ArcaMax

American Airlines changes Erica Remer's flight without telling her. Now she's trying to get a refund for the original ticket. Why won't the airline help her?

Q: I booked a flight from Lisbon, Portugal, to Cleveland on American Airlines that was supposed to get in around 5 p.m. The airline first changed the arrival time to 5:20 p.m., which I was fine with. But then they changed it again to 9:22 p.m. My husband only discovered this change a week before my trip. I never got an email notifying me of the change.

This late arrival time completely threw off my plans, so I had to book a new flight on United Airlines that cost me an extra $900. When I called American, an agent made it seem like getting a refund would be no problem, so I submitted a request through their online form. To my dismay, American rejected my refund request and only offered me a flight credit that expires in a year.

Given that I had to buy a whole new ticket because of their unannounced schedule change, is there any way I can get a full refund from American? -- Erica Remer, Beachwood, Ohio

A: You should have received a clear and timely notification about your flight change. According to American's conditions of carriage, the legal agreement between you and the airline, you're entitled to a full refund if the carrier reschedules your flight by more than 4 hours.

The airline should have notified you of the schedule change well in advance of your departure. While they notified you of the first, minor change, the lack of communication about the second, more drastic change is unacceptable.

When you contacted American to address the issue, the agent should have sent you a written confirmation of your refund eligibility. Instead, you received a verbal assurance, followed by a written denial.

While nonrefundable airline tickets generally don't qualify for cash refunds, significant schedule changes -- especially those involving international flights -- often warrant exceptions. The Department of Transportation (DOT) mandates airlines to issue refunds for "significant" delays. Under its new consumer protections adopted last year, this is defined as any change exceeding 6 hours from the original departure or arrival times.

But this doesn't apply to canceled flights, and a look at your itinerary suggests that American canceled your flight and rebooked you on a different one. For a canceled flight, you always have the option of a full refund.

Bottom line: American can't keep your money and offer you an expiring flight credit. A brief, polite email to one of the American Airlines executives I list on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org, may have helped you get what you deserved. As I review your correspondence, it looks like you were stuck talking to an AI bot.

I contacted American on your behalf. The airline reviewed your case and issued a full refund of your original flight to your credit card, which is what you requested. Too bad it took my team's intervention to achieve this outcome. If you're ever in this situation again, remember to cite the airline's contract of carriage and DOT rules to get what you deserve.

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Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy (elliottadvocacy.org), a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him at elliottadvocacy.org/help/.

(c) 2025 Christopher Elliott

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