminish my opinion of AA.
I almost always use the hold feature on American Airlines. It helps lock in that reservation for many reasons and is super helpful in coordinating plans with me and my family. Please don't get rid of it. I really liked the feature where it was free for 24 hours and then a fee for anytime over that. Please bring it back!
I use the Hold feature as others have stated to get the required hotels and other travel options in place. It has kept me looking first to AA and likely booking the Held flights. Even when I cancel the Hold, I usually end up booking other dates/times with AA. Please don't change!
The removal of the 24 hr hold on tickets was a great benefit. I have life time platinum status with AA. Another reason to consider Delta. Haven't flown AA since end of July. Also the frequent flier miles i have accrued 450,000 are not worth the investment specially for international trips. They are over priced and then you get hit with the taxes etc.
Delta is looking far more promising
Please do not remove the possibility to hold reservations for 24hrs! It allows a traveler to make additional travel arrangement before commiting to a flight, hotels also allow the option to hold. For many years I have been a loyal AA traveler and this option has contributed to this behavior and for years I have had member status which is also valuable. It is understandable all industries are having difficulties but these are times when it becomes more imortant to have distinctive consideration with travelers in order maintain that loyalty we have shown. Again...Please do not remove the possibility to hold reservations for 24hrs!
I use the Hold to make sure my plans with others align - I would be very upset to lose this feature. I don't want to have to wait on a refund otherwise with the 24 hour cancellation. Geez, always something!
I too use the hold feature to book hotels and other items necessary for the trip. Why not continue this wonderful feature?
American Airlines, the world’s least INNOVATIVE airline. As a Platium Pro member, my work schedule changes all the time and this 24 hour hold helps when booking work trips and allows me extra time to make sure my appointments will work. By the way, another AWFUL AA flight from PSP to ORD last night with a crew of surly flight attendants.
I just hit Platinum Pro on AA. I've stayed loyal for the past 15 years, rarely flying any other airline. One of the reasons is the 24 hour hold. The other is that they allow my husband and kids into the lounge free of charge when they travel with me. If either of those goes, there's a good chance I will too. If both go, bye bye, AA.
Please don't eliminate the 24hr on hold option. Things like this makes you different and show how much you care for the well being of us: your loyal customers!
So disappointed not to be able to hold a ticket for 24 hours! I like to book the ticket and then shop for hotels, confirm with friends/work if rendezvousing etc...guess I will have to reverse the order
I am a loyal American Airlines customer who takes full advantage of the 24-hour hold primarily for family considerations. I don't even look at other airlines but if this feature goes away I most certainly will!
I really hope they dont delete the 24hr hold option. Today i noticed it was gone for the first time, felt rushed to buy a ticket before prices went up but before i had checked with everyone. Ended up cancelling within 24 hrs but now have to wait for refund to credit card.
I use ticket holds so I can coordinate with others to make sure that the time & dates work for them. I will likely use another airline if this is no longer offered by American.
While I think most people can agree that AA doesn’t have the best product (by quite a bit), it’s their policies that keep me as a customer. I think the only airline that has better benefits is Alaskan. They are the least stingy when it comes to Basic Economy, and the second most flexible booking/change policies (Southwest is first, mostly on account of not having a basic economy fare).
Wait until you see Miami-Lima offered by Delta in Business Class for 550,000 miles. This is not made up, I saw it this very week.
Well, it actually doesn't let you do THAT (if course within the AA system) It automatically cancels one or it says "Oops... Unable".
Yesterday I purchased AA flights for next year and noticed it was back. It really comes in handy in my trip planning as I have several reservations that require deposits that have to align with my flights. It eliminates risk in trip planning that I greatly appreciate.
Agree with your points here. It basically allows 48 hours. 24 for the hold. 24 for the free cancel after the reservation is ticketed. That's great if the price changes.
It's almost a necessity with the lack of being able to use multiple flight credits online and 2-3 hour hold times. It was easy to hold the reservation, tweet AA, and they could process it asynchronously. There were several instances under this test I just booked with United because I didn't have time to deal with calling reservations and put in a 2+ hour queue.
As a longtime Exec Plat level member, the 24-hour hold (and the 5-day hold for award tickets) is a feature, not a bug. While sure, there may have been times where a lower fare was not availed to me because someone put it on hold, the reality is that the 24-hour hold feature keeps me loyal to AA.
Currently, my mother-in-law on the opposite side of the country has been dealing with cancer and possible end-of-life issues. For several months the husband has been planning and un-planning trips to be with her at optimal times, such as for the surgery scheduled in 10 days. The situation is quite fluid, and were we to be buying (or using miles) for trips scheduled at the last minute, it would be even more expensive than it already is. The hold feature is allowing us to have contingency planning available for a portion of the travel. Under the circumstances, I wouldn't think of using another airline in this situation.
I think AA is remarkably snarky for removing the hold feature. Our recent trip to NOLA was via SW b/c I couldn't hold the tickets on AA. Also, I have two travel credits, but AA you have to call in to claim one of them, approximately $500 each for 2 tickets. I don' want to lose that opportunity to use those credits. Also, travel arrangements do not always work in synch. In the past I would find a good airfare and put it on hold, then review hotel options to find what's available and it's all over the map. Then if I try to arrange different flight dates, the airfares jump dramatically. I rarely buy tickets last minute, unless it's necessary (family emergency, etc.). The 24 hour hold gives me time to search for options (different airports) or entirely differently trips. Let's to go California, Palm Springs, LAX, SFO Monterey? They are all very different locales with different options. I just need a day to figure out the best options for the money.
I tried a few searches yesterday and today and the option to hold the ticket never came up. It was only after I successfully applied a trip credit that I could finally choose to Hold the booking, which promptly negated the input of the credit and required me to call in to pay using the credit since their online system doesn't support it for a held booking.
On 12/29/22 the AA website did NOT give me this hold as an option. So apparently, its inconsistent. Because of the lack of a hold, I held off on the purchase.