American can refuse to let you board or remove you from a plane if it decides, at its own discretion, that you pose a safety risk, have misbehaved on a previous flight, or have not followed crew instructions.
This analysis describes what American Airlines's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
The broad discretion reserved to American in this provision means passengers have limited procedural recourse against a removal or boarding refusal decision made in the moment, and the grounds listed include subjective criteria such as offensive conduct or dress.
Interpretive note: The scope of 'sole discretion' is constrained by statutory non-discrimination law, so the breadth of this provision as written may not reflect its legally enforceable limits in practice.
A passenger removed or refused transport under this provision may lose the value of their ticket and face disruption to their travel plans; the provision's reliance on American's sole discretion means the standard for removal is not objectively defined in the document, which may create inconsistent application.
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"American may refuse to transport, or may remove from the aircraft, any passenger who American, in its sole discretion, determines: has engaged in misconduct on a previous flight; may jeopardize the safety of the flight or other customers or employees; has failed to observe the instructions of any member of the crew; or whose conduct, dress or personal hygiene is lewd, obscene or offensive to other customers.— Excerpt from American Airlines's American Airlines Terms of Use
REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: Passenger removal authority interacts with the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) and Americans with Disabilities Act for passengers with disabilities, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act for passengers in protected classes, and DOT regulations governing non-discrimination in air transportation. The DOT and DOJ have enforcement authority over discriminatory removal practices. The phrase 'sole discretion' does not insulate American from statutory non-discrimination obligations, and applicable law may constrain how broadly this authority can be exercised in practice. GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: High. Discretionary removal provisions in airline contracts of carriage have been the subject of significant regulatory scrutiny, public enforcement actions, and civil litigation, particularly where removal decisions have involved passengers with disabilities or members of racial or religious minority groups. The subjective criteria in this provision create heightened litigation and reputational exposure. JURISDICTION FLAGS: EU Regulation 261/2004 provides denied boarding rights that may apply even where removal is claimed to be safety-based; EU passengers retain compensation rights unless removal is for safety reasons attributable to the passenger. In the U.S., California and other states have consumer protection statutes that may interact with broad discretionary removal clauses. CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Codeshare and interline partners should assess how this discretionary removal language applies when operating carrier decisions affect passengers on partner-issued tickets, and whether indemnification obligations follow removal decisions. COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Legal and compliance teams should audit crew training on non-discrimination standards and document removal decisions systematically to support any regulatory inquiry. The provision should be reviewed against current DOT non-discrimination guidance and any recent enforcement actions in this area.
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The broad discretion reserved to American in this provision means passengers have limited procedural recourse against a removal or boarding refusal decision made in the moment, and the grounds listed include subjective criteria such as offensive conduct or dress.
A passenger removed or refused transport under this provision may lose the value of their ticket and face disruption to their travel plans; the provision's reliance on American's sole discretion means the standard for removal is not objectively defined in the document, which may create inconsistent application.
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