Refund Information
Refund Requests for Travel Agencies Bereavement and Critical Illness
Calculating Partial Refunds Duplicate Ticket Refunds
Military Waivers Non-Refundable Ticket Exchanges with Residual Value
Refund due to Irregular Operations (IROPS) Refund due to Schedule Change
Refund Status Requests Travel Notice
Taxes and Fees Refund Requests Ticket Validity
U.S. Agencies ARC/IAR Refund Exchange Notification (REN) International IATA agencies processing through BSP
Agencies Without ARC or BSP Access
Refund Requests for Travel Agencies
Travel agencies may process refunds only in authorized situations and in accordance with published American Airlines guidelines. Unauthorized refunds may result in a debit memo. American reservations or Agency Support sales representatives may not authorize exceptions to this policy. Please refer to the corresponding file for refund guidelines and waiver codes.
Refund may be processed for the following:
· Taxes on wholly unused non-refundable tickets, where permitted
· Valid refundable wholly unused or partially used tickets
· Refundable taxes on non-refundable tickets
· Non-refundable wholly unused or partially used tickets when allowed under published exception policies, including:
o Schedule Change – see file for guidelines
o Irregular Operations – see file for guidelines
o Travel Notice – see file for guidelines
· Refunds must be processed in the same system used to issue the ticket (GDS or NDC)
If unable to refund via the same system used to issue the ticket, agencies may use ARC/IAR Refund Detail Screen, or you may submit a BSP Refund Application (RA)
o ARC - For assistance, contact the ARC Help Desk at 855-816-8003
o BSP - For instructions on how to access IATA and BSPLink, contact local IATA/BSP office
U.S. Agencies ARC/IAR Refund Exchange Notification (REN)
Valid wholly unused, partially used tickets and tax only refunds should be processed via the GDS
· If unable to refund through the GDS, you may process in your IAR/Refund Detail Screen
· Enter the applicable waiver code on the Refund Detail Screen
For assistance, contact the ARC Help Desk at 855-816-8003
Multiple Forms of Payment – ARC
ARC does not support refund of tickets issued with multiple forms of payment. If a ticket was issued using more than one form of payment, refund requests must be submitted directly through the American Airlines Refunds website for processing.
International IATA agencies processing through BSP
Valid on wholly unused, partially used tickets and tax only refunds
· Refund should be processed via the GDS
o If unable to refund through the GDS, contact the GDS help desk for assistance
o If necessary, you may submit a BSP Refund Application (RA)
· Input the Reason for Refund and any applicable waiver code on the RA
· Include the reason why you are unable to process through the GDS
For instructions on how to access IATA and use BSPLink, contact the local IATA/BSP office
Agencies Without ARC or BSP Access
Refund requests for travel agencies with NO access to ARC or BSP or passengers who purchased a ticket directly with American Airlines:
· Refunds must be submitted using the online refund form at American’s Refunds site.
o Information contained on this website is subject to change at any time without prior notice. American Airlines is not be liable for any consequences resulting from your reliance on the information.
Refunds submitted via GDS, ARC/IAR, BSP
Refunds Customer Service
· Email: Debit.memos@aa.com
Refunds submitted via the American Airlines website
· Please visit American’s Refund status tool
· For additional questions, contact Refunds@aa.com
For procedures and eligibility requirements related to duplicate ticket refunds, refer to Duplicate Ticket Refunds.
Refundable and non-refundable tickets are valid for one year from the original ticket’s date of issue. Expired tickets have no value. The fare and their associated taxes cannot be refunded. Refer to Ticket Validity for additional details.
Refund requests associated with military orders must be submitted through American’s Refunds site
Non-Refundable Ticket Exchanges with Residual Value
If a non‑refundable ticket is exchanged and the original fare is higher than the new ticketed fare, the customer is entitled to the residual value unless otherwise restricted by the fare rules.
Refer to Residual Value Refund for procedures and instructions.
A Schedule Change is a planned change that occurs more than 72 hours prior to the flight’s scheduled departure.
Examples include:
o Change of flight times
o Change of equipment or carrier
o Flight cancellation due to a reduction in frequency or suspension of service
Refer to the Schedule Change file to determine refund eligibility and processing instructions.
Refund Due to Irregular Operations (IROPS)
Irregular Operations typically occur on the day of departure but may occur up to 72 hours prior to scheduled departure.
When a customer's American or AA*/codeshare flight validated on 001 is canceled due to an Irregular Operation (IROPS), and no acceptable alternative flights are available, travel agencies may process a refund for nonrefundable tickets through normal GDS, ARC, or BSP.
Follow guidelines in Irregular Operations (IROPS) file
· Refund must be processed to the Original Form of Payment (FOP)
· Waiver Code to be used: SCRFND
· Tickets voluntarily cancelled prior to an Irregular Operations (IROPS), will not be eligible for a refund.
· If the Revenue/Published/Basic Economy or Bulk/Opaque ticket has been EXCH by American Airlines as an INVOL, the refund request must be submitted through the American Airlines Refunds site.
· If the agency accepted and reissued the ticket as INVOL, and the customer decides not to travel, a refund is permitted.
American Airlines publishes Travel Notice Exception Policies when customers are impacted by events such as severe weather, natural disasters, or other uncontrollable circumstances.
These policies outline rebooking and refund options available during the affected period.
· Refer to Travel Notice Policy for general guidelines
· Refer to Latest Communications for a list of active Travel Notice alerts.
Bereavement and Critical Illness
Tickets may be considered for refund in the event of the death of the customer, an immediate family member, or traveling companion.
Proof of relationship is required for immediate family members.
Refer to Bereavement and Critical Illness Exception Policy for full eligibility requirements and documentation guidelines.
Taxes and Fees Refund Requests
US Taxes
Select U.S. taxes may be refunded on wholly unused non-refundable tickets. Refer to Refundable U.S. Tax Codes on Non-Refundable Tickets for eligibility.
International taxes
For non‑refundable tickets, American Airlines will refund taxes and fees not imposed by the airline and collected at the time of sale, provided the ticket is unused.
The following apply:
· Carrier‑imposed charges, including surcharge Q, service fees, YQ, and YR, are non‑refundable.
· Some taxes must be remitted whether or not travel occurs and are not refundable
· Some taxes are remitted only after travel and may be refundable if the ticket is unused
· See Non-Refundable Tax Codes on International Tickets
If the agency is unsure of the refundable tax amount, a BSP Refund Application must be submitted. American Airlines cannot pre‑audit refund values by email.
The passenger must be advised that any remaining ticket value will be forfeited once a tax‑only refund is processed.
When refunding a partially used refundable ticket, the refund should be calculated according to the amount actually paid minus the amount actually used, minus any penalty. American Tariff desk can assist in calculating partial refunds on fully refundable tickets only.
Updated: April 2026