TRIP IN VAIN Archives

Rhonda Bryant’s trip to San Francisco was ruined when American Airlines canceled her connecting flight. Despite a new federal rule requiring automatic refunds, she spent nearly seven months chasing down $403 the airline withheld. Her case reveals how major carriers sidestep refund rules—and what you must do when they do. From “trip in vain” policies to DOT complaints, here’s what travelers need to know when the refund isn’t automatic.

Are airline refunds automatic now? For this canceled American Airlines flight, they weren’t

October 27, 2025October 27, 2025 by Christopher Elliott

All Rhonda Bryant wanted was a refund for her airline ticket. She’d booked three tickets with American Airlines for a trip from Portland, Maine, to San Francisco. But when American canceled her connecting flight from Charlotte to San Francisco after hours of delays, her plans fell apart.

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