Question: Salvage a ticketed aeroplan reward cancellation
Oct 8, 2018, 4:56 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2017
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 22
Salvage a ticketed aeroplan reward cancellation
Looking for the experts in this forum to see if there is still anyway at all to salvage the situation.
My mother-in-law used 300k AE to book 2 J round trip tickets one week out to Asia for herself and my father-in-law. It was a rush decision to go, and equally rush, to cancel the tickets a day after booking. As a result the reward tickets are cancelled within 22 days of travel and cannot be refunded.
Aside from another potential last minute decision within the next year (which is unlikely) is there anyway to salvage the 300k somehow? Or is there no way but to write off the loss?
We had already made a few calls to Air Canada and Aeroplan and weren’t provided any other options. We cannot change to another person or receive the points back.
My mother-in-law used 300k AE to book 2 J round trip tickets one week out to Asia for herself and my father-in-law. It was a rush decision to go, and equally rush, to cancel the tickets a day after booking. As a result the reward tickets are cancelled within 22 days of travel and cannot be refunded.
Aside from another potential last minute decision within the next year (which is unlikely) is there anyway to salvage the 300k somehow? Or is there no way but to write off the loss?
We had already made a few calls to Air Canada and Aeroplan and weren’t provided any other options. We cannot change to another person or receive the points back.
Oct 8, 2018, 5:04 pm
#2
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: YOW
Programs: AC-SE100K, AC-3MM, Marriott- LT Titanium, SPG RIP
Posts: 2,958
Change the outbound flights to a time that is > 22 days in the future, then later cancel the flights for a full refund of points.
You will need to pay a change fee, then later pay a cancellation fee to get the points back.
Let us know how it goes.
You will need to pay a change fee, then later pay a cancellation fee to get the points back.
Let us know how it goes.
Oct 8, 2018, 5:09 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2017
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 22
I just realized that I misread the proposed solution above - let me try that and will report back. Thanks!
Oct 8, 2018, 5:13 pm
#4
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: YEG
Posts: 3,925
you misunderstand. Change the whole ticket so that you book an outbound and a return that is more than 22 days (say 6 months away for this example). Then call back to cancel the trip and you can get your points back. You might even be able to do the cancellation online.
Oct 8, 2018, 5:41 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2017
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 22
Thanks, realized my error after I click submit.
Looks like I cannot do so online, so I'll have to call in since it's already cancelled.
Originally booking date: Sep 13
Outbound: Sep 25
Inbound: Dec 4
Cancellation date: Sep 14
So what I would be trying is:
Looks like I cannot do so online, so I'll have to call in since it's already cancelled.
Originally booking date: Sep 13
Outbound: Sep 25
Inbound: Dec 4
Cancellation date: Sep 14
So what I would be trying is:
- Search for another pair of dates with J seats with the outbound leg > 22 days out, e.g. sometime in 2019
- Call AE to book the new tickets.
- Wait a few days and call in again to cancel for miles refund
Oct 8, 2018, 6:56 pm
#6
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: YEG
Posts: 3,925
Thanks, realized my error after I click submit.
Looks like I cannot do so online, so I'll have to call in since it's already cancelled.
Originally booking date: Sep 13
Outbound: Sep 25
Inbound: Dec 4
Cancellation date: Sep 14
So what I would be trying is:
Looks like I cannot do so online, so I'll have to call in since it's already cancelled.
Originally booking date: Sep 13
Outbound: Sep 25
Inbound: Dec 4
Cancellation date: Sep 14
So what I would be trying is:
- Search for another pair of dates with J seats with the outbound leg > 22 days out, e.g. sometime in 2019
- Call AE to book the new tickets.
- Wait a few days and call in again to cancel for miles refund
Hindsight being 20/20 your cheapest cancellation option would have been to move your departure date to something over 22 days out and then cancelled it all. In order to rebook you’ll need to pay the change fee for each direction, then the cancellation fee. Moving your departure date only would have saved you one of the change fees. If not Distinction Diamond you’ll need to evaluate whether you think it’s worth recovering points (although for J it likely is).
Oct 8, 2018, 7:42 pm
#7
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: USA
Programs: AC SE100K, F9 100k, NK Gold, UA *S, Hyatt Glob, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 5,193
if the same passengers want to travel on a J round trip anywhere internationally, anytime within a year of original travel date, there is no need to change/cancel/redeposit points...
destination can be changed (with no refund if new trip would have cost any less miles) as long as first segment has not been flown.
although you will pay a change fee per person per direction, potentially this can also save you the award redeposit fee plus save you from paying a phone booking fee if your new trip would have been too complicated to book online.
destination can be changed (with no refund if new trip would have cost any less miles) as long as first segment has not been flown.
although you will pay a change fee per person per direction, potentially this can also save you the award redeposit fee plus save you from paying a phone booking fee if your new trip would have been too complicated to book online.
Oct 8, 2018, 8:38 pm
#8
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: YEG
Posts: 3,925
if the same passengers want to travel on a J round trip anywhere internationally, anytime within a year of original travel date, there is no need to change/cancel/redeposit points...
destination can be changed (with no refund if new trip would have cost any less miles) as long as first segment has not been flown.
although you will pay a change fee per person per direction, potentially this can also save you the award redeposit fee plus save you from paying a phone booking fee if your new trip would have been too complicated to book online.
destination can be changed (with no refund if new trip would have cost any less miles) as long as first segment has not been flown.
although you will pay a change fee per person per direction, potentially this can also save you the award redeposit fee plus save you from paying a phone booking fee if your new trip would have been too complicated to book online.
Oct 8, 2018, 10:14 pm
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: YYC
Posts: 23,803
This is excellent advice. OP don’t rush to redeposit points. Wait 9 months and then if points can’t be used, change/cancel. Even if only one of original pax can travel later you can save on one of the cancellation fees for the other pax. The fact that you’ll avoid a call-in booking fee for a “change” is helpful too.
Oct 12, 2018, 5:54 am
#12
Join Date: Aug 2007
Programs: Aeroplan
Posts: 600
I truly must be missing something here. This thread seems to indicate that after I have cancelled an Aeroplan ticket I can still call up and make changes to it. I would think once I cancelled it the flights are gone. The OP wanted advice about salvaging the already cancelled tickets - (cancelled on Sept 14) Wow! I am amazed that AE allows that but the responses seem to indicate it's possible. Good to know.
Oct 12, 2018, 1:43 pm
#13
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: WAS
Programs: Free Agent
Posts: 1,757
I truly must be missing something here. This thread seems to indicate that after I have cancelled an Aeroplan ticket I can still call up and make changes to it. I would think once I cancelled it the flights are gone. The OP wanted advice about salvaging the already cancelled tickets - (cancelled on Sept 14) Wow! I am amazed that AE allows that but the responses seem to indicate it's possible. Good to know.
Oct 12, 2018, 1:50 pm
#14
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kan@da
Programs: Anything with sweet spots
Posts: 1,790
Refund/redeposit fee can be cheaper than the change fee, because Aeroplan now charges $100 per direction (so $200 for roundtrip) per ticket, while refund/redeposit is $150 for the whole ticket.
Aeroplan's gonna have to change their policy and offer free cancellation within 24 hours of booking like all other North American airline-associated frequent flyer and loyalty programs, especially now that they will be "partly" owned by Air Canada and with the passage of the Air Passenger bill of rights bill and that the US Department Of Transportation imposes the 24-hour within booking waiver on airlines.
Also, Aeroplan should offer a discount on refunds/redeposits initiated online, it saves them call center agent costs!
Aeroplan's gonna have to change their policy and offer free cancellation within 24 hours of booking like all other North American airline-associated frequent flyer and loyalty programs, especially now that they will be "partly" owned by Air Canada and with the passage of the Air Passenger bill of rights bill and that the US Department Of Transportation imposes the 24-hour within booking waiver on airlines.
Also, Aeroplan should offer a discount on refunds/redeposits initiated online, it saves them call center agent costs!
Last edited by MasterGeek; Oct 12, 2018 at 1:58 pm
Oct 12, 2018, 2:56 pm
#15
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: YYZ
Programs: AMEX AC CX UA AA DL
Posts: 3,008
I truly must be missing something here. This thread seems to indicate that after I have cancelled an Aeroplan ticket I can still call up and make changes to it. I would think once I cancelled it the flights are gone. The OP wanted advice about salvaging the already cancelled tickets - (cancelled on Sept 14) Wow! I am amazed that AE allows that but the responses seem to indicate it's possible. Good to know.
19. Flight reward tickets are valid for one year from the date of issue, unless otherwise specified.
41. Unused flight reward tickets can be cancelled up to a minimum of two hours prior to scheduled departure and will remain valid for one year from the date of issue. If any refund is to be performed at the time the flight reward is re-booked (within one year from the date of issue), the refund shall be made in accordance with the original form of payment made at the time of original booking. At time of re-booking, a C$90.00 fee plus taxes per ticket will applied. This fee is non-refundable.<b>Effective December 6, 2016, a C$100.00 fee plus taxes per direction, per ticket will apply</b>. This fee is non-refundable.
42. Within two hours of scheduled departure, changes/cancellations of a flight reward are not permitted. The flight reward mileage is forfeit and the ticket is no longer valid for travel.