An American Airlines record locator is the six-letter confirmation code used to retrieve and manage a reservation.
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you book through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Airline paperwork can place several numbers beside the same trip, but only one opens the reservation on aa.com. For anyone asking what an American Airlines record locator is, it is the unique six-letter code attached to the booking, not the ticket number, flight number, or AAdvantage number.
American Airlines also calls the record locator a confirmation code. A traveler normally uses it with the passenger’s last name to find the itinerary, check in, view or change eligible trip details, select seats, add bags, and obtain a boarding pass.
American Airlines Record Locator: What The Code Does
The American Airlines record locator identifies a reservation in the airline’s booking system. The code links the travelers, flights, dates, and service choices stored under that booking.
Passengers booked together on one reservation usually share the same record locator. Travelers who bought separate reservations, even on the same flight, normally have separate codes.
- Retrieve the itinerary on aa.com or in the American Airlines app.
- Begin online check-in when the flight becomes eligible.
- View seat assignments and available seat choices.
- Add checked bags or special-service requests when offered.
- Change or cancel an eligible trip under the fare rules.
- Access a boarding pass after check-in.
Treat the code as private travel information. Avoid posting confirmation emails or boarding-pass images that show the locator and passenger name together.
Where Can You Find The Record Locator?
The record locator appears in the American Airlines confirmation email and on the boarding pass. An AAdvantage member may also find a linked reservation under “Your trips” after signing in.
Search the email for labels such as “confirmation code” or “record locator.” The correct American Airlines code contains six letters, while a 13-digit number is usually the ticket number or a credit-related identifier.
A booking made through a travel agency or another website may display several references. Look for the code labeled for American Airlines, and ask the seller for the airline’s own locator when the receipt shows only an agency reference.
Record Locator, Ticket Number, And Other Trip Codes
The American Airlines record locator is a six-letter reservation code, while the ticket number is a 13-digit identifier for the issued ticket. The table below separates those details from the other numbers printed on travel documents.
| Identifier | Typical Format | What It Identifies |
|---|---|---|
| American record locator | Six letters | The reservation used for trip retrieval and management |
| American ticket number | 13 digits, beginning with 001 | The issued electronic ticket used for receipts, credits, and ticketing records |
| Flight number | Airline code plus flight digits | A scheduled flight service, not one passenger’s booking |
| AAdvantage number | Membership identifier | The traveler’s loyalty account and mileage activity |
| Partner-airline locator | Carrier-specific code | The same itinerary inside another airline’s reservation system |
| Boarding-pass barcode | Scannable digital or printed code | Security and boarding data for a checked-in passenger |
| Bag tag number | Number on the baggage receipt | A checked bag for tracking and claim purposes |
| Trip Credit number | Credit-specific identifier | Unused travel value, not the active reservation itself |
Using The Code On AA.com
The record locator works with the passenger information requested by American Airlines to open the trip. The stable route is the airline’s official Find your trip page, which explains the six-letter code and where it appears.
- Open the confirmation email or boarding pass and copy the six-letter code.
- Enter the passenger’s last name as it appeared during booking.
- Enter the date of birth when the page requests it.
- Submit the details and choose the available trip-management action.
American’s form does not accept hyphens or slashes in the last-name field. For multiple last names, use the booked spelling with spaces, but leave out those special characters.
Why Might A Partner Airline Show Another Code?
A codeshare or partner itinerary may have one American Airlines locator and another code created by the airline operating a flight segment. Both codes can point to the same trip while serving different reservation systems.
Use the American locator to manage the trip on aa.com. The operating carrier may request its own locator for seat selection, check-in, or support on a partner-operated segment. Ask the travel agency or operating airline for its carrier-specific code when the second locator is not shown.
What To Do When The Code Does Not Work
A failed lookup usually comes from the wrong code, a name-format mismatch, or a reservation held by another airline or seller. Check the details in a fixed order before contacting support.
- Confirm that the code has six letters and is labeled for American Airlines.
- Enter the passenger’s last name exactly as booked, removing hyphens or slashes.
- Try the AAdvantage account’s “Your trips” page when the booking is linked.
- Check whether a partner airline operates the flight and requires its own locator.
- Ask the travel agency for American’s code, not only the agency booking number.
- Contact American Airlines Reservations when the booking still cannot be retrieved.
A ticket number can help an agent locate an issued ticket, but it is not a substitute for the six-letter code in the standard trip lookup form.
A locator does not exist before booking. Travelers planning a new American Airlines itinerary through Dallas–Fort Worth can compare current flight options below.
Set the search to the actual departure and arrival cities before choosing a flight, then save the confirmation email so the locator, ticket number, and itinerary remain together.
Use The Right Number For The Task
The six-letter American Airlines record locator is the number to use for opening and managing a reservation. The 13-digit ticket number is better suited to ticketing records, receipts, refunds, and travel-credit questions.
- Opening the reservation: Use the six-letter record locator with the passenger’s last name.
- Checking ticket issuance: Use the 13-digit ticket number, which begins with 001 for American-issued tickets.
- Identifying the scheduled service: Use the flight number.
- Managing a partner-operated segment: Use the operating airline’s locator when requested.
Keeping the confirmation email is the simplest way to preserve all four details without mixing them up.
References & Sources
- American Airlines.“Find Your Trip.”Defines the six-letter confirmation code, states that it is also called a record locator, and shows where travelers can find it.