American considers dropping the free 24-hour hold option

A key part of the reservation process may be changed.

The Fort Worth-based carrier is testing out the airline's generous free 24 hour hold option.

Some customers won't be able to place a reservation on a courtesy hold. They won't be able to cancel a reservation after 24 hours.

There is no guarantee that you will receive the free hold option when you purchase a flight on American.

It is possible that the carrier will expand this test to include mileage awards in the near future.

Reducing the number of calls made to reservations lines is part of the motivation for the trial.

If passengers were using flight credits to complete the purchase, they would need to call to make the purchase. Customers can apply flight credits online if they purchase tickets at the time of booking.

Customers on aa.com may need flexibility when booking travel plans, the carrier said in a statement. If a customer cancels a ticket within 24 hours of purchase, they will get a full refund.

After two weeks, American will evaluate the data and make a decision if it should drop the courtesy hold.

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Customers who are on the fence about purchasing a reservation have historically been offered this option. If you chose a free hold, you had a day to either confirm or cancel your reservation.

If you bought your ticket at least two days before your flight, you will still be able to get a refund even if American stops offering free hold.

DOT regulations require airlines to offer free holds or risk-free cancellation periods.

One of the few airlines that offers both options for travelers is American.

Delta and United don't offer a courtesy hold option and instead allow flyers to cancel and get a refunds within 24 hours of purchase.

Delta and United allow you to cancel within 24 hours of purchase, even for a same day flight, if you void your reservation before departure.

American has a two-day restriction on its free cancellation policy.

The DOT only requires free cancellation for tickets booked at least a week before departure, so all airlines are more generous.

While American ponders the future of its free 24-hour hold, it is possible that the carrier will decide to monetize this option like United does.

You can lock in a United fare for a specified duration in exchange for a nominal fee that varies based on your itinerary. American offers extended holds for free in some cases, but it is not as easy to get as it is with United.

It will be interesting to see how the test goes. It's always better to have more options than less, so hopefully the carrier will keep offering free holds for award tickets.

As of late 2020, American doesn't impose change fees for most tickets.

If you end up moving to a more expensive flight after the 24 hour grace period, you will have to pay the difference.