DataBaseDude

Has anyone else noticed that you get points when you pay a cancellation fee? I just noticed it today when I was going through my activity.
Do other airlines do this?

haruspex

It's happened twice to me, and I appreciate it. AA gives miles for the change fee, but only to the extent that you get miles for charges to the Aadvantage MasterCard. Yet another reason I'm moving discretionary travel to DH. That said, if you travel a lot, you still can't beat legacy FF programs with LCC programs for accumulating useful benefits.

DataBaseDude

I completely agree with you with the possible exception of AirTran and I will explain why:
With AirTran's extra credit that you get when you book with an American Express card you get 3 credits for a single roundtrip, 3 of those roundtrips and you've got a free one-way ticket. Not great but not bad.
If however you can involve CLT, IND, or BWI into you plan you cen get double base points.
Example:
Fly round-trip from BWI to TPA in coach and pay with an AmEx and you get 2 points for the roundtrip, 2 more points for it being from BWI, and 1 point for paying with an AmEx. Total points 5
You only need 8 points for a free one-way ticket so if you fly coach anywhere else and pay with AmEx (example PHL to BOS 2 points, plus 1 point for AmEx; total points 3) then you get the free 1 way ticket.
Even though the points expire after a year and so do the awards, you have to admit taking 2 short roundtrips and getting a free one way ticket for it is good on airline.

Granted that the BWI promotion ends in September but it's still a pretty good deal.

StSebastian

I saw that and figured it made sense -- 1 pt per $ and for those $25, it cost them almost nothing. Giving out the 25 points for that seems completely trivial.

I like how it's labeled as a flight from CHG to FEE (or I guess CXL to FEE for a cancellation).