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
Mar 18, 2020, 11:12 am
#481
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: DCA/IAD & BUF
Posts: 1,392
Did you check-in for QF flight and how many days before flight departure did you ask to reinstate? Also did QF cancel the flight entirely? Those are really the only reasons AA would need to reach talk to a QF person; to confirm ticket was in fact not used or confirm flight was cancelled allowing for non-fee reinstatement (assuming waiver didn't apply to your itin).
I admit I'm starting to be a bit nervous about what the problem might be. The two Qantas 110K tickets still haven't been redeposited yet.
Mar 18, 2020, 11:26 am
#482
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: NYC
Programs: AA 2MM, Bonvoy LTT, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,636
I called to cancel the outbound flight early morning, for the flight that was departing late that evening. I hadn't checked in. I would have canceled the day before when Australia came out with the 14 day quarantine, but was identifying Award flights later in the year that I might take, to avoid at least two of the three redeposit fees. But the agent said I wouldn't be charged if I wanted to cancel the three tickets associated with the imminent trip. That honestly surprised the heck out of me. I thought I'd be on the hook for all three redeposit fees. The agent said they had to talk to Qantas because one of the tickets was already under Qantas control, assume the one that evening.
I admit I'm starting to be a bit nervous about what the problem might be. The two Qantas 110K tickets still haven't been redeposited yet.
I admit I'm starting to be a bit nervous about what the problem might be. The two Qantas 110K tickets still haven't been redeposited yet.
Mar 18, 2020, 11:58 am
#483
Join Date: Mar 2020
Posts: 10
Anyone have data points for redeposit waivers on an AA award ticket booked to Australia or NZ? I booked a last minute flight on March 12 departing March 15 LAX-AKL and cancelled my original departure March 20 since I suspected NZ travel restrictions were coming. Unfortunately I was too late since both NZ and Australia announced self-isolation requirements the next day, taking place from midnight on March 15. I cancelled my flight with AA online but then when I called, the agent said I could change my flight up to a year after booking but would not waive redeposit fee since "I knew about coronavirus when I booked".
I tried again with a DM on Twitter yesterday, and it appears the policy has changed and not only will they not waive the redeposit fee (waiver only applies to travel from March 16), but I would have to travel by Dec 31 to use the ticket. This seems completely nonsensical since the quarantine went into effect at 12.00am on March 16 and you would have had to leave the US by March 13 to arrive before then. And I can't see any reason why they would shorten the validity period for changes. At this stage I'm thinking I'll wait it out for a few weeks and see, but would love to hear from anyone else in this situation.
I tried again with a DM on Twitter yesterday, and it appears the policy has changed and not only will they not waive the redeposit fee (waiver only applies to travel from March 16), but I would have to travel by Dec 31 to use the ticket. This seems completely nonsensical since the quarantine went into effect at 12.00am on March 16 and you would have had to leave the US by March 13 to arrive before then. And I can't see any reason why they would shorten the validity period for changes. At this stage I'm thinking I'll wait it out for a few weeks and see, but would love to hear from anyone else in this situation.
Mar 18, 2020, 12:57 pm
#484
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: DCA/IAD & BUF
Posts: 1,392
Anyone have data points for redeposit waivers on an AA award ticket booked to Australia or NZ? I booked a last minute flight on March 12 departing March 15 LAX-AKL and cancelled my original departure March 20 since I suspected NZ travel restrictions were coming. Unfortunately I was too late since both NZ and Australia announced self-isolation requirements the next day, taking place from midnight on March 15. I cancelled my flight with AA online but then when I called, the agent said I could change my flight up to a year after booking but would not waive redeposit fee since "I knew about coronavirus when I booked".
I tried again with a DM on Twitter yesterday, and it appears the policy has changed and not only will they not waive the redeposit fee (waiver only applies to travel from March 16), but I would have to travel by Dec 31 to use the ticket. This seems completely nonsensical since the quarantine went into effect at 12.00am on March 16 and you would have had to leave the US by March 13 to arrive before then. And I can't see any reason why they would shorten the validity period for changes. At this stage I'm thinking I'll wait it out for a few weeks and see, but would love to hear from anyone else in this situation.
I tried again with a DM on Twitter yesterday, and it appears the policy has changed and not only will they not waive the redeposit fee (waiver only applies to travel from March 16), but I would have to travel by Dec 31 to use the ticket. This seems completely nonsensical since the quarantine went into effect at 12.00am on March 16 and you would have had to leave the US by March 13 to arrive before then. And I can't see any reason why they would shorten the validity period for changes. At this stage I'm thinking I'll wait it out for a few weeks and see, but would love to hear from anyone else in this situation.
Who were you flying on?
Mar 18, 2020, 1:09 pm
#485
Join Date: Mar 2020
Posts: 10
The carrier was Fiji Airways, so not AA metal - but I had the exact same routing LAX/NAN/AKL on my original flight, and AA redeposited miles with no fee for that, no problem because it was booked prior to March. I understand the situation is changing rapidly, but this seems like someone at AA just doesn't understand timezones ...
Mar 18, 2020, 1:20 pm
#486
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: DCA/IAD & BUF
Posts: 1,392
Yeah.... I'm starting to get a little worried .... the trips are gone from my account.....completely gone. Not even showing up in the history section. Only proof I ever made them is my confirmation emails.
Mar 18, 2020, 1:39 pm
#487
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: NYC
Programs: AA 2MM, Bonvoy LTT, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,636
https://prefunds.aa.com/refunds/
Look under STATUS column. If should be RFND if refunded.
OK means ticket not used. A refund request may or may not be in the works. Use the check refund status to see if a the refund request exist.
USED mean ticket was used for travel.
There are separate status for airport control, checked-in (but not used), and unknown.
Mar 18, 2020, 2:22 pm
#488
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 639
Hi, just to echo some of the questions posted above, does the Change fee waiver for award tickets (and miles reinstatement fees) apply to new bookings post-March 1st? Have been reading the different travel notices on American's website but seen little information about award tickets. Thanks
Last edited by Mister P.; Mar 18, 2020 at 2:40 pm
Mar 18, 2020, 2:54 pm
#489
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: DCA/IAD & BUF
Posts: 1,392
If you have ticket numbers, plug them in (Request a Receipt)
https://prefunds.aa.com/refunds/
Look under STATUS column. If should be RFND if refunded.
OK means ticket not used. A refund request may or may not be in the works. Use the check refund status to see if a the refund request exist.
USED mean ticket was used for travel.
There are separate status for airport control, checked-in (but not used), and unknown.
https://prefunds.aa.com/refunds/
Look under STATUS column. If should be RFND if refunded.
OK means ticket not used. A refund request may or may not be in the works. Use the check refund status to see if a the refund request exist.
USED mean ticket was used for travel.
There are separate status for airport control, checked-in (but not used), and unknown.
The first ticket, the one due to depart a few days ago I cancelled, says my refund amount was issued to my mastercard yesterday. (Not showing up yet, but I wouldn't expect it to be.)
However the second, the return ticket, comes up as: "We couldn't find your request. Please check that you entered the right ticket number." (Tried it several times.)
Miles aren't reinstated in either case yet.
Mar 19, 2020, 7:07 am
#490
Join Date: Apr 2011
Programs: Marriott Ambassador, AA ExecPlat, Amtrak Select Exec, former WN apologist
Posts: 1,425
I booked an award ticket back in January for PHL-LAX for travel 3/11-3/13. I canceled on 3/10 when the severity of the health situation became obvious. AA charged me a $150 mileage redeposit fee. Has anyone had any luck getting a redeposit fee refunded retroactively? Most of the "no change fee" material on the website doesn't address award tickets.
Mar 19, 2020, 7:24 am
#491
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: DFW
Programs: AA, 3MM
Posts: 37
Anyone have any insight as to when AA will extend the fee-waived reinstatement of miles past 4/30? I have a mid-May award (2 pax, one PNR) to PLS and it is becoming quite obvious that this trip will not occur. I don't want to call and tie up valuable resources for those in immediate need, just curious when I will be able to pursue without a bunch of HUCA's until finding the right person to waive the reinstatement fees.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Mar 19, 2020, 7:35 am
#492
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: VA
Programs: AA EXP, DL Gold, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Wyndham Diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 293
Anyone have any insight as to when AA will extend the fee-waived reinstatement of miles past 4/30? I have a mid-May award (2 pax, one PNR) to PLS and it is becoming quite obvious that this trip will not occur. I don't want to call and tie up valuable resources for those in immediate need, just curious when I will be able to pursue without a bunch of HUCA's until finding the right person to waive the reinstatement fees.
Thanks!
Thanks!
The only reason I have a twitter account is to have the airlines , hotels , and car rental folks handle stuff like this.
I sent them a message yesterday because I didn't want to tie someone up on the phone either. The twitter team canceled an award reservation for my wife and I (June trip), and submitted the request for mileage reinstatement. I'm EXP so it's free for me, but you can always ask them to waive it. I can't see them denying the request... the rules have become very consumer friendly.
One thing to note - the mileage reinstatment has always been immediate (in my experience), but there's a backlog right now, so it may take a day or two.
Mar 19, 2020, 8:57 am
#493
Join Date: Mar 2020
Programs: AAdvantage
Posts: 1
Cancel now or wait?
I saw that Canada and the US are about to impose a travel ban on recreational travel between the countries. Should I go ahead and try and cancel my April 3rd award ticket to Canada now or wait until the travel restrictions become official?
Mar 19, 2020, 10:11 am
#494
Join Date: Apr 2011
Programs: Marriott Ambassador, AA ExecPlat, Amtrak Select Exec, former WN apologist
Posts: 1,425
I would wait. If you cancel now, you just get a waived change fee and have to use the ticket with certain restrictions. If they cancel the flight, you get a direct refund. Or at least that is my current understanding.
Mar 19, 2020, 11:43 am
#495
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: NYC
Programs: AA 2MM, Bonvoy LTT, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,636
Now that's interesting.
The first ticket, the one due to depart a few days ago I cancelled, says my refund amount was issued to my mastercard yesterday. (Not showing up yet, but I wouldn't expect it to be.)
However the second, the return ticket, comes up as: "We couldn't find your request. Please check that you entered the right ticket number." (Tried it several times.)
Miles aren't reinstated in either case yet.
The first ticket, the one due to depart a few days ago I cancelled, says my refund amount was issued to my mastercard yesterday. (Not showing up yet, but I wouldn't expect it to be.)
However the second, the return ticket, comes up as: "We couldn't find your request. Please check that you entered the right ticket number." (Tried it several times.)
Miles aren't reinstated in either case yet.