Mar 20, 2016, 9:00 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
Award Reinstatement / Miles Redeposit / Expired Miles Reinstatement (Awards secured by 30 June 2020)
NOTE: This thread is obsolescent, and doesn’t apply to awards secured after 30 June 2020. See this thread for changes in effect 1 July 2020.
AAdvantage award reinstatement / reissuance charges Link
Prior to ticketing, you may change your AAdvantage travel award reservations with no charge incurred for a number of stipulated changes. However, if your tickets are reissued after the original ticketing, a charge may apply for each ticket. This service charge is paid at the time your ticket is reissued and is subject to change without notice. Upgrade, companion and discount award travel is subject to restrictions of fare purchased.
AAdvantage miles will be reinstated for unused and unexpired awards upon payment of a processing fee. For each additional award reinstatement from the same account at the same time, an additional charge will be collected. These charges are payable by credit card. Gift cards may not be used.
Expired tickets will not be reinstated. If a portion of the miles used to claim an award ticket has expired, only those miles that have not expired will be reinstated. Partially used tickets will not be reinstated.
Prior to ticketing, you may change your AAdvantage travel award reservations with no charge incurred for a number of stipulated changes. However, if your tickets are reissued after the original ticketing, a charge may apply for each ticket. This service charge is paid at the time your ticket is reissued and is subject to change without notice. Upgrade, companion and discount award travel is subject to restrictions of fare purchased.
AAdvantage miles will be reinstated for unused and unexpired awards upon payment of a processing fee. For each additional award reinstatement from the same account at the same time, an additional charge will be collected. These charges are payable by credit card. Gift cards may not be used.
Expired tickets will not be reinstated. If a portion of the miles used to claim an award ticket has expired, only those miles that have not expired will be reinstated. Partially used tickets will not be reinstated.
Reinstating flight awards Link
Contact American Airlines Reservations for assistance with canceling your flight award reservation and requesting mileage reinstatement.
You can request to have your AAdvantage mileage reinstated for a wholly unused AAdvantage award ticket and if the ticket has not expired
Contact American Airlines Reservations for assistance with canceling your flight award reservation and requesting mileage reinstatement.
You can request to have your AAdvantage mileage reinstated for a wholly unused AAdvantage award ticket and if the ticket has not expired
- The reinstatement charge is $150 per account for the first award ticket.
- Additional award tickets reinstated to the same account at the same time will have a $25 charge per ticket
- This fee will be waived for Executive Platinum (and Concierge Key) members using miles from their account
Expired miles may also be reinstated within an 18 month period of time, but these will generally require a reinstatement fee or a reingagement requirement that will require certain levels of AA travel. There’s no other way known to reactivate an account with miles reinstated, though it’s theoretically possible to petition AAdvantage customer service for mercy in force majeure issues (e.g. military deployment or other condition beyond one’s control). Contact AA for your specific situation.
AA award miles reinstatement / redeposit fees, issues, questions thru 30 Jun 2020
Oct 3, 2014, 4:17 pm
#16
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: AUS
Programs: AA Exec Platinum/MM, DL Gold/MM, Hilton Diamond, Accor Platinum, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 6,960
Whether you use miles or cash for a ticket, the cancel/redeposit fee is always a fixed amount, and often more than the ticket itself is worth. Just wait until they raise the $150 fee to $200 to match the change fee on revenue tickets.
IMO the free award cancels/redeposits is one of the best benefits of EXP.
DL gives free award changes/redeposits to both Diamonds and Plats (125K and 75K mileage levels, respectively). But so many folks took advantage of it that they "enhanced" the benefit by disallowing any award ticket changes within 72 hours of departure.
IMO the free award cancels/redeposits is one of the best benefits of EXP.
where do you draw the line? Once Plt gets this perk, Gold members will come and complain how ridiculous it is and ask for waiver too... Then the creditcard members... EXP flies 100kEQM/EQP/EQS, Plat flies half of that I think its fair for EXP gets more perk than Plat.. I would agree with the idea of Plat gets 50% discount while Gold gets 25% discount in paying off mile reinstatement fee, but waiving it completely will just dilute the perks for the EXP... And EXP have plenty to complain about with this merger and the future of AA, just read thru FT.. 
Oct 3, 2014, 4:35 pm
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Pittsburgh
Programs: MR/SPG LT Titanium, AA LT PLT, UA SLV, Avis PreferredPlus
Posts: 30,987
fair - "in accordance with the rules or standards."
Is losing money gambling in Las Vegas "not fair"?
Oct 3, 2014, 10:04 pm
#19
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: BOS/UTH
Programs: AA LT PLT; QR GLD; Bonvoy LT TIT
Posts: 12,744
I would argue that reinstating/redepositing miles is an actual service.
Oct 3, 2014, 10:13 pm
#20
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: BA Gold, AA Lifetime Gold 1.8mm, IC Spire Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold et al
Posts: 4,350
Is the redeposit fee per ticket? In other words, if you cancel 4 award tickets of a party all of which have come from the same account is that 4x$150 or just a straight $150? If it's the former then that seems excessive to me. If the latter, then more that I would wish to pay but probably not excessive in broader terms.
Oct 3, 2014, 10:51 pm
#21
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: los angeles, calif.
Programs: Alaska Airlines Gold MVP
Posts: 7,170
Excessively high redeposit fees help ensure that passengers book the awards they are "sure" they are going to take, and don't hoard award inventory.
$150 is perfectly reasonable.
$150 is perfectly reasonable.
Oct 4, 2014, 4:33 pm
#22
Join Date: Dec 2013
Programs: AA Exec Plat, UA 1K, SPG Gold, HH Gold
Posts: 47
I just cancelled an award ticket and am waiting until I make EP in December to reinstate the miles. Fee problem solved.
Oct 5, 2014, 11:35 pm
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, AS MVPG, HH Diamond, NCL Platinum Plus, MSC Diamond
Posts: 21,422
Right. And more for international.
While not a lot in terms of amount, it goes a long way in principle. The current policy, AA not only keeps what they gave you, but also keeps what was to be paid to the government (do they pay it for no shows?).
Either way, it's a nice gesture to say we're refunding you what would have been paid to a third party and not taking advantage of the situation, let along the $150 fee.
While not a lot in terms of amount, it goes a long way in principle. The current policy, AA not only keeps what they gave you, but also keeps what was to be paid to the government (do they pay it for no shows?).
Either way, it's a nice gesture to say we're refunding you what would have been paid to a third party and not taking advantage of the situation, let along the $150 fee.
On another note, I believe 12500 is worth $150. I can get a business class ticket to Europe for 50K, and I believe it is worth $600 for a one way business class ticket from the west coast. IMHO, the change one way awards is great if taking a transatlantic cruise
Oct 5, 2014, 11:54 pm
#24
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: BSL
Programs: AA (EXP); among others :)
Posts: 2,520
Oct 6, 2014, 12:05 am
#25
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Is the redeposit fee per ticket? In other words, if you cancel 4 award tickets of a party all of which have come from the same account is that 4x$150 or just a straight $150? If it's the former then that seems excessive to me. If the latter, then more that I would wish to pay but probably not excessive in broader terms.
Oct 6, 2014, 7:05 am
#26
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: La Quinta, CA
Posts: 2,056
Thoughts on what the fee would be if at the time of purchase it was $150 and its raised by the time you ask the miles to be redeposited ?
Oct 6, 2014, 12:48 pm
#27
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,550
Since the fee is for the redeposit of miles, I would expect the fee to be whatever the current fee is at the time of requesting that the miles be redeposited
Oct 6, 2014, 1:02 pm
#28
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Dallas
Programs: AAdvantage EXP, IHG Spire, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, National Executive Elite
Posts: 1,523
Are you sure? I have canceled award flights and have gotten the taxes/fees back (AFAIK). My only recent experience in this, however, has been in switching from a one stop to a nonstop before the security fee change, and I got the difference refunded.
On another note, I believe 12500 is worth $150. I can get a business class ticket to Europe for 50K, and I believe it is worth $600 for a one way business class ticket from the west coast. IMHO, the change one way awards is great if taking a transatlantic cruise
On another note, I believe 12500 is worth $150. I can get a business class ticket to Europe for 50K, and I believe it is worth $600 for a one way business class ticket from the west coast. IMHO, the change one way awards is great if taking a transatlantic cruise
Dec 24, 2014, 12:53 pm
#29
Join Date: Jan 2000
Programs: UA 1k, AA EXPLT, NZ GE, VA PLT Hyatt Diam, Marr Plat, HH Diam
Posts: 3,445
award redeposit fee for former EXPLT?
Pulled an award recently (while an EXPLT) for travel June 2015, but may need to cancel/redeposit in 2015, when I'll be PLT. Will AA redeposit free of charge based on the status of when pulled (ie, no charge), or based on status at time of change/redeposit (ie, charge). At DL, their policy is that the fees that applied when ticketed/pulled count (ie, if top-tier when pulled, then no charge).
Dec 24, 2014, 1:17 pm
#30
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
Actually, evidence is that DL applies the fee waiver based on status at time of redeposit. That's been my experience with DL, repeatedly, and I'm not alone.