Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Airlines and Mileage Programs > American Airlines | AAdvantage
Reload this Page >

AA award miles reinstatement / redeposit fees, issues, questions thru 30 Jun 2020

Old Mar 20, 2016, 9:00 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: JDiver

Award Reinstatement / Miles Redeposit / Expired Miles Reinstatement (Awards secured by 30 June 2020)

NOTE: This thread is obsolescent, and doesnt 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.
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
  • 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
NOTE: If bookings are on separate PNRs, AA is likely to want $150 each, according to various member posts in other threads. Push back by saying you know that the computer wants to charge $150 each, but this explicitly contradicts the published rules (assuming miles were charged to the same account), so could the agent please manually adjust the amount charged.

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. Theres no other way known to reactivate an account with miles reinstated, though its theoretically possible to petition AAdvantage customer service for mercy in force majeure issues (e.g. military deployment or other condition beyond ones control). Contact AA for your specific situation.




Print Wikipost

AA award miles reinstatement / redeposit fees, issues, questions thru 30 Jun 2020

Old Aug 21, 2015, 7:15 am
  #76  
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Programs: AA Gold . Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Platinum.
Posts: 486
Originally Posted by JDiver
I think we understand your frustration and sympathize, but your recourse here is
1) appeal to a higher authority (Sean Bentel?) at AA by succinct snail mail, explaining you and your family were booked into the Grand Hyatt Erawan (co located with the Erawan shrine) and were unwilling to risk your family's well being - and that you feel AA should waive your redeposit fee (not restocking fee - use the terminology the airline staff uses) in this instance.

2) Act upon one of the choices that have been mentioned previously.

3) Let your frustration control your actions and do nothing, lose the miles and be left with a bad taste in your mouth.

My POV may be colored by my being a trained responder and surviving a terrorist bombing and some other close calls, but there you have it. You feel, I empathize, now what?
Firstly thank you very much for being a trained responder, i have the utmost respect for you and without people like you the world would be an even more dangerous place.

Its really hit my wife and I hard, if i was traveling alone i would not have cancelled but i cant put my wife and son at risk. The timing could have been so different and the location is so well known to us. We have probably spent 3 months of our lives at the Grand Hyatt in Bangkok and its like a second home to us.

My plan of action was to take advice here. I am clearly biased and its important for me to see "the other side" .

In this instance i believe when looking at the facts its unreasonable for AA to stick to their policy. As i said earlier how is this different from the tragedy in Boston .

I want to go down the route of option 1 . I dont know who Sean Bentel is , do you have an email address please. edit. i have seans address thanks.
barnetda is offline  
Old Aug 21, 2015, 8:40 am
  #77  
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Dallas
Programs: AAdvantage EXP, IHG Spire, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, National Executive Elite
Posts: 1,523
Originally Posted by barnetda
Originally Posted by JDiver
I think we understand your frustration and sympathize, but your recourse here is
1) appeal to a higher authority (Sean Bentel?) at AA by succinct snail mail, explaining you and your family were booked into the Grand Hyatt Erawan (co located with the Erawan shrine) and were unwilling to risk your family's well being - and that you feel AA should waive your redeposit fee (not restocking fee - use the terminology the airline staff uses) in this instance.

2) Act upon one of the choices that have been mentioned previously.

3) Let your frustration control your actions and do nothing, lose the miles and be left with a bad taste in your mouth.

My POV may be colored by my being a trained responder and surviving a terrorist bombing and some other close calls, but there you have it. You feel, I empathize, now what?
Firstly thank you very much for being a trained responder, i have the utmost respect for you and without people like you the world would be an even more dangerous place.

Its really hit my wife and I hard, if i was traveling alone i would not have cancelled but i cant put my wife and son at risk. The timing could have been so different and the location is so well known to us. We have probably spent 3 months of our lives at the Grand Hyatt in Bangkok and its like a second home to us.

My plan of action was to take advice here. I am clearly biased and its important for me to see "the other side" .

In this instance i believe when looking at the facts its unreasonable for AA to stick to their policy. As i said earlier how is this different from the tragedy in Boston .

I want to go down the route of option 1 . I dont know who Sean Bentel is , do you have an email address please. edit. i have seans address thanks.
This will sound callous but in todays age there is literally a terrorist attack of some kind somewhere in the world every single day. Airlines should not be responsible for waiving fees when they happen. Take out insurance or self insure. But why ask an airline to refund your miles without charge. how do you differentiate between a bombing in Bangkok or mass executions in Mexico or a car bomb in Pakistan?

Reality is one of the safest places in most cities is the exact spot of a past terrorist act. By human nature police and security forces put a higher level of security in place to be visible and reassure the public.
imapilotaz is offline  
Old Aug 21, 2015, 8:45 am
  #78  
Moderator: American AAdvantage
 
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Matre-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
I'd actually use snail mail, not email:

Sean Bentel
Vice President Customer and Relations
4333 Amon Carter Blvd
Fort Worth, TX 76155
(817) 967-2116
sean.bentel <at> aa.com

From other posts in our fora, Elliott.org, etc.
JDiver is offline  
Old Aug 21, 2015, 8:47 am
  #79  
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Programs: AA Gold . Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Platinum.
Posts: 486
Originally Posted by imapilotaz
This will sound callous but in todays age there is literally a terrorist attack of some kind somewhere in the world every single day. Airlines should not be responsible for waiving fees when they happen. Take out insurance or self insure. But why ask an airline to refund your miles without charge. how do you differentiate between a bombing in Bangkok or mass executions in Mexico or a car bomb in Pakistan?

Reality is one of the safest places in most cities is the exact spot of a past terrorist act. By human nature police and security forces put a higher level of security in place to be visible and reassure the public.

Fair comments.

In fact there was another attempt which fortunatly exploded underwater the following day in another tourist spot in Bangkok.

Just out of interest (i am not trying to be argumentative at all , believe me i am really interested in your view) why would AA implement a cancellation policy following the Boston tragedy but not in this case. As you say how do you differentiate ?
barnetda is offline  
Old Aug 21, 2015, 8:49 am
  #80  
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Programs: AA Gold . Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Platinum.
Posts: 486
Originally Posted by JDiver
I'd actually use snail mail, not email:

Sean Bentel
Vice President Customer and Relations
4333 Amon Carter Blvd
Fort Worth, TX 76155
(817) 967-2116
sean.bentel <at> aa.com

From other posts in our fora, Elliott.org, etc.

Thanks letter will be sent today. Very much appreciated.
barnetda is offline  
Old Aug 21, 2015, 9:07 am
  #81  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
Originally Posted by Dave Noble
This seems like simply a voluntary cancellation on your part and the fee for mileage redeposit ( for non EP members ) is $150

If the flight has been cancelled , then would reasonably expect free mileage redeposit

I don't see that you have anything to complain about and not surprised with the response from customer relations
+1 OP sorry but as long as the flight flys you're SOL unless the carrier puts out a notice allowing changes w/o penalties, but that doesnt always mean being able to CX the tkts for a full refund w/o any fees. Changes mean moving the flights to other dates within the time period the carrier gives or sometimes to a different destination.

OP can you name even 1 carrier that has CX their flights to BKK?
craz is offline  
Old Aug 21, 2015, 9:16 am
  #82  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
Originally Posted by barnetda
Yes it was a rucksack bombing and it killed 24 , all tourists. The location was next door to the hotel i was due to stay at.

In fact AA and the other airlines DID bring in a waive fee cancel after the bombing in Boston .

http://consumerist.com/2013/04/16/al...s-at-marathon/
Read the link you supplied it was the ability to CX your tkt but to push it off w/o any fees. Could be if you tell AA youd like to move the trip to later next month they may work with you. But you simply dont want to go at all and I dont believe that was an option with BOS

btw I would still go down the road to get them to wavier it,nothing to lose, only I wouldnt have high expectations that they will agree and wavier it.

I understand you, does AA offer travel ins on its award tkts or Im sure theres a company that does
craz is offline  
Old Aug 21, 2015, 9:31 am
  #83  
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Dallas
Programs: AAdvantage EXP, IHG Spire, Marriott Gold, HHonors Gold, National Executive Elite
Posts: 1,523
Originally Posted by barnetda
Fair comments.

In fact there was another attempt which fortunatly exploded underwater the following day in another tourist spot in Bangkok.

Just out of interest (i am not trying to be argumentative at all , believe me i am really interested in your view) why would AA implement a cancellation policy following the Boston tragedy but not in this case. As you say how do you differentiate ?
It's actually pretty easy and simple. AA offered a travel waiver for Boston for changes, not cancellations.

AMERICAN AIRLINES: Travelers can change their flights without penalty (for one ticket change) for those originally scheduled between April 15-17, with tickets issued no later than April 15. Flights may be changed to any time between April 16-20. Call: 1-800-433-7300.
Thailand has been boiling for a while (decades), but most recently dating back to the military coup d'etat in May 2014. While terrorism is nothing to joke about or to minimize, cases like this and Boston are usually the work of a single lone wolf individual or group, and not part of a larger campaign.

The same reason why I and many people didnt cancel flights to Boston after that bombing, is the same reason why I wouldnt cancel in Bangkok (and expect airlines to swallow the lost revenue).
imapilotaz is offline  
Old Aug 21, 2015, 10:46 am
  #84  
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Programs: AA Gold . Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Platinum.
Posts: 486
Originally Posted by craz
Read the link you supplied it was the ability to CX your tkt but to push it off w/o any fees. Could be if you tell AA youd like to move the trip to later next month they may work with you. But you simply dont want to go at all and I dont believe that was an option with BOS

btw I would still go down the road to get them to wavier it,nothing to lose, only I wouldnt have high expectations that they will agree and wavier it.

I understand you, does AA offer travel ins on its award tkts or Im sure theres a company that does

Just for info other airlines have offered FULL refunds on cancelled tickets.

Qantas have as an example.

http://www.9news.com.au/national/201...ut-of-thailand

In fact i know it to be true as my son cancelled his flight from Syd to Bangkok and got a full cash refund.
barnetda is offline  
Old Aug 21, 2015, 10:51 am
  #85  
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Programs: AA Gold . Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Platinum.
Posts: 486
Originally Posted by imapilotaz
It's actually pretty easy and simple. AA offered a travel waiver for Boston for changes, not cancellations.



Thailand has been boiling for a while (decades), but most recently dating back to the military coup d'etat in May 2014. While terrorism is nothing to joke about or to minimize, cases like this and Boston are usually the work of a single lone wolf individual or group, and not part of a larger campaign.

The same reason why I and many people didnt cancel flights to Boston after that bombing, is the same reason why I wouldnt cancel in Bangkok (and expect airlines to swallow the lost revenue).

I cant argue with your last point.

However i think the option i had of "rebooking the award flight" assuming availability actually ends up costing the airline more as i am effectively blocking a booking that i know i am not going to use .

As i have said i respect the views of the posters here and i am taking every comment into consideration as clearly i am in a minority.
barnetda is offline  
Old Aug 21, 2015, 11:01 am
  #86  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
Originally Posted by barnetda
Just for info other airlines have offered FULL refunds on cancelled tickets.

Qantas have as an example.

http://www.9news.com.au/national/201...ut-of-thailand

In fact i know it to be true as my son cancelled his flight from Syd to Bangkok and got a full cash refund.
And a couple of yrs ago when I was in the same boat (a rev non-refundable tkt) on UA I was told I can change the dates or pay the fee and CX. I said yea but xx and yy has no fee refunds and UA said well had you purchased your tkt with them and not us you too would have had that option, but UA for whatever reason isnt offering that as an option and your flight is still going to fly. It did but I didnt
craz is offline  
Old Aug 21, 2015, 11:05 am
  #87  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
Originally Posted by barnetda
I cant argue with your last point.

However i think the option i had of "rebooking the award flight" assuming availability actually ends up costing the airline more as i am effectively blocking a booking that i know i am not going to use .

As i have said i respect the views of the posters here and i am taking every comment into consideration as clearly i am in a minority.
I just CXed a FC award domestic segment (last segment) with UA I didnt CX the tkt I told the csr to simply cx what I was holding,I now have till 5/3/16 to book and complete travel

I think AA can do likewise, you cx the res but dont redeposit the miles and you can use the miles either to BKK within their T&Cs of having to use it or if they allow to another destination.Im not up to date with AAs T&Cs like I am with UAs (my last segment is a domestic one off an Intl tkt, which I last used back to NY back in May)
craz is offline  
Old Aug 21, 2015, 11:59 am
  #88  
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Programs: AA Gold . Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Platinum.
Posts: 486
Originally Posted by craz
I just CXed a FC award domestic segment (last segment) with UA I didnt CX the tkt I told the csr to simply cx what I was holding,I now have till 5/3/16 to book and complete travel

I think AA can do likewise, you cx the res but dont redeposit the miles and you can use the miles either to BKK within their T&Cs of having to use it or if they allow to another destination.Im not up to date with AAs T&Cs like I am with UAs (my last segment is a domestic one off an Intl tkt, which I last used back to NY back in May)

Thats exactly the advice others here have given me . Basically to rebook even knowing that its almost certain that I wont take the flight but hope that it gets cancelled by the airline so i dont pay the fee.
barnetda is offline  
Old Aug 21, 2015, 12:18 pm
  #89  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
Originally Posted by barnetda
Thats exactly the advice others here have given me . Basically to rebook even knowing that its almost certain that I wont take the flight but hope that it gets cancelled by the airline so i dont pay the fee.

thats not what I said, but isnt bad. I said just CX what you have w/o redepositing the tkt. So you will be holding PNR DDREWQ for a FC tkt to BKK w/o any specific dates attrributed to it and then you call back when you decide its OK to go. If however you dont want to go at all no matter what in the near future, then you have to find out if you could use that same now unassigned flight wise (only destination wise) tkt to fly elsewhere if yes then you fill in BKK with XXX if you cant then you will either have to redeposit it or fly it

what you have to hope for is CX to CX their flights all together and as things look that doesnt look like what will happen. Youd be better off if you staying in HKG and not just flying straight in and out since AA can say OK CX is out but JL is flying so we will put you on them.If you will be in HKG for a day or more then XXX-NRT-HKG-NRT-BKK isnt workable
craz is offline  
Old Aug 21, 2015, 12:49 pm
  #90  
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Programs: AA Gold . Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Platinum.
Posts: 486
Originally Posted by craz
thats not what I said, but isnt bad. I said just CX what you have w/o redepositing the tkt. So you will be holding PNR DDREWQ for a FC tkt to BKK w/o any specific dates attrributed to it and then you call back when you decide its OK to go. If however you dont want to go at all no matter what in the near future, then you have to find out if you could use that same now unassigned flight wise (only destination wise) tkt to fly elsewhere if yes then you fill in BKK with XXX if you cant then you will either have to redeposit it or fly it

what you have to hope for is CX to CX their flights all together and as things look that doesnt look like what will happen. Youd be better off if you staying in HKG and not just flying straight in and out since AA can say OK CX is out but JL is flying so we will put you on them.If you will be in HKG for a day or more then XXX-NRT-HKG-NRT-BKK isnt workable
Ok i understand what you are saying now.

I have written to AA so i will see what their response is . I truly appreciate your input as well as the other posters.
barnetda is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.