Independent site. It has no affiliation with American Airlines and does not speak for it. Bookings, flight status and contact are on the airline's own site.
If American cancels your flight, you're owed a refund. Hotels and meals depend on the cause
If American cancels your flight you can take the rebooking or a full refund, and what it pays beyond that depends on whether the airline or something outside it caused the problem. An FAA ground stop is outside American's control. Its pages promise no hotel or meals for it, and its newsroom update on the outage mentioned neither.
This page sets out American's written commitments with clause references, its waiver for the 13 November 2026 FAA ground stop as it changed, how many flights it cancelled, and how to ask for a refund, expenses and a delay letter.
American owes you a full refund when it cancels and you don't fly
US law gives every passenger on a flight to, from or within the United States a full refund of the fare, taxes and extra fees when the airline cancels, and you don't travel or accept a credit. The rule has no exception for the cause, so an FAA ground stop doesn't remove it. 1
The same applies to a significant delay or change: arriving 3 hours or more late on a domestic itinerary or 6 hours or more on an international one, a different airport, more connections or a downgrade (14 CFR 260.2).
The airline must pay within 7 business days for a credit card purchase and within 20 calendar days for cash, cheque or debit card, back to your original form of payment. A voucher counts only if you agree to it, and must last at least 5 years (14 CFR 260.6 and 260.7).
If you accept the rebooking and fly, the refund right for that fare ends. DOT isn't enforcing the rule where a flight was only renumbered and ran without a significant delay, until 7 July 2027. 2
US law sets no cash compensation for a delay or cancellation and requires no hotels or meals. Those come only from American's own commitments, below.
American pays for hotels and meals only when it caused the problem
American's policy pages blocked direct reading, so the commitments here come from search extracts of aa.com. Check the wording on aa.com before relying on it.
When American caused it (crew, mechanical, its own systems)
American arranges or pays for an approved hotel, with transport to and from it, when it caused the delay or cancellation and you're stuck overnight away from home.
Its customer service plan adds a food or beverage credit once the delay reaches 3 hours after scheduled departure. A hotel you book yourself needs American's written authorisation to be sure of reimbursement.
“approved hotel”
Conditions of carriage, section 'Delays, cancellations and diversions' (unnumbered); Customer service plan, delays section 6
When something outside American caused it (weather, air traffic control, government orders)
When the cause is outside American's control, you pay for your own hotel, meals and incidentals. An agent may help you find a room.
The contract's only remedy for a cancellation or long delay is a refund of the unused ticket and optional fees. The international tariff (Rule 55) is reported to exclude liability for delays from air traffic control.
“events beyond our control (like weather)”
Conditions of carriage, section 'Delays, cancellations and diversions'; Customer service plan 7
An FAA ground stop is outside American's control. Its pages promise no hotel or meals for it, and its newsroom update on the outage mentioned neither.
Check what American owes you for your own flight
Pick what happened. The answer combines the US refund rule with American's written commitments as read on 15 November 2026.
American widened its waiver a day after the ground stop
A travel waiver lets you change or cancel a ticket for set dates without the usual fees. This log records each version of American's waiver for the 13 November 2026 FAA ground stop, stamped with the date it was read, so it reads as history. It doesn't promise hotels or meals, and none of these versions mentioned them.
| Read on | Version | Terms | Status | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Nov 2026 | First version, American newsroom and press reports | Tickets bought by 12 November for travel on 13 to 14 November. New travel 13 to 17 November, same cabin and cities, booked by 14 November. Or cancel and request a refund. | Checked at source | 8 9 9 |
| 14 Nov 2026 | Travel alert as current on 14 November, aa.com | Tickets bought by 12 November for travel 13 to 15 November at 21 airports. Change by 15 November for new travel 13 to 18 November in the same cabin between the same cities, fare difference waived. Or cancel and request a refund. Hotels and meals not mentioned.The site's airline research could not open aa.com and holds the 21-airport count as reported elsewhere. The airport list is on the alert itself. | Checked at source | 10 4 |
Summary for 13 November as held in the site data: waiver Yes; travel Travel 13 to 15 Nov at 21 airports, tickets bought by 12 Nov; rebook Change by 15 Nov, new travel 13 to 18 Nov; fare difference Waived; refund Yes; hotels and meals Not mentioned. Compare every airline at the airline responses table.
American cancelled 892 flights on Saturday by mid-afternoon
Counts from 13 and 14 November 2026 are snapshots by different trackers at different times, so they rise through the day. Each row shows when it was taken.
| Date | Measure | Figure | Status | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Nov 2026 | American: Friday night outlook | Expected residual delays and cancellations on Friday night and into Saturday | Checked at source | 8 |
| 13 Nov 2026 | American: Friday night priority | Prioritised non-hub and international departures after the lift | Checked at source | 8 |
| 14 Nov 2026 | American: Saturday cancellations at about 9:40am ET | 488 | Checked at source | 11 |
| 14 Nov 2026 | American: share of Saturday schedule cancelled, morning | 15% | Checked at source | 4 |
| 14 Nov 2026 | American: Saturday cancellations at 2:48pm ET | 892 | Checked at source | 3 |
| 14 Nov 2026 | American: extra capacity | 1,750 seats on extra Saturday flights, plus fare caps | Checked at source | 12 |
| 14 Nov 2026 | American: fare cap | Said it would cap some airfares | Checked at source | 13 |
| 14 Nov 2026 | American: crew incentive | Extra pay for flight attendants to pick up trips | Checked at source | 13 |
| 14 Nov 2026 | American: Sunday flights cancelled in advance, as at 4:35pm ET Saturday | 20 | Checked at source | 5 |
| 13 Nov 2026 | American: ground stop duration as described | Described it as a "five-hour" ground stop | Checked at source | 8 |
Saturday cancellations by 2:48pm ET
JetBlue lost the largest share of Saturday's schedule
The full national picture is on the flights section and the ground stop page.
How to ask American for a refund, expenses and a written delay confirmation
A refund
- Use the refund request form on aa.com. Send one request per 13 digit ticket number, because seats and bags carry their own ticket numbers.
- Nothing American published says the refund is automatic. Search extracts of aa.com say requests must be made while the ticket is valid, 1 year from issue.
Expenses
- The same aa.com refund page takes reimbursement requests for hotel, transport and meals when the disruption was within American's control. Each request is reviewed on its own, so keep every receipt.
For an air traffic control stop, American's written terms don't cover these. Ask anyway if you want a written refusal for a card or insurance claim.
A written delay or cancellation confirmation
- American's contact form is reported to offer a 'Trip insurance verification' topic with the subject 'Verify flight cancel/delay'. The form couldn't be opened to confirm it, and no turnaround is published.
Card benefits and travel insurers usually want written proof of the delay and its cause. The FAA ground stop itself is on the public record on the timeline.
Have these ready:
- 13 digit ticket number (a separate request for each ticket number)
- passenger last name
- receipts for hotel, transport and meals when asking for reimbursement
Deadlines as read: Refund requests must be lodged while the ticket is valid, 1 year from the ticket issue date (search extract of aa.com; not read directly).
These steps link only to American's own pages. The claim tool drafts the letters for you to send yourself.
Card and travel cover may pay the hotel American won't
When American puts the cause outside its control, the hotel, meals and missed bookings fall to you. A card trip delay benefit or a travel policy bought before the event is the next place to look, and the wording on cause and waiting period decides it.
Most US card benefits start at 6 hours or an overnight stay, and some list only the carrier's own equipment failure. The 13 November stop ran 4 hours 21 minutes.
| Card or policy | Benefit | For an air traffic control stop | What the wording says | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Sapphire Reserve card | Trip delay | Depends | Cover starts after 6 hours or an overnight stay. Card wording does not mention ATC ground stops and experts disagree on whether an FAA failure is equipment failure. | 4 |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred card | Trip delay | Does not pay | A claim for a hotel after an air traffic control ground delay was denied. Listed hazards are equipment failure, weather, strikes and hijacking. | 14 |
| Capital One Venture X card | Trip delay | Depends | Cover starts after 6 hours. Card wording does not mention ATC ground stops. | 14 |
| American Express Platinum-tier Trip Delay Insurance | Trip delay | Does not pay | Up to US$500 a trip after more than 6 hours. The listed cause is carrier equipment failure, and Amex refused FAA-order delays in 2025. | 15 |
| American Express Embedded card benefits | Trip delay and cancellation | Does not pay | Amex said in November 2025 its card benefits would not cover cancellations or delays caused by the FAA's emergency order. Standalone policies might. | 14 |
| Citi Strata Elite and Strata Premier cards | Trip delay | Depends | Up to US$500 after more than 6 hours. Card wording not read. | 16 |
| AIG Travel Guard Preferred | Travel delay | Depends | Pays up to US$200 a day after a delay of more than 5 hours for a covered reason. The page read does not list the reasons. | 17 |
| Allianz OneTrip and AllTrips plans | Travel delay | Depends | Lists a travel carrier delay as a covered reason after 3 to 6 hours. Does not name air traffic control or the FAA. | 18 |
| Generali Global Assistance Standard, Preferred and Premium | Travel delay | Depends | Lists a common carrier delay as a covered reason after 10, 8 or 6 hours by plan. Up to US$1,000 per person. | 19 |
| Any insurer Policy bought after 13 Nov 2026 | All benefits | Does not pay | A policy bought after the event will not cover it or its knock-on disruption. | 20 |
Card by card detail is on the credit card trip delay insurance page, and 126 positions across 17 markets are in the insurance table. To start a claim, use the claim tool. This is general information about published wordings; it doesn't recommend any card or policy.
If American refuses, complain in writing first, then to the US Department of Transportation
- Write to American through its own contact or complaint page and keep a copy. US rules require the airline to acknowledge a written complaint within 30 days and send a substantive reply within 60 days (14 CFR 259.7). 23
- If the refund is refused or late, file a complaint with the US Department of Transportation's Office of Aviation Consumer Protection. It forwards complaints to the airline and uses them in enforcement. DOT complaint form 22 · DOT air travel complaints page 21
- For a card purchase, the card issuer's dispute process is another route when a refund owed under the rule doesn't arrive.
American's phone lines, chat and rebooking pages, from its own site
Every number and channel below was read on American's own pages on 15 November 2026. Fake airline support numbers circulate in search results, so call only numbers that match the airline's site. When phone queues run long, try the app, chat or text channel at the same time.
Call (US)
- Reservations, English (US and Canada): 800-433-7300 (24 hours) 24
- Reservations, Spanish (US and Canada): 800-633-3711 (24 hours) 24
Chat and text
- Web chat: Chat bubble on aa.com; virtual assistant or live chat, 24/7 per the page 25
Social accounts
- X @AmericanAir (the airline says it answers customers here) 26
- Facebook AmericanAirlines 25
Rebook, refund and alerts
More of American's own pages
- Flight statusFlight status (from the aa.com home page) on the airline's siteReported elsewhere, checked 15 November 2026
- ContactCustomer relations and feedback on the airline's siteReported elsewhere, checked 15 November 2026
- Travel alertsTravel alerts and advisories on the airline's siteReported elsewhere, checked 15 November 2026
- Refund requestRefund page on the airline's siteReported elsewhere, checked 15 November 2026
- Contract of carriageContract of carriage on the airline's siteReported elsewhere, checked 15 November 2026
- Customer service planCustomer service plan or commitment on the airline's siteReported elsewhere, checked 15 November 2026
Questions people ask about American cancellations
What happens if my American flight is cancelled?
American rebooks you on another flight or you can take a full refund of the fare, taxes and fees. Meals and a hotel come only when American caused the cancellation.
Will American refund my money if my flight is cancelled?
Yes, if you don't travel and don't accept a credit. US law (14 CFR Part 260) requires it whatever the cause, within 7 business days for a credit card and 20 calendar days for other payments.
Does American compensate for cancelled flights?
US law sets no cash compensation for cancellations. American arranges an approved hotel with transport if you're held overnight away from home, and gives a food or beverage credit at 3 hours. That applies only when American caused the problem.
Does American pay for a hotel when the FAA stops flights?
An FAA ground stop is outside American's control. Its pages promise no hotel or meals for it, and its newsroom update on the outage mentioned neither.
What is a American travel waiver?
A notice that lets you change or cancel tickets for set dates without the usual fees. For the 13 November 2026 ground stop it covered travel 13 to 15 Nov at 21 airports, tickets bought by 12 Nov, with the fare difference waived.
Did American add flights after the ground stop?
American said it added 1,750 seats on extra Saturday flights and capped some fares, according to news reports.
The same guide for other US airlines
Delta Air Lines · United Airlines · Southwest Airlines · JetBlue · Alaska Airlines · all six compared
Sources
29 sources
- 14 CFR Part 260, eCFR (version 1 November 2026) Checked at source
- DOT enforcement notice, 7 July 2026 (renumbered flights) Checked at source
- FlightAware via Yahoo News live blog Checked at source · methodology reference 14
- Upgraded Points Checked at source · methodology reference 7
- The Points Guy citing FlightAware Checked at source · methodology reference 10
- American: written terms for causes within its control Reported elsewhere
- American: written terms for causes outside its control Reported elsewhere
- American Airlines Newsroom Checked at source · methodology reference 348
- VisaVerge Checked at source · methodology reference 4
- American Airlines travel alert Checked at source · methodology reference 51
- CBS News citing FlightAware Checked at source · methodology reference 38
- ABC7 Chicago live updates Checked at source · methodology reference 387
- CNBC Checked at source · methodology reference 12
- Thrifty Traveler Checked at source · methodology reference 205
- American Express benefits guide Checked at source · methodology reference 136
- Your Mileage May Vary Reported elsewhere · methodology reference 218
- Travel Guard Checked at source · methodology reference 133
- Allianz Travel Insurance (US) Checked at source · methodology reference 115
- Generali Checked at source · methodology reference 213
- Upgraded Points Checked at source · methodology reference 206
- US DOT, Air Travel Complaints page (address from search listing) Reported elsewhere
- US DOT, Office of Aviation Consumer Protection complaint form Checked at source
- 14 CFR Part 259 (complaint responses, 259.7) Checked at source
- American Airlines phone numbers Checked at source
- American Airlines web chat Checked at source
- American Airlines X account Checked at source
- American Airlines change or rebook a trip page Checked at source
- American Airlines request a refund page Checked at source
- American Airlines travel alerts and waivers page Checked at source