Claim your American Airlines compensation for cancelled and delayed flights

Check your American Airlines flight status

Check the status of your flight before leaving to the airport! This will make you be prepared for any unforeseen circumstances, such as flight delays or cancellations. You can visit the websites of the airline, the airport, or flight trackers to find out the most recent information of your American Airlines flight.

Check out the recently disrupted flights table below to see if you can find your flight! If your flight is not listed on the table, you can still check your compensation eligibility with our free claim calculator.

Your rights in the event of a delayed or cancelled American Airlines flight

Your rights as an air passenger are protected by European and British law if you were a passenger on an American Airlines flight departing the UK/EU and the flight was cancelled or delayed. According to the British and EU regulations, you may be entitled to up to €600  in compensation from American Airlines and a complete refund of your ticket cost if your flight is cancelled.

• Was your American Airlines flight delayed? If your flight was delayed by a minimum of 3 hours, you might be entitled to flight compensation.
• Was your American Airlines flight cancelled? If you opted not to take the airline's alternative flight or the airline did not offer any alternative flights, you're entitled to a refund. Additionally, if your flight was cancelled with less than 14 days left before departure, you may be eligible for American Airlines flight compensation.
• Regardless of what caused the flight delay, airlines must provide passengers with special assistance, or the "right to care," as stipulated by law. Vouchers are offered for alimentary requirements, communication needs (eg. free phone call, email, fax messages) , and, if necessary, travel and lodging. Purchase what you require even if the airline's service counter at the airport declines to give you the vouchers because they are legally required to reimburse your costs (as long as they are reasonable).

If your flight was cancelled or delayed because of an "extraordinary circumstance," you will not be eligible to apply for flight compensation. Passengers will be compensated by the airline for the flight disruption only if the airline was responsible.

American Airlines — Can I claim flight compensation with a non-EU airline?

Even though American Airlines is not headquartered in the European Union or in the UK, if your AA flight departed from the UK or the EU, you can claim flight compensation.

These regulations do not apply to flights departing from the US, even if your destination is the UK or an EU country.

See table below for more information.

Can I get compensated for the delayed American Airlines flight?

There are three criteria your case must meet in order for you to be eligible for American Airlines compensation for a delayed flight.

1. Your flight was from the UK or the EU
2. Your flight was delayed by more than 3 hours upon arrival
3. The airline was at fault for the delay → For more information, see the "Extraordinary Circumstances" section of this article. 

Under those conditions, you can claim compensation up to €600 under EU261, the European passenger rights legislation. For flights from the UK, the British passenger rights legislation will apply.

Can I get compensated for the cancelled American Airlines flight?

Depending on the circumstances of your American Airlines flight cancellation, you may be entitled to compensation of up to €600 as both the British and EU laws state, a ticket refund, or both.

When can I claim compensation for my cancelled American Airlines flight?

You may be entitled to compensation for your American Airlines’ flight if all the following requirements are met:

1. Your flight was departing from the UK or the EU
2. Your flight was cancelled fewer than 14 days before the scheduled departure date
3. American Airlines was at fault for the cancellation → For more information, see the "Extraordinary Circumstances" section of this article.

When can I claim a refund for my cancelled American Airlines flight?

You experienced a flight cancellation? You might be eligible for an American Airlines flight refund if:

• Your flight was from the UK/EU and the airline did not offer you an alternative flight

OR

• Your flight was from the UK/EU and the airline offered you an alternative flight but you decided not to take it

Can I get flight compensation if I cancel my American Airlines flight?

Unfortunately, you can’t claim flight compensation if you cancelled your own American Airlines flight ticket. In certain circumstances you might request a refund to the airline, but this depends on American Airlines’ refund policies and the ticket you purchased.

What do I do if I missed my connection flight due to an American Airlines delay or cancellation?

Did you miss your connection flight due to an American Airlines flight delay or cancellation? You may be eligible for American Airlines compensation and/or a ticket refund under UK/EU air passenger rights legislation if both flights are under the same reservation/ticket and the delay or cancellation meets the necessary conditions.

How much American Airlines compensation can I get for a delayed or cancelled flight?

The amount of compensation per passenger  is determined by the distance of your flight:

Extraordinary circumstances — can American Airlines deny me compensation?

When a third party or force majeure causes a delay or cancellation, American Airlines has the right to refuse compensation. Such situations are referred to as extraordinary circumstances.

Some of the most common extraordinary circumstances are:

• Severe weather conditions, such as dense fog and heavy rain.
• A strike caused by workers within the aviation industry, such as baggage handlers. However, it’s important to note that an American Airlines strike caused by workers associated with the airline, such as pilots or flight attendants, is NOT considered an extraordinary circumstance.
• Natural disasters, such as wildfires and tornadoes.

You should be aware, however, that the airline may claim that extraordinary circumstances occurred, even if that was not the case. Companies do so in order to avoid paying out compensation.

How long do I have to claim my American Airlines compensation and refund?

You have 6 years to claim flight compensation and refund if you had a delayed flight to or from the United Kingdom. The exception is Scotland, where you have 5 years to claim.

Different rules might apply if your itinerary does not include the United Kingdom.

Check if you can still get compensation and a refund from American Airlines with our free Claim Calculator.

How long will it take to get my American Airlines compensation / American Airlines refund?

Passengers who use Flight Delayed to claim flight compensation and refund often receive their funds within a few weeks or months.

However, if the airline fails to respond to the claim and/or the claim must be filed in court, a few months — or even years, in some cases — could be added to the wait time.

This review by a passenger who filed an AA claim through Flight Delayed said the following. “Amazing! After 7 years, I finally got reimbursed $450. I had even forgotten about this. Thank you so much for keeping track of this, and making sure American Airlines obeyed by the rules.”

Rest assured, regardless of how long the claim takes, our team will keep you updated on any significant developments in your case and will be available to answer any questions you may have.

How to claim American Airlines compensation / American Airlines refund?

First, determine whether you are eligible for American Airlines compensation or a refund. You can do that in a few steps by using our Claim Calculator.

If you are qualified for flight compensation and/or a refund, you can choose to delegate the process to our team of legal professionals, allowing you to relax while we ensure you get compensation and/or your refund.

It will take only a few minutes to upload all the required documents on our website. Our legal experts will then take over from there, assessing your claim, preparing legal papers, contacting the airline's decision-makers, and, if necessary, taking your claim to court.

Please visit our Price List page if you wish to learn more about our fees.

If you are ready to claim, start the process right away — you can do it straight from your phone or computer!

About American Airlines

American Airlines is a major American airline based in Fort Worth, Texas. In terms of fleet size, scheduled passengers carried, and revenue, it is the world's largest airline.

American Airlines offers nearly 6,700 flights per day to 350 destinations in 50 countries. According to OAG, the airline had an 85.1% on-time performance level in 2021.

Useful links

• EVA Air flight compensation
• More details on delayed flight compensation
• More details on cancelled flight compensation
• Post-Brexit flight compensation rules in the UK
• Rules regarding missed flight compensation
• Rules regarding flight compensation in the case of denied boarding
• Claim Calculator — check if you are eligible for compensation