One of the most important steps in the reservation process may change, according to American Airlines.
This week, the Fort Worth-based airline started putting its generous free 24-hour hold option through some tests.
Some clients will no longer have the ability to put a reservation on courtesy hold as part of the experiment.
Instead, they will only be permitted to cancel a reservation for a full refund up to 24 hours after making it.
Other passengers will continue to see the free hold option when booking a flight, but you won't know if you'll get it until you reach to the payment page on American's website.
AAdvantage tickets still appear to be able to be reserved for the time being, but it's possible that the airline will extend this test to include mileage rewards in the near future.
The trial's main motivation is to cut down on calls to American's reservation lines.
If a passenger wanted to buy an on-hold ticket but was using flight credits to pay for it, they frequently had to phone.
But if tickets are purchased at the time of booking, customers can often apply flight credits online — without the need to contact.
The carrier stated in a statement that it was "continually evaluating our product offerings to customers on aa.com and understanding customers may need flexibility when planning travel plans.
If a customer changes their travel plans after purchasing a ticket from American, they have 24 hours to cancel the ticket and get a full refund.
After the two-week test period, American will assess the results and determine if it should proceed with releasing the courtesy hold.
This well-liked choice has historically been offered to clients who might be on the fence about making a reservation.
You could select a free hold rather than booking your flight right away, giving you a day to decide whether to confirm or cancel your reservation.
As long as you purchased your ticket at least two days before your flight, you will still be eligible for a refund within 24 hours of your purchase even if American discontinues the free hold option.
Regulations set forth by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) govern this policy and mandate that airlines provide free 24-hour holds or a 24-hour risk-free cancellation period.
Having said that, American has a reputation for being one of the few airlines to provide customers with both choices.
The two largest U.S. rivals of the carrier, United and Delta, don't provide a courtesy hold option but do let customers cancel and get a refund within 24 hours of booking.
(It should be noted that both United and Delta accept cancellations within 24 hours of purchase, even for a same-day flight, provided you do so prior to departure.)
American, on the other hand, continues to be the most restrictive of the group, limiting its 24-hour free cancellation policy to two days.
All three airlines are more lenient than the official guideline because the DOT only mandates free cancellations for tickets purchased at least one week prior to departure.
While American weighs its options for the free 24-hour hold, it's possible that the company will elect to charge for it, much like United does with its "Fare Lock" service for many of its flights.
You can reserve a United fare for a specific period of time in exchange for a small fee that varies according to your itinerary and preferred hold time.
In rare circumstances, American gives free extended holds, but it's not as common as it is with United.
It will be interesting to see how American's test turns out in any case.
It's always preferable to have more options than fewer, so maybe the airline will see the benefit in keeping the free holds available, especially for award tickets.
Remember that American no longer charges change fees for the majority of tickets as of late 2020, regardless of what the airline decides to do.
Even after the 24-hour grace period, you can still change or cancel your ticket, but you might be responsible for paying the difference in fare if you end up switching to a more expensive flight.
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