Aug 22, 2015, 6:34 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
AA: $75 Expedite Ticketing Fee for awards ticketed within 21 days of travel
(Does not apply to AAdvantage elite status holders)
(Does not apply to AAdvantage elite status holders)
American Airlines charges a $75 "expedite (ticketing) fee" for awards that are less than 21 days from booking (waived for AAdvantage elite members using miles from their own account - but it may vary for awards for others; some report being charged, others not).
There used to be a workaround "loophole"- book for over 21 days out, then change to a closer date. This loophole was closed February 16, 2012, and there is no known way of avoiding this fee for those required to pay it.
AAdvantage Award Processing Charges
Ticketing less than 21 days prior to departure $75
(Waived for AAdvantage Executive Platinum®, AAdvantage Platinum® and
AAdvantage Gold® (and Platinum Pro, Concierge Key EP) members using miles from their account)
Ticketing less than 21 days prior to departure $75
(Waived for AAdvantage Executive Platinum®, AAdvantage Platinum® and
AAdvantage Gold® (and Platinum Pro, Concierge Key EP) members using miles from their account)
See aa.com awards booking page (as of 22 Mar 2016)here.
AA award $75 expedite / close-in processing fee (master thd)
May 19, 2019, 1:47 am
#288
formerly smoaky
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 300
If I have a reward flight booked 22 days out (and hence no close-in fee) but then later make a change to the flight (it's a domestic one way w/ a connection) while keeping the same departure and arrival airport, in what scenarios -- if any -- would I then incur the fee? What if I keep the date the same but switch the connecting flights on that day? What if I move the day entirely (possibly to a date that will be outside the 21 day window at the time of the change)?
Thanks.
Thanks.
May 19, 2019, 2:07 am
#289
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,550
If I have a reward flight booked 22 days out (and hence no close-in fee) but then later make a change to the flight (it's a domestic one way w/ a connection) while keeping the same departure and arrival airport, in what scenarios -- if any -- would I then incur the fee? What if I keep the date the same but switch the connecting flights on that day? What if I move the day entirely (possibly to a date that will be outside the 21 day window at the time of the change)?
Thanks.
Thanks.
If you change to a later date, no issue at all
If you book for 22 days time, then in 21 days time change it to be 2 days later - no close in processing fee
May 19, 2019, 2:09 am
#290
formerly smoaky
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 300
You will incur the $75 close in fee if you make a change to the date to bring it to an earlier date to the current date
If you change to a later date, no issue at all
If you book for 22 days time, then in 21 days time change it to be 2 days later - no close in processing fee
If you change to a later date, no issue at all
If you book for 22 days time, then in 21 days time change it to be 2 days later - no close in processing fee
Jul 28, 2019, 6:35 am
#292
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: AUS
Programs: BAEC Gold, AA PPro, Hyatt Globalist, Amex Plat
Posts: 7,029
Fee will be going away in coming months:
https://twitter.com/xJonNYC/status/1...377665538?s=20
https://twitter.com/xJonNYC/status/1...377665538?s=20
It seems these days AA doesn't "giveth" without a counter balancing "taketh"
Regards
Jul 28, 2019, 7:01 am
#293
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
This change will take place at the same time/slightly in-advance-of a bunch of other evolving changes (including updating the rules for changing an award tickets,) and, obviously the further phase-in of dynamic pricing of awards (which will take a while to fully phase in, especially for premium awards) SO, it's a lot of stuff.
Jul 28, 2019, 10:12 am
#294
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: AUS
Programs: BAEC Gold, AA PPro, Hyatt Globalist, Amex Plat
Posts: 7,029
This change will take place at the same time/slightly in-advance-of a bunch of other evolving changes (including updating the rules for changing an award tickets,) and, obviously the further phase-in of dynamic pricing of awards (which will take a while to fully phase in, especially for premium awards) SO, it's a lot of stuff.
Regards
Jul 28, 2019, 11:44 am
#296
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: MIA
Posts: 298
It’s easy to miss that this is a de facto devaluation of ExecPlat. And so AA continues the dilution of their elite tiers.
Correction - I just realized that the fees are waived for all elites (gold and higher) so it's not a devaluation of ExecPlat, but all AA elites generally.
They might as well just collapse Plat, PlatPro, and ExecPlat into a single Platinum tier. Imagine how much they could save on marketing and collateral (god, I hope Parker doesn’t read this.)
Correction - I just realized that the fees are waived for all elites (gold and higher) so it's not a devaluation of ExecPlat, but all AA elites generally.
They might as well just collapse Plat, PlatPro, and ExecPlat into a single Platinum tier. Imagine how much they could save on marketing and collateral (god, I hope Parker doesn’t read this.)
Last edited by SouthernCross; Jul 28, 2019 at 12:01 pm
Sep 28, 2019, 1:51 pm
#298
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Newton Centre, MA, USA
Programs: DL 2MM Gold, AA Plat Pro; Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium (via SPG), IHG Plat
Posts: 2,192
I'm not an expert in this but assuming you have a FF business ticket and are talking about upgrading it to a FF first class ticket, I believe others have said the answer is no.