{"id":208089,"date":"2025-04-30T15:00:44","date_gmt":"2025-04-30T15:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/?p=208089\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T14:14:44","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T14:14:44","slug":"aadvantage-hold-policy-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/news\/american-aadvantage\/aadvantage-hold-policy-change\/","title":{"rendered":"American Airlines Slashes Award Ticket Hold Window \u2014 Here\u2019s Why That Matters"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of my favorite perks of the American Airlines AAdvantage\u00ae<\/sup> program has always been the ability to hold award tickets for free. It\u2019s an underrated feature that gives you time to jump on a “unicorn” award when you see one, piece together travel plans, or top off your mileage balance before confirming a booking.<\/p>\n

Compared to most airlines, American\u2019s award hold policy<\/a> has been especially generous. But that's changing. While free award holds aren\u2019t going away, the amount of time you can hold an award is getting shorter. Here\u2019s what to know and why it matters.<\/p>\n

American Airlines Trims Award Ticket Hold Times<\/span><\/h2>\n

American Airlines is reining in the amount of time you can hold an AAdvantage award ticket. As of April 30, 2025<\/strong>, the hold window has been reduced from five days to just 24 hours.<\/p>\n

For anyone who\u2019s relied on this feature in the past, it\u2019s a frustrating change. Five days offered plenty of breathing room to lock in award space while earning more miles<\/a> or sorting out other travel plans — such as getting positioning flights<\/a> in order.<\/p>\n

The updated policy also complicates things if you need to transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to top off your AAdvantage balance<\/a>. Those transfers typically take a few days<\/a>, and with just a 24-hour hold, that strategy becomes far less practical. The quick alternative is to buy AA miles<\/a>, but American rarely offers sensible deals on mileage purchases.<\/p>\n

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Credit: Blocks Fletcher\/Unsplash<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n

Compared to United (which offers paid holds) and Delta (which doesn\u2019t offer holds at all), American\u2019s updated policy is still relatively consumer-friendly \u2014 but it\u2019s a clear downgrade from what it was a short time ago.<\/p>\n

And yes, you can still cancel an award and have your miles redeposited without a fee, but if you just need a little more time to gather the miles for a redemption, this change adds plenty of friction.<\/p>\n

Final Thoughts<\/span><\/h2>\n

American Airlines is cutting the free award ticket hold time from five days to just 24 hours. According to the airline, this change brings award holds \u201cin line with our other hold times for purchased tickets,\u201d but that doesn\u2019t make it any less frustrating. That is, if this is a feature you routinely take advantage of.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re short on miles for a coveted premium cabin award \u2014 like one operated by Qatar Airways or Cathay Pacific \u2014 your quickest solution is to buy the miles outright. But that\u2019s rarely a good deal, and it\u2019s an expensive way to secure your ticket if you can\u2019t gather the miles within 24 hours.<\/p>\n

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