Award Change and Re-deposit Fees for Gold Members? I wasn't charged....
Jan 15, 2016, 11:29 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 284
Award Change and Re-deposit Fees for Gold Members? I wasn't charged....
I'm AA Gold and from everything I've read Gold members have to pay change and re-deposit fees for award flights.
However, in the past 2 years, I've cancelled 1 award ticket and changed city combinations for another, and I wasn't charged.
Each time I made the change/cancellation request the agent said that I would be assessed a fee, but it never showed up on my credit card.
Has this happened to anybody else? Is it possibly a function of flying on partner airlines? Is it a glitch?
However, in the past 2 years, I've cancelled 1 award ticket and changed city combinations for another, and I wasn't charged.
Each time I made the change/cancellation request the agent said that I would be assessed a fee, but it never showed up on my credit card.
Has this happened to anybody else? Is it possibly a function of flying on partner airlines? Is it a glitch?
Jan 15, 2016, 8:46 pm
#2
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Houston, TX/Australia
Programs: AA EXP/Exec Citi, NZ* G, Nat EE, Avis PP, HH Gold
Posts: 649
Were the miles from your account? Were there any major schedule changes that could have caused the fee to be waived? Any chance it showed up on a different card that is saved in AA's system?
Jan 16, 2016, 4:46 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 284
Here are the 2 times it happened to me:
1) Itinerary Change:
Original flight was FCO to MAD to JFK on Iberia
New flight was NAP to DUS to JFK on Air Berlin
2) Cancellation:
Hawaiian Airlines from HNL to JFK (while Hawaiian was still a partner)
I was thinking of booking a speculative ticket before the devaluation, but I don't want to get stuck with cancellation fees if I can't take the trip.
Any idea if it would happen again?
1) Itinerary Change:
Original flight was FCO to MAD to JFK on Iberia
New flight was NAP to DUS to JFK on Air Berlin
2) Cancellation:
Hawaiian Airlines from HNL to JFK (while Hawaiian was still a partner)
I was thinking of booking a speculative ticket before the devaluation, but I don't want to get stuck with cancellation fees if I can't take the trip.
Any idea if it would happen again?
Jan 16, 2016, 4:57 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Bye Delta
Programs: AA EXP, HH Diamond, IHG Plat, Hyatt Plat, Marriott Plat, Nat'l Exec Elite, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 16,273
You are supposed to be charged the fee, so if you book a ticket, that's what you should expect.
Jan 16, 2016, 6:44 pm
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,762
Here are the 2 times it happened to me:
1) Itinerary Change:
Original flight was FCO to MAD to JFK on Iberia
New flight was NAP to DUS to JFK on Air Berlin
2) Cancellation:
Hawaiian Airlines from HNL to JFK (while Hawaiian was still a partner)
I was thinking of booking a speculative ticket before the devaluation, but I don't want to get stuck with cancellation fees if I can't take the trip.
Any idea if it would happen again?
1) Itinerary Change:
Original flight was FCO to MAD to JFK on Iberia
New flight was NAP to DUS to JFK on Air Berlin
2) Cancellation:
Hawaiian Airlines from HNL to JFK (while Hawaiian was still a partner)
I was thinking of booking a speculative ticket before the devaluation, but I don't want to get stuck with cancellation fees if I can't take the trip.
Any idea if it would happen again?
If you think 3 times a charm, then go ahead and bet the 3rd time an agent would also forget to manually charge you the fee.
Jan 16, 2016, 6:49 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 284
Both agents told me there would be a fee. It just never posted......
Jan 16, 2016, 6:51 pm
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,762
That is my point - the agents KNEW there was a fee but they had to manually put it in. Unlike the telephone booking fee, it is not a system default. (Agent needs to Manually take off the telephone booking fee now it no longer applies). They forgot that step so you were not charged at the end. Is that clear enough now the meaning of "Manually Charged"?