American Airlines extends its policy on waiving change fees through the end of the year

FORT WORTH, Texas - Customers who purchase an American Airlines ticket by Sept. 30, 2020 will not incur change fees for the remainder of the year, the airline announced Aug. 11.

“The change fee will be waived but customers may still owe any difference in ticket price when rebooking a trip,” American said in a news release, adding that the change fee waiver applies to any of its fares. 

If a person purchased a ticket for an American Airlines flight but wanted to reschedule their travel to another day and the fare for that new ticket was higher, customers would still need to pay the difference in fare, but not pay a fee for changing the flight itself.

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American had extended its change fee waiver in previous months of the COVID-19 pandemic as the number of new infections continued to rise across the world and concerns grew over the safety of traveling.

Now, Americans are barred from visiting many countries across the globe due to the COVID-19 situation in the U.S., and some states are even requiring that travelers from areas with high COVID-19 case counts undergo quarantine. Even if a person had booked a ticket to travel to another country before the pandemic, they may not be able to take their trip due to the current restrictions.

Multiple airlines have also waived their charge fees for flight changes amid the pandemic, including United and Delta.

The hospitality and tourism industries have been rattled by the COVID-19 pandemic, as surging case counts and lockdown restrictions have pushed travelers to stay at home.

The Cruise Lines International Association, of which Carnival, Royal Caribbean and other major cruise line operators are members, announced that it would voluntarily suspend U.S. operations until the end of October.

Hyatt, one of the largest hotel operators in the world, is requiring that guests wear masks when in public spaces at its properties. Multiple airlines are also requiring that travelers wear masks to help combat the spread of COVID-19.