In 2026, American Airlines continues its policy of zero change fees for most domestic and international flights, provided you are not traveling on a "Basic Economy" ticket. If you have a Main Cabin, Premium Economy, Business, or First Class ticket, you can change your flight without a penalty fee, but you must still pay the difference in fare if the new flight is more expensive. If the new flight is cheaper, American will typically issue the difference as a "Flight Credit" for future use. For Basic Economy tickets, the rules are much stricter: changes are generally not permitted at all unless you are an AAdvantage® elite member or have purchased a specific "changeable" add-on at the time of booking. If you need to change a Basic Economy flight, you may effectively have to cancel it and lose the value of the ticket. Always check the "fare rules" during the checkout process, as these can vary for certain partner-operated flights or specialty promotional fares.