Travelomania

Can someone in the know please enlighten me about Fiji Airways current award cancellation fees and confirm if the following is correct ?

The AS website states:
"Tickets issued by other airlines with a different carrier code (ticket numbers that don’t begin with “027”) are subject to the waiver policy of the other airline."

Following, the FJ website states:
"For any flights that have not been cancelled by Fiji Airways, any change to the booking / ticket will be subject to the original fare and ticketing conditions. However, re-issue fees will be waived."

And further:
"If the reservation has been ticketed the change is subject to Fiji Airways change fee and any difference in fare. The carrier’s changes fees are currently $150 USD for any change and $250 if the change is not re-booked within 72 hours of the canceled segment."

minz56

Did you book an AS award ticket for travel on FJ?

If so then the ticket number will begin 027 (you should be able to see the ticket number on the confirmation) and based on current COVID waivers you can change or cancel it for no fee. In this situation anything you read on the FJ website is irrelevant.

If you didn't book an AS award ticket, then please clarify what kind of ticket you are holding and how you booked it.

Travelomania

Thanks for your quick response.
It is my intention to book LAX-NAN-AKL with Alaska miles on FJ, whenever the restrictions on NZ travel are going to be lifted.

minz56

OK thanks for the clarification.

AS's current COVID waiver applies for bookings up to 31 March 2021. If the waiver is not extended then any booking made after 31 March 2021 will be free from change fees, but the standard cancellation fee (US$125 per ticket) will apply unless you have a fee waiver by being MVP Gold or MVP Gold 75K.

As someone currently living in NZ I would say that the government here is unlikely to open its border until sometime in 2022. We all hope that with the rollout of vaccines it will be earlier than that, but you need to be realistic.

Mwenenzi

Before CV19, AA also flew to AKL and was going to fly to CHC. If these comes back who knows.
On the current award chart QF will also could get you to NZ at about the same 40,000-42,500/55,000 AS ff miles as FJ.
Just looking for AKL for NZ awards limits your options. FJ & QF also flew to WLG & CHC.

As above NZ Government has budgeted for the 14 day hotel isolation until mid 2022. NZ (& AU) will be very conservative with a full opening of the border.

Best of luck with your intentions.

eponymous_coward

Then that's not a "Ticket issued by other airline" and the ticket number will begin with 027.

Your statement is correct inasmuch as those are Fiji Airways policies you posted into your post, but your Alaska Airlines award ticket will be governed by Alaska's rules not FIji Airways. Since nobody knows in advance what the AS rules will be once the NZ borders are open, you'll just have to pay attention when it happens.

Travelomania

Sorry, some clarification might be helpful I suppose: I usually reside partially in NZ in my second residence and cannot wait to get back there from the US (currently 1st residence) or from Europe (other residence) either way. Since my last stay ended at the end of February 2020, I've not been able to return - and would not want to in order not to bring the virus unknowingly over - since the Covid infection situation in NZ is fluid and another apparent community-infection case was just reported today (Sunday, here in the US).
My hope is - like you mention, with the rollout of vaccines and perhaps an added negative Covid test requirement - non-residents might be able to enter, perhaps by the end of the year or beginning of 2022.
I normally fly into Sydney on Delta and then onto AKL in VA. However, VA International flights do not exist any longer and they're probably not going to come back as a member of Skyteam I assume.
Since their start into AKL from LAX, I've been on the AA flights also.
However, I've been able to book some speculative non-stop flights on United for later in the NZ spring though. In the past I've done the Honolulu routing on Hawaiian many times and now would like to try the Fiji routing - which I've not done before - since they've got their new A350 on that stretch.
I'm not very familiar with Mileage Plan awards, since I fly mostly long haul International on Delta; hence my AS award questions.

Travelomania

Thanks for the clarification - that is very re-assuring to know.

minz56

Thanks for clarifying your situation.

I guess there is little risk in making speculative bookings provided change and cancellation fees are waived. That would be case with AS Mileage Plan awards provided you book before 31 March 2021. They may extend that waiver but no one knows that yet.

Mwenenzi has outlined the airline options to get to NZ using Mileage Plan. To those you can add CX via HKG. Personally I would be driven by award availability rather than clinging to a preferred routing (eg FJ). Awards to Australia/NZ in premium cabins can often be hard to find, if that is what you are looking for.