Airline guides / American Airlines
American Airlines price dropped after you booked? Get the difference back.
Based on American Airlines's published policies, checked 2026-11-07.
Changes: No change fee on Main Cabin, Premium Economy, Business or First for trips starting in North or South America. You only pay (or get back) the fare difference.
What you get back: a Trip Credit. It lasts 12 months for AAdvantage members (6 months otherwise), and you can use it to book for anyone.
Basic economy: Basic Economy can't be changed after the first 24 hours, so these steps won't work for it.
Step by step
- Sign in to your AAdvantage account first, so any credit lands in your account and lasts 12 months.
- On aa.com or the American app, open Find your trip and enter your confirmation code and last name.
- Choose Change trip and pick the exact same flights on the same dates. If your exact flights aren't offered, call American and ask them to reprice your ticket.
- Check that the new price is lower and the cabin is the same, then confirm. The difference comes back as a Trip Credit.
Booked within the last 24 hours?
Booked in the last 24 hours, at least 7 days before departure? Cancel for a full refund to your card (this includes Basic Economy), then rebook at the lower price.
Paid with AAdvantage miles?
AAdvantage award tickets have no change fee. When you change, American puts your original miles back and charges the new, lower price, so you keep the difference in miles.
Watch out for
- Do it on aa.com or the app. Changes made by phone can cost $50 if you booked elsewhere.
- Booked through a travel agency or site like Expedia? The change has to go through them.
- Trip Credits can't pay for seats or other extras.
- Never cancel after your trip has started. The rest of the ticket loses its value.
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