American can refuse to let you board or remove you from a flight if they decide you pose a safety or comfort concern — this is a broad discretionary power that can be used in a wide range of situations.
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
This provision establishes the operational authority and standards under which the carrier may exercise passenger denial or removal authority. It codifies the carrier's discretionary gatekeeping function and specifies the categories of passenger conduct or condition that trigger this authority, creating a procedural framework for safety and operational management.
The updated Terms of Use no longer include explicit statements about how American Airlines uses performance cookies to analyze site usage and track popular pages, or how functional cookies remember your preferences like language and region settings. Previously, the terms disclosed that cookies are essential to site operation and cannot be rejected. The removal of these disclosures means users visiting the American Airlines website will not find this granular explanation of cookie purposes in the terms themselves, though cookie collection may continue through other disclosure mechanisms such as a separate privacy policy or cookie banner.
View change record →This clause gives American wide latitude to deny boarding or remove you from a flight based on its own judgment, meaning passengers can be denied carriage with limited ability to demand compensation or immediate reinstatement.
Cross-platform context
See how other platforms handle Right to Refuse Carriage and similar clauses.
Compare across platforms →"American may refuse to transport any passenger, or may remove any passenger from a flight, when American determines, in its reasonable discretion, that such refusal or removal is necessary for the safety or comfort of the passenger or other passengers or crew, or when the passenger's conduct or condition violates American's policies or applicable law. Such reasons include but are not limited to: failure to comply with crew instructions, intoxication, disruptive behavior, failure to provide required documentation, or security concerns.Excerpt from American Airlines's Terms of Use
1) REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: The right to refuse carriage is broadly recognized under U.S.
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This provision establishes the operational authority and standards under which the carrier may exercise passenger denial or removal authority. It codifies the carrier's discretionary gatekeeping function and specifies the categories of passenger conduct or condition that trigger this authority, creating a procedural framework for safety and operational management.
This clause gives American wide latitude to deny boarding or remove you from a flight based on its own judgment, meaning passengers can be denied carriage with limited ability to demand compensation or immediate reinstatement.
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