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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

American Airlines vs Booking.com

American Airlines 4.8★ · Free + IAP 55
Winner Booking.com
Booking.com 4.8★ · Free to download 75

Booking.com is generally the better choice due to its ease of use, wide selection, and reliable booking process, despite some customer service and refund issues, while American Airlines struggles with app functionality, flight delays, and refund processing.

Full reviews: American Airlines · Booking.com

Booking.com offers a user-friendly experience with a wide selection of accommodations and reliable booking, though some users report issues with refunds and customer service. American Airlines' app is often criticized for being slow, buggy, and having issues with core features, alongside frequent flight delays and refund problems.

Head to head

Features & Functionality edge: Booking.comR2R3R5R6
American Airlines American Airlines' app offers many options and can be easy to use for basic tasks like booking and checking flight status R2R5. However, many users report significant issues, including slow performance R6, intermittent outages , difficulty finding features , and problems with specific functions like adding KTN to boarding passes R3, displaying upgrade lists , checking in , or booking international flights with miles . Some users also experience issues with autofill , login pages not loading , and the app refreshing and losing progress during booking . The app also has an iOS version lock, making it unusable on older devices .
Booking.com Booking.com is praised for being easy to use and navigate, offering a wide selection of booking options for hotels, flights, and car services . Users appreciate features like transparent details, adding tickets to Apple Wallet, and chat support for trip changes R53. However, some users report issues with the 'favorites' feature creating new lists for every town and a lack of a filter for 'booking without a card' .
Reliability & Performance tieR1R16R18R19
American Airlines American Airlines is frequently criticized for flight delays R1R21R27 and cancellations R19. The app itself is described as slow, buggy, and prone to errors, with users experiencing issues like forms deleting typed text, difficulty with date selection wheels, and login problems R16. Some users also report the app not updating flight times correctly R18.
Booking.com Booking.com is generally seen as reliable for finding and booking accommodations . However, there are significant reports of issues, including double bookings R67, bookings being cancelled by hosts , and hotels being falsely misrepresented . Some users also report issues with car services being unreliable . The app itself is generally stable, with one user reporting an issue with customer support chat not working due to email verification loops .
Price & Value tieR37R41R60R63
American Airlines American Airlines is criticized for charging for 'absolutely everything,' with costs for bags, seats, and other amenities significantly increasing the total ticket price R37R41. Some users also report pricing changing rapidly after logging off or exiting a booking R60.
Booking.com Booking.com is often praised for offering good deals and competitive prices . However, many users report hidden fees and unexpected charges, such as final fees and taxes not being included in initial prices R63, hotels charging extra for cleaning R79, and foreign transaction fees when prices were shown in USD but charged in Euros R81R83. Some users also report being double-charged by the hotel after paying through Booking.com .
Customer Service & Refunds tieR4R22R65R67
American Airlines American Airlines receives strong negative feedback regarding refunds, with users reporting that refunds for cancellations within the 24-hour window never came R4. Customer service is also implied to be unhelpful when issues arise, with one user mentioning an AI chat option being useless and needing to use other equally useless options to rebook R22.
Booking.com Booking.com's customer service receives numerous complaints, described as 'terrible,' 'rude,' 'horrible,' and 'non-existent' R77. Users report difficulties getting approval for cancellation waivers R75, being hung up on by representatives , and not receiving refunds for issues like double bookings R67, fraudulent listings , or flight cancellations due to natural causes . Some users, however, have had positive experiences, stating that problems were solved right away with no hassle R65R80.
Pick American Airlines if

You primarily fly American Airlines and need a basic app for managing existing bookings, and you are willing to tolerate potential app bugs and flight delays.

Pick Booking.com if

You are looking for a comprehensive travel booking platform with a wide range of options for hotels, flights, and car rentals, and you prioritize ease of use in finding deals.

Evidence note: Reviews for American Airlines often blend feedback about the airline's service (delays, refunds) with app functionality. For Booking.com, many negative reviews focus on issues with the actual bookings (hotel quality, double bookings, hidden fees) rather than the app's performance itself, though customer service issues are frequently mentioned in relation to resolving these booking problems.

Frequently asked

Does the American Airlines app handle boarding passes well?
The American Airlines app has mixed reviews regarding boarding passes; some users find it convenient for adding passes to their phone wallet R14R53, but others report issues like past flights being added to current trips R3 or the app randomly stating mobile boarding passes cannot be used at certain airports R51.
Are there hidden fees when booking with Booking.com?
Yes, many Booking.com users report hidden fees and unexpected charges, such as final fees and taxes not being included in the initial price R63, hotels charging extra for cleaning R79, and foreign transaction fees when paying in a different currency than displayed R81R83.
Is American Airlines reliable for flight schedules?
No, American Airlines is frequently criticized for flight delays R1R21R27 and cancellations R19, with some users experiencing delays that lasted an entire day R21.
How is Booking.com's customer service?
Booking.com's customer service receives numerous complaints, with users describing it as 'terrible,' 'rude,' and 'non-existent' R77, often failing to resolve issues like refunds or fraudulent listings R75, though some customers have had positive experiences R65R80.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R2] American Airlines 5/5 · US American Review: The app was very easy to use and found my information quickly
  2. [R3] American Airlines 3/5 · US Issues with boarding passes: After adding my KTN it still does not show up on my boarding passes. Whenever adding a boarding pass to my wallet on my phone if it is part of a trip it will try to add all boarding passes from the trip even for past flights that have already occurred. I have not had this issue with other airlines, seems like it’d be a simple fix and is hopefully corrected soon. Beside
  3. [R5] American Airlines 5/5 · US Super convenient!: I love using American Airlines! Super easy and convenient to make flights and easy to see where and when I’m going somewhere!
  4. [R6] American Airlines 3/5 · US Slow: It runs slow
  5. [R1] American Airlines 1/5 · US Want delays?: Literally every flight I’ve taken has been delayed. Go somewhere else
  6. [R16] American Airlines 1/5 · US Doesn’t Function: The app tries to do a lot, and consistently everything only kinda works. Every text field in every form will let you type in only to delete itself after half a second, every form will ask you your birthday, but make you scroll through all the dates on a wheel. Offers to paste from this or that app only to not do it. It’s like it wants to work but thinks it’s funny to make you do
  7. [R18] American Airlines 3/5 · US Mostly great: Great easy to use website with one real issue. The app has never updated the new times we were sent an alert on from Jetsmart. This is very confusing
  8. [R19] American Airlines 2/5 · US Worst ever: They canceled the flight I know it shouldn’t have been a big deal but I almost started crying because I get to go to the pool tomorrow with my only chance to see my bestie chance GONE!
  9. [R37] American Airlines 1/5 · US Bad: They want to charge for absolutely everything, I won’t buy flights with this airline again
  10. [R41] American Airlines 4/5 · US Easy but $$$ for everything: I miss the days when a $400 ticket meant $400, not where by the time you pay for a Bag, a seat, a window, room for your legs, and a peanut your new ticket price ends up $700! Do the CEO’s of America pay more to sit in the front at the movies or to be further away from the bathrooms at a restaurant:)?
  11. [R60] American Airlines 1/5 · US The pricing changed so rapidly when logging off: I accidentally exit my book and it increased in value. Very sus and trash
  12. [R63] Booking.com 3/5 · US Convenient if you avoid the sinister scammy parts: If you book a vehicle, it includes “insurance.” This is Booking.com’s “service” and it entirely independent from the rental company. This “insurance” is not usually honored and requires a police report. you are essentially wasting your money and will need to buy insurance again with the actual company. Additionally, the prices they show do not inc
  13. [R4] American Airlines 1/5 · US They don’t refund: I am deeply disappointed and frustrated with American Airlines. I booked a ticket under the impression that I could cancel within the standard 24-hour window for a full refund. They explicitly state they offer this, but after canceling, the refund never came. Be incredibly careful booking with them, and don't trust their cancellation policies. I will be taking my business to oth
  14. [R22] American Airlines 1/5 · US It’ll take your money. That’s it.: As of this review, the American Airlines app is the most cumbersome and useless airline app. When I book a trip on any other airline, it will list the trip from beginning to end, not by segment. (Good luck finding your flight.) And heaven help you if you have any issue with your flight. The “system” will crash leaving you use other options to rebook. And they are
  15. [R65] Booking.com 5/5 · US Excelente app: Me encanta mucho usar booking para mis reservas y el servicio al cliente tambien es muy bueno. Recomendado
  16. [R67] Booking.com 1/5 · US Double booked: Unbelievably double booked. The undoing process was painful. No refund for two weeks. Horrible experience.
  17. [R14] American Airlines 5/5 · US Easy Peezy: It was so easy and smooth to check in on the app and what i loved the most was they automatically add your boarding pass to your wallet !!
  18. [R51] American Airlines 3/5 · GB Mobile BP issues: Randomly tells you you can’t use mobile BP at this airport even though you definitely can...
  19. [R53] American Airlines 5/5 · US Very Convenient: Having transparent details and tickets added to Apple wallet makes travel more enjoyable. The chat can also help you make changes to your trip so smoothly.
  20. [R79] Booking.com 1/5 · US Not with it book direct: When looking for a place to stay in Las Vegas I shopped booking. The rate seemed fair so I took the risk of not booking direct and go with booking. Upon arrival to the hotel I realized I made a bad choice when the hotel charged me 150 for cleaning. During my 2 night stay not once did palms place give us fresh towels or clean our room. I would never recommend booking or pal
  21. [R81] Booking.com 1/5 · US Got charged Foran transaction fees for the prices shown in the US dollars?: I recently made multiple bookings for hotels and day trips using Booking.com all the prices were shown in the US dollars. With no warning or indication that my credit card will be charged in a Foreign currency now I have close $200 in foreign transaction fees. I have other credit cards that do not charge for transaction fe
  22. [R83] Booking.com 1/5 · US Misleading! Be aware!: Shows the prices on the app in us dollars but charge you in euros. Customer service is non existent .
  23. [R21] American Airlines 3/5 · US Good good!!: The app is good and all but the airline is questionable. Experience is there for sure it’s good, better than others I would say but it’s the delays that kinda knock of points on the experience part. I understand that other airlines have the same problem but I’ve experienced this with AA the most. For example I was coming back from Wyoming and the delay was over the whole day. It’s jus
  24. [R27] American Airlines 3/5 · US Maintenance updates: Normal gate changes are helpful. Where delays occur, maintenance in particular, need to be more timely and accurate.
  25. [R75] Booking.com 1/5 · US Waving the cancellation: Booking.Com makes it very difficult to get the approval process to waive the cancellation. I have called multiple times and the agent also called the Hotel as well and they agreed that they will not charge me but for some reason another you need an email but your agent called the property and they agreed so this is a very unhappy experience with Booking.Com and I will not
  26. [R77] Booking.com 1/5 · US Terrible rude customer service: I’ve been using booking for all my travel for several years and the representatives I spoke with today were some of the rudest, could not care less to accommodate or help at all. If I missed my flight and had to stay with my kids at an airport for several days, they would not have seemed to care at all to go one bit out of their way to attempt to not make that happe
  27. [R80] Booking.com 5/5 · US Happy Member: I have been using booking for years honestly I should be in one of the commercials lol. But any problems I have they always solved it right away no hassle no hesitation the only app I use to book my rooms in my own hometown or out of state I will forever be a customer

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store