American Airlines is one of the largest airlines in the world so flight delays should be expected. If your flight is delayed, the airline will put you on the next available flight to your destination. If they cannot get you another flight, they will compensate you depending on the distance of the flight. You can check the details of your new trip through the American Airlines app, website or airport kiosk.
What Do I Do If My American Airlines Flight Is Delayed?
American Airlines is the largest airline in the world by fleet size and passenger numbers. It is rarely that their flights get delayed but unforeseen circumstances ruin plans often and the airline has a clear-cut policy for what happens when flights are delayed.
Technical problems with the airplane, bad weather and pilot issues are the main reasons why flights are delayed. However, other issues such as passenger trouble may lead to the dallying of a flight.
You should remain calm even though your flight is delayed. Chances are that the airline is doing all it can to ensure that the flight arrives as soon as possible.
American Airlines Delayed Flight Policy
A flight delay according to American Airline is when a flight is 3 hours late after its Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA). In some cases, a delay may be longer than that particularly for long distance flights.
You can ask for a refund if your flight is delayed and you get on another flight to the same destination. You may also choose not to board the flight particularly if your business at the destination was time sensitive.
The compensation you receive from American Airlines will depend on the distance of the flight you were to board. The longer the distance, the higher the compensation and vice versa.
For flights whose distance is less than 1500km, passengers are entitled to receive compensation of up to €250. For medium distance flights which are flights between 1500 and 3500 km long, you are entitled for compensation of up to €400. For long distance flights which are flights over 3500 km long, the passengers are liable to receive compensation that can be as high as €600.
You should note that you have to be eligible for you to receive compensation from American Airlines. Eligibility involves buying your ticket directly from the airline and not a third party, being in the airport on time and if the delay is more than three hours long.
You should be careful to note the country that you are flying from and to because the laws in the country may affect the amount you can receive in compensation.
What to Do
There are several options you have when your American Airline flight is delayed by more than 3 hours. As we have seen, receiving compensation is the main course of action. However, there are other things you should do before asking for a refund.
The first thing you should once your flight is delayed is to go to the customer service desk and find out the reason for the delay. Based on the reason, you can decide whether to get another flight or cancel your plans.
It would be best to get the reason in writing from the customer service representative.
If your delay is for more than three hours, the airline should provide you with free meals & refreshments, a phone call to whoever you need to call and the airline should reroute you onto the next available flight.
For delays over five hours long, overnight accommodation maybe necessary which the airline should provide. You will also be provided with another flight by the airline for the next day.
The airline can apprise you of the new details of your trip in three ways: the mobile app, website and at their kiosk at the airport. Whichever you decide to use is okay but the first two are a lot more convenient than the third. you should ensure you have all your travel documents with you when visiting the kiosk.
If nothing else works, you should contact customer service immediately. You will find their contact information here.
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