How does American Airlines handle no-shows?

For US domestic nonrefundable tickets, if you call to cancel the flight before departure, you get a credit back that you can use for future travel within one year, of course the cancellation or change fee would be deducted. For international travel , depending on the type of fare, you could either get a credit or not.

In case you don't show up at all without even informing the airline, shortly after the flight departs, the ticket would be canceled with no value left at all.

To clarify there is no cancellation fee, there is a change fee that will be charged if you decide to change your ticket for another date, but if you just cancel the ticket because you don't have a date yet you will not be charged anything until you provide a new date.

If you are a no show then you loose your ticket completely and don't have the option to change dates anymore, so if you had a ticket that you paid a lot for then it would be wise to call in and cancel, because usually once you paid the change fee you should still have some balance good for the new date.

It is possible maybe will take your place if you don't show up, but the stand by is not available since 25 february, so probably your seat will not be sold, as they usually try to hold it until the last minute before the flight is closed and once it is they cannot sell anymore tickets or check in anyone else.

well don't know where you heard all this I don't think they would charge you for cancelling a flight

why would they? by cancelling they can now sell your seat to another passenger

they would charge you for changing the reservation but not for cancelling the reservation

and remember your ticket still have value

If you don't show up for your flight and there are people on standby, they will sell your seat to them.

Its the individual's responsibility to be at the airport and get on the airplane. if they can't do that, then that's their fault.

And yes, they do charge a cancellation fee. That is just like when you return certain items and you get hit with a restocking fee.

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