Award ticket: can change the date several times without being charged?
Feb 22, 2015, 6:04 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SEA
Posts: 2,556
Award ticket: can change the date several times without being charged?
I have about 12,000 ANA miles available for a planned domestic-Japan roundtrip. This trip will be in August 2016, but my miles will expire on March 1, 2016. ANA domestic-Japan flights can only be booked about two months in advance, so I cannot book the August flight in February.
My question is (and I've emailed ANA about this, but have not yet received a reply): Could I book a flight, let's say on February 28, for a flight on April 28…and then around April 28 change the flight date to June 28, then later change it to the actual date I want in August? (I'm thinking this may be doable since the tickets are said to be "valid for one year".)
This is complicated, but may be the only way I can use my miles as planned. Has anyone done such a thing before, and would fees be incurred for making the date changes?
My question is (and I've emailed ANA about this, but have not yet received a reply): Could I book a flight, let's say on February 28, for a flight on April 28…and then around April 28 change the flight date to June 28, then later change it to the actual date I want in August? (I'm thinking this may be doable since the tickets are said to be "valid for one year".)
This is complicated, but may be the only way I can use my miles as planned. Has anyone done such a thing before, and would fees be incurred for making the date changes?
Feb 23, 2015, 6:47 pm
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SEA
Posts: 2,556
ANA finally wrote me back, explaining that "a domestic flight ticket is valid for 90 days following the date of issue. A ticket issued on February 28, 2016, is valid until May 28, 2016. We regret that the miles in your account may not be redeemed for flights in August 2016."
Feb 23, 2015, 8:43 pm
#3
Moderator, All Nippon Airways and Japan
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: TYO
Programs: NH SFC (*G), JL JGP (OWE), AS MVP, WOH E, IHG SE
Posts: 3,908
If you're based in Japan, you could redeem those miles for Sky Coins which would have a longer validity. However, it would only pay for part of the cost of a flight, so it's not nearly as good value.
Mar 29, 2015, 11:38 am
#4
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: Mosaic 2, Bonvoy Gold, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Premium Cabin free agent
Posts: 848
I have tried to google this but no answer. Does NH allow changes to dates on an award after travel has commenced? BR has stopped releasing BR awards more than two weeks out so I am planning just booking and calling every week or so to change the dates.
Apr 2, 2015, 12:11 am
#5
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Japan
Programs: NH Diamond, JL JGC Diamond, BA Gold Guest List(Gold for life), CX Diamond
Posts: 1,580
However, to confirm subtle thing, I have just called AMC desk.
The answer is YES. Date change is permitted, but route/carrier changes are not permitted.
You can change award flights (ANA and partners) after/before the first segment is used. When a ticket includes partners, you have to change a flight 4 days in advance.
However, you can not make the ticket open dated. So, in some cases, changing booking is tricky.