The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word CARRY-ON
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
C
A
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More clues leading to the result CARRY-ON
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "palaver/hand luggage on American Airlines" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case palaver/hand luggage on american airlines = carry-on.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does CARRY-ON mean?
CARRY-ON noun- That luggage or baggage which is taken onto an airplane with a passenger, rather than checked.
- An activity that is done in an excessively excitable or anxious manner.
- Taken onto an airplane with a passenger, rather than checked.