Cancelling a mileage award ticket after check in American Airlines
If I booked a mileage award travel through American Airlines, and have checked in at the airport and passed security, can I still cancel my trip a few hours before I board, in the event of an emergency? Or once I check in at the airport there is no canceling?
Best Answer
The key to changing or canceling your ticket after check-in is to undo the checkin. Once the checkin is removed, you can request refunds/redeposits or changes under the same rules as before, subject to the same restrictions and fees, until departure. I have no direct experience with AA in this matter, but it generally holds among the major passenger airlines.
While some airlines, like KLM or United, let you cancel a check-in from their website, I could not find any evidence that American Airlines lets you do so. If you are at the airport, the gate agent will certainly be able to offload you from the flight. If the flight has not yet gone under "airport control" — typically between 4 and 24 hours before departure, depending on the flight and the airline— a telephone agent should be able to undo the checkin as well.
Your ticket is assigned a status code in the airline's systems. When you make the initial reservation, the ticket is marked Open for Use. Before departure, it is put under Airport Control, so the carrier's agents at the airport have control of it. Once you check in, it naturally become Checked-in. When your boarding pass is scanned, it is moved to Lifted/Boarded, and after the flight is completed, it is marked as Flown/Used. There are about a dozen other statuses, and you can read about them in the IATA ticketing rules if so moved.
The point is that an airline agent at the airport can only refund, exchange, or reissue your ticket if it is under Open for Use or Airport Control, and a telephone agent or travel agent can only handle those transactions under the former. That is why the check-in needs to be removed before any changes can be made; the computer won't even let the agent get to that screen if the ticket is marked as Checked-in.
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Can you cancel a flight after checking in American Airlines?
Check-in and arrivalYou can't change your reservation online once you've checked in. Contact Reservations for assistance. If you're unable to make your flights, contact Reservations prior to your flight's departure to retain the value of your ticket.Can you cancel a trip booked with miles?
Can you cancel or change a flight booked with miles? The short answer is yes, though it's up to the airline to determine which award fares are eligible for cancellation and whether you'll pay a change or cancellation fee.Can you cancel American Airlines award ticket within 24 hours?
You have up to 24 hours from the time you first buy your ticket for a refund if you booked at least 2 days prior to departure. The 24-hour refund policy applies to all ticket types, but you have to cancel the trip to get a refund.* Reservations booked as part of group block do not qualify for the 24 hour refund.Can flights booked with miles be refunded?
Typically, there's no way to get a full refund if you change your mind unless you buy an expensive nonrefundable ticket. But when you use points or miles to book an award ticket, you may have the option of a full refund if you decide not to travel for any reason.Booking American Airlines Flights with Chase, Amex, and Capital One Points
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