Aug 27, 2015, 12:56 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
FAQ: Cancel / canceling an award ticket
Time frame, miles redeposit fees, refund of fees and taxes, permitted changes, etc.
Time frame, miles redeposit fees, refund of fees and taxes, permitted changes, etc.
In progress. Please feel free to add.
Q. Will I incur a cost to cancel my award and redeposit my miles?
Maybe. Executive Platinum members are redeposit fee exempt if they're redepositing awards, and significant changes in flight scheduling may also allow fee-free redeposit.
One award from one account incurs a $150 redeposit fee; every other award re deposited to the same account will additionally cost $25. For a family of four with awards from one account, that means $225; from separate accounts, $600.
Q. Don't I have 24 hours to cancel my award flight without charge (like paid tickets)?
Yes. You now have the option of putting an award on five day hold, and once you purchase there's a (strictly 24 hours) 24 hour free cancellation period for award tickets.
Q. What if the airline canceled my flight / changed my schedule / changed my equipment?
If the airline or partner canceled a flight, or changed equipment, you can negotiate for / agree to reaccommodation, or ask to cancel the award and redeposit the miles free.
If there is a significant change, over 120 minutes or more internationally, for example, you may also be able to redeposit your miles free of charges. ANY Equipment Swap counts as significant change per this thread wiki: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/american-airlines-aadvantage/945200-aa-schedule-changes-free-flight-change-cancelation-refund-consolidated.html
Q. What if my plans necessitate the cancellation?
If you think you'll be taking this trip in the future (within the award expiration period), you could change the dates without penalty. If an airline cancels a flight or the trip affected by is significant changes in the future, you can cancel without redeposit fees.
Q. How long are awards good for?
Awards are good for one year after they are taken out.
You can request to have your AAdvantage mileage reinstated for an unused AAdvantage flight award if your ticket has not expired. Partially used awards cannot be reinstated.
Changes other than cancellations/ miles redeposit
Please see: Award Change for date, time, routing, co-terminal, cost, etc. all changes
FAQ: Cancel award ticket / cancellation (time frame, taxes, etc.) (merged threads)
Jul 21, 2017, 1:45 pm
#106
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,631
I'm surprised this hasn't been asked yet (at least in this thread, where the question belongs):
How much time do I have, after canceling a reservation, to pay the reinstatement fee?
Reason I ask is that I might cancel another award booking and would like to pay for both together in order to save money. But the first award ticket was issued 11 months ago; does it turn into a pumpkin at some point?
How is the booking identified once the reservation has been canceled but the reinstatement fee has not yet been paid? Does the PNR work once the reservation is canceled?
How much time do I have, after canceling a reservation, to pay the reinstatement fee?
Reason I ask is that I might cancel another award booking and would like to pay for both together in order to save money. But the first award ticket was issued 11 months ago; does it turn into a pumpkin at some point?
How is the booking identified once the reservation has been canceled but the reinstatement fee has not yet been paid? Does the PNR work once the reservation is canceled?
Jul 21, 2017, 3:33 pm
#107
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: DCA/IAD/WAS
Programs: MAR AMB, WOH Explorist, AA EXP, UA 2P
Posts: 2,138
I'm surprised this hasn't been asked yet (at least in this thread, where the question belongs):
How much time do I have, after canceling a reservation, to pay the reinstatement fee?
Reason I ask is that I might cancel another award booking and would like to pay for both together in order to save money. But the first award ticket was issued 11 months ago; does it turn into a pumpkin at some point?
How is the booking identified once the reservation has been canceled but the reinstatement fee has not yet been paid? Does the PNR work once the reservation is canceled?
How much time do I have, after canceling a reservation, to pay the reinstatement fee?
Reason I ask is that I might cancel another award booking and would like to pay for both together in order to save money. But the first award ticket was issued 11 months ago; does it turn into a pumpkin at some point?
How is the booking identified once the reservation has been canceled but the reinstatement fee has not yet been paid? Does the PNR work once the reservation is canceled?
Jul 21, 2017, 3:50 pm
#108
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Sep 6, 2017, 10:59 am
#109
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 17
What if you do NOT cancel the reservation and you simply do not board and the flight takes off....how long do I have to pay the fee to have the miles put back?
Reason: I'm hoping a flight, that I'm not going to take, gets cxld so I don't have to pay the fee. But if it goes as scheduled, then I have no choice.
Reason: I'm hoping a flight, that I'm not going to take, gets cxld so I don't have to pay the fee. But if it goes as scheduled, then I have no choice.
Sep 6, 2017, 11:12 am
#110
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: stl
Programs: AA LT Plat/8.1mm now with 1350 miles left in my account and proud of it.. SPG LT Titanium.
Posts: 3,079
I have a flight to the Caribbean early next week using Anytime Miles. I want to push it back a couple of days if the hurricane stays on it's current path ( Mia connection). I am within the weather waiver and with anytime miles I can change dates. My question is: If I have trouble getting through to AA can I just cancel on line ( I don't have a link on the reservation page to change it) and then use this ticket in the future and rebook using other miles? Stated another way, if I just cancel on line do the miles stay in that pnr so that I can rebook to the same destination within a year of ticketing or pay reinstatement during that window or do I have to talk to AA first.
Sep 6, 2017, 12:04 pm
#111
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,466
What if you do NOT cancel the reservation and you simply do not board and the flight takes off....how long do I have to pay the fee to have the miles put back?
Reason: I'm hoping a flight, that I'm not going to take, gets cxld so I don't have to pay the fee. But if it goes as scheduled, then I have no choice.
Reason: I'm hoping a flight, that I'm not going to take, gets cxld so I don't have to pay the fee. But if it goes as scheduled, then I have no choice.
Sep 6, 2017, 12:17 pm
#112
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,466
I have a flight to the Caribbean early next week using Anytime Miles. I want to push it back a couple of days if the hurricane stays on it's current path ( Mia connection). I am within the weather waiver and with anytime miles I can change dates. My question is: If I have trouble getting through to AA can I just cancel on line ( I don't have a link on the reservation page to change it) and then use this ticket in the future and rebook using other miles? Stated another way, if I just cancel on line do the miles stay in that pnr so that I can rebook to the same destination within a year of ticketing or pay reinstatement during that window or do I have to talk to AA first.
Then, at a later date, for your original ticket you can call in and have the miles redeposited if you'd like, or you can also rebook the award with the same origin/destination. All travel must be complete within 1 year of the original ticketing date.
Nov 24, 2017, 8:29 am
#114
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 39
Planning TYO-LAX paid and LAX-WAS on award. The international to domestic connection is only 1.5hr. What would happen if I miss the LAX-WAS award ticket or had to cancel at the very last minute? Would I be able to cancel right before or change to another trip within a year?
Nov 25, 2017, 2:11 am
#115
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Here
Programs: HHonors Diamond, AA EXP
Posts: 1,496
Planning TYO-LAX paid and LAX-WAS on award. The international to domestic connection is only 1.5hr. What would happen if I miss the LAX-WAS award ticket or had to cancel at the very last minute? Would I be able to cancel right before or change to another trip within a year?
Last edited by ashkale; Nov 25, 2017 at 9:44 pm
Jan 12, 2018, 9:49 pm
#116
Used to be 'g_leyser'
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Brandon Johnson International Airport (expect delays)
Programs: AA PlatPro, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold, IHG Plat, Reno Air MEGA Platinum
Posts: 10,036
What if you do NOT cancel the reservation and you simply do not board and the flight takes off....how long do I have to pay the fee to have the miles put back?
Reason: I'm hoping a flight, that I'm not going to take, gets cxld so I don't have to pay the fee. But if it goes as scheduled, then I have no choice.
Reason: I'm hoping a flight, that I'm not going to take, gets cxld so I don't have to pay the fee. But if it goes as scheduled, then I have no choice.
Jan 13, 2018, 5:36 am
#117
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,466
Assuming you're talking about say a simple roundtrip, where you would no-show for the return portion, then yes, you can rebook to a new date after the original flight date. Unless you just have no access to the internet or phone, it really doesn't make sense to just no-show though, you can cancel that portion of the trip easily at aa.com. AA will then send you a handy cancellation email with the PNR & ticket number, which you will need to rebook anyways.
Jan 13, 2018, 7:30 am
#118
Used to be 'g_leyser'
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Brandon Johnson International Airport (expect delays)
Programs: AA PlatPro, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold, IHG Plat, Reno Air MEGA Platinum
Posts: 10,036
That would largely depend on the whole itinerary and the portion you no-show for.
Assuming you're talking about say a simple roundtrip, where you would no-show for the return portion, then yes, you can rebook to a new date after the original flight date. Unless you just have no access to the internet or phone, it really doesn't make sense to just no-show though, you can cancel that portion of the trip easily at aa.com. AA will then send you a handy cancellation email with the PNR & ticket number, which you will need to rebook anyways.
Assuming you're talking about say a simple roundtrip, where you would no-show for the return portion, then yes, you can rebook to a new date after the original flight date. Unless you just have no access to the internet or phone, it really doesn't make sense to just no-show though, you can cancel that portion of the trip easily at aa.com. AA will then send you a handy cancellation email with the PNR & ticket number, which you will need to rebook anyways.
I wanted to wait until the last minute to see if there were any delays.
Appreciate the help!
Apr 19, 2018, 11:25 am
#119
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: ORD [formerly] + HKG
Programs: CX Diamond, AA exExPlat, BAEC exGold, HH Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Starriott Titanium, GE
Posts: 2,966
I canceled two awards but I was not able to redeposit my miles/get a refund as EP desk says there's a message that shows 'REFUND THRU ATO ONLY'.
The agent said I can only get a refund at the airport as the taxes were in a foreign currency
I ticketed them initially through the AA Hong Kong office, hence the taxes were charged in HKD. Should I (pay to) call the HK office and potentially save myself a trip to the airport? I'm waiting to use those miles quite urgently so this is quite annoying for me right now......
EDIT: DUH, HUACAed and another agent did it without hassles. I even ticketed my award on hold which I wanted to use these redeposited miles for.
The agent said I can only get a refund at the airport as the taxes were in a foreign currency
I ticketed them initially through the AA Hong Kong office, hence the taxes were charged in HKD. Should I (pay to) call the HK office and potentially save myself a trip to the airport? I'm waiting to use those miles quite urgently so this is quite annoying for me right now......
EDIT: DUH, HUACAed and another agent did it without hassles. I even ticketed my award on hold which I wanted to use these redeposited miles for.
Last edited by G-CIVC; Apr 19, 2018 at 1:47 pm
May 1, 2018, 8:34 am
#120
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 488
So I booked an award ticket on 4/22/18 for December travel, ORD-BKK. If I want to cancel without redeposit I can re-use this ticket on any day up to 4/22/19 without paying any fee? I would retain departure city and destination city.