Originally Posted by
nic3456
YMMV, but I've canceled 6 tickets the past couple of years (some on the phone and some online) and never paid any fee (Though these were all domestic US tickets and I didn't get my $5 back either)
The fee seems to be collected only as a reduction to the refund of taxes and other charges. Usually, thanks to the YQ, that means the fee would be less than the refund, but routes without YQ exceptionally mean that cancellation costs you only the modest taxes collected upon booked.
Of course, this could change at any time, I suppose, and it could become a genuine "redeposit" charge, in which case you would not see your miles again unless you pay it.