Originally Posted by
eponymous_coward
No. This fee is never waived or refunded.
This is correct.
Originally Posted by
eponymous_coward
AFAIK, it's departure time.
This is also correct. I've canceled award flights ~40 minutes prior to departure and received a full refund instantly. I was already at the airport and through security, so I was a little surprised that I could still cancel it.