Jan 31, 2016, 10:58 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
FAQ: Award changes after 21 March 2016 - which incur redeposit, which not
Award prices in miles are changing effective 22 Mar 2016. Many members have been asking which changes can be made on pre-existing awards on or after 22 Mar 2016 without requiring miles redeposit and issuance of new awards at the new prices - and we finally have some answers as given by the AA spokesperson through a timely article by Gary Leff and a char set c/o Smiley90 from here
Mile changes in absolute numbers (k)
Mile changes in percentage
Mile changes in percentage
First award change chart as of 22 Mar c/o Gary Leff
NOTE: 22 March 2026, several agents are saying what Gary Leff's quoted Ms. Nedbal stated, or parts of it, are not being honored.
According to Gary Leff (View from the Wing, Boarding Area, 31 Jan 2016), Laura Nedbal, spokesperson for AA, said:
Gary: "I sought further clarification and learned:
- You can change date and time without repricing the award, while keeping airlines and routing constant.
- You can change routing without repricing the award, while keeping the airlines constant, with a few caveats. Basically you cannot break the fare. You cannot add a stopover. You’re going to have to stick with a legal routing for the primary carrier on the itinerary.
- You can not change Origin or Destination, even within the same region, without causing reissue at the current award rates.
- You cannot change award types, which means you can’t go from American only to flying partners. You can’t go from extra mileage award to saver award without a redeposit of miles and re-issue."
This will require re-issue at the new rates.
Q. What if I change routing, but use the same origin, destination and airlines?
No problem, even changing connection cities and number of segments. Laura Nedbal: "Origin/dest stays same and since all carriers are oneworld there would be no charge to change carriers. Provided again, the same inventory/award as ticketed is available for change."
Q. What if I want to change from a oneworld airline such as QR to a non-oneworld partner such as EY, but keep the same origin and destination?
You will be required to redeposit the miles and secure new awards at the new rates if after 22 March.
Q. What if I want to change the award type (AAnytime to MileSAAver, MileSAAver to reduced miles, etc.), but keep the same origin and destination?
You will be required to redeposit the miles and secure new awards at the new rates if after 22 March.
Q. What if I want to change class of service and keep everything else the same?
You will be required to redeposit the miles and secure new awards at the new rates if after 22 March.
Q. Is there a limit to the number of times I can change my pre-22 Mar award booking?
Many/most flyers have reported no issues with multiple changes for pre-22 Mar award bookings. Some AA EP agents and at least one supervisor have stated the rule is only ONE VOLUNTARY CHANGE will be allowed to keep the award at the pre-22 March level. A second or subsequent voluntary change will require conversion to the new chart and "paying" more miles.
Q. What would it cost me to redeposit an award? Two or more awards?
Redepositing an award costs $150 (plus $25 for each other award secured with miles from the same account). These redeposit fees are waived if the account is that of an Executive Platinum AAdvantage member. Link to FT thread: AA award reinstatement / miles redeposit fees, issues, questions (consolidated)
If they are separate awards on different PNRs they may require $150 each.
Q. If I purchase an award by 22 March, how far out can I change the award (within the parameters given)?
An award must be used within one year of issue.
NOTE: Region changes
- Bolivia and Manaus, Brasil: changing from South America 2 to South America 1
- Venezuela: changing from South America 1 to South America 2
- Guam: changing from Asia 2 to South Pacific
- Sri Lanka: changing from Asia 2 to Indian Subcontinent/Middle East
- Kiribati, Palau, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu: added to South Pacific region
FAQ: Award changes 22 Mar 2016 - incl. which incur new mile amt, redeposit, which not
Feb 1, 2016, 3:37 pm
#46
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: YYC, SFO, OAK
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I should add also - in the DFW-HKG on AA F example, I'd also have a HKG-SIN or something booked on CX. So it's a partner award and later I want to swap the longhaul segment.
Feb 1, 2016, 3:39 pm
#47
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Feb 1, 2016, 4:03 pm
#48
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Gary's updated info from AA-- if I'm reading right-- seem to firmly reinforce that both the below rules will be firmly in effect:
http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea....6/02/01/44680/
The rules referenced:
change to oneworld airline:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/541310...in/dateposted/
Dropping a segment:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/541310...n/photostream/
http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea....6/02/01/44680/
The rules referenced:
change to oneworld airline:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/541310...in/dateposted/
Dropping a segment:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/541310...n/photostream/
Feb 1, 2016, 4:13 pm
#49
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: YYC, SFO, OAK
Programs: AS MVP 75K, AA Platinum, IHG Platinum, Club Carlson Gold
Posts: 734
What I still find confusing is the language about keeping the same airlines. So using an example of flying to Asia, could you swap inter-Asia segments between CX, JL and MH? Or change the longhaul to a partner that wasn't in the original ticket (swapping out CX for JL, for instance) Because right now those changes don't require redepositing miles IIRC
Feb 1, 2016, 4:49 pm
#50
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: SJC
Programs: AA 2MM PLT, HH Gold, Marriott Silver
Posts: 612
Still not quite clear . . . I'm looking to book SFO-AKL late this year, and think I've found SFO-SYD-AKL in QF J. Assuming that I book that, if whatever passes for saver awards on AA SFO-LAX-AKL opens up between March 23 and then, would I be able to change without incurring a reprice?
Feb 1, 2016, 5:23 pm
#51
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Still not quite clear . . . I'm looking to book SFO-AKL late this year, and think I've found SFO-SYD-AKL in QF J. Assuming that I book that, if whatever passes for saver awards on AA SFO-LAX-AKL opens up between March 23 and then, would I be able to change without incurring a reprice?
You cannot change award types, which means you can’t go from American only to flying partners.
Feb 1, 2016, 5:37 pm
#52
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: YYC, SFO, OAK
Programs: AS MVP 75K, AA Platinum, IHG Platinum, Club Carlson Gold
Posts: 734
If he wants to change to an AA award then he might add something like DFW-SFO first, so it's a mixed AA+partner award, then he can drop that segment after switching the longhaul to an AA
Feb 1, 2016, 8:36 pm
#53
Join Date: Feb 2011
Programs: AA LT GLD 1MM
Posts: 811
Dropping a segment:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/541310...n/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/541310...n/photostream/
Feb 2, 2016, 6:34 pm
#54
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Location: Florida
Posts: 29,763
BOS-DFW-HKG-SIN
SIN-HKG-DFW-BOS
You can drop SIN on the outbound because both are in Asia2.
You can NOT drop SIN on the inbound because SIN and HKG are not the same country for free. The only time you can drop segment from the origin for free, is both airports in the same country.
You can of course pay $150 AND additional miles to drop SIN on the inbound.
Should you change to return from HKG, of course the taxes would be recalculated.
Matter of fact, anytime you change the routing, regardless the change is free or not, the taxes would be recalculated.
Feb 2, 2016, 7:21 pm
#55
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Houston, TX/Australia
Programs: AA EXP/Exec Citi, NZ* G, Nat EE, Avis PP, HH Gold
Posts: 649
Gary's updated info from AA-- if I'm reading right-- seem to firmly reinforce that both the below rules will be firmly in effect:
http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea....6/02/01/44680/
The rules referenced:
change to oneworld airline:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/541310...in/dateposted/
Dropping a segment:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/541310...n/photostream/
http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea....6/02/01/44680/
The rules referenced:
change to oneworld airline:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/541310...in/dateposted/
Dropping a segment:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/541310...n/photostream/
Is that how you interpret it, Jon?
Feb 2, 2016, 7:35 pm
#56
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Looking at these ruels, it seems like anything that causes the award to need cancelled and rebooked (in the rules it says "Reinstate/Claim") will probably reprice the award and require the new amount of miles. Anything that simply says "Reissue" seems like it will be able to be changed on the same award value.
Is that how you interpret it, Jon?
Is that how you interpret it, Jon?
So, my working assumption-- and the word AA is putting put through folks like Gary Leff-- is that, in essence, any change that says "Charge Applies? No" should be free of increase in mileage due to new chart (as well as, of course, any that say "reissue")
Feb 2, 2016, 7:54 pm
#57
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Houston, TX/Australia
Programs: AA EXP/Exec Citi, NZ* G, Nat EE, Avis PP, HH Gold
Posts: 649
No, t'is not. While that makes a bit of sense-- and you're not alone in wondering/thinking that for sure-- that would directly and explicitly contradict the info AA has given to Gary Leff, etc., in that many of the changes we expect to be able to make are listed as "Reinstate/Claim" _BUT_ with fee waived.
Gary's post explicitly says "You cannot change from American-only to a oneworld or other partner airline. You cannot change from a oneworld airline to a non-oneworld partner." and the words of Laura, the rep, seem to indicate carrier changes are allowed as long as it doesn't change award type (AA vs OW vs other partner).
Feb 2, 2016, 8:20 pm
#58
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 58
Specific question, and can't really find a firm answer...
Biz Class on Cathay from NYC-HKG-Colombo in May, then back in biz from Singapore.
Seems like there are no options to change in the few days leading up to the flights if Cathay first comes available without paying the extra miles? Would the connection from DC to NYC be classified as first, allowing this? Doesn't seem like it, but trying to figure out some way to give us the option.
Thanks guys.
Biz Class on Cathay from NYC-HKG-Colombo in May, then back in biz from Singapore.
Seems like there are no options to change in the few days leading up to the flights if Cathay first comes available without paying the extra miles? Would the connection from DC to NYC be classified as first, allowing this? Doesn't seem like it, but trying to figure out some way to give us the option.
Thanks guys.
Feb 2, 2016, 9:06 pm
#59
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Do you have an example of this? Perhaps from one of the rule charts you posted.
I'm not sure I agree with this part. In the AAChange link you posted, there are several awards in that table where is says "Charge Applies? No", but the main carrier (in these cases, over-the-water) changes from AA->OW.
Gary's post explicitly says "You cannot change from American-only to a oneworld or other partner airline. You cannot change from a oneworld airline to a non-oneworld partner." and the words of Laura, the rep, seem to indicate carrier changes are allowed as long as it doesn't change award type (AA vs OW vs other partner).
I'm not sure I agree with this part. In the AAChange link you posted, there are several awards in that table where is says "Charge Applies? No", but the main carrier (in these cases, over-the-water) changes from AA->OW.
Gary's post explicitly says "You cannot change from American-only to a oneworld or other partner airline. You cannot change from a oneworld airline to a non-oneworld partner." and the words of Laura, the rep, seem to indicate carrier changes are allowed as long as it doesn't change award type (AA vs OW vs other partner).
Feb 2, 2016, 9:43 pm
#60
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Houston, TX/Australia
Programs: AA EXP/Exec Citi, NZ* G, Nat EE, Avis PP, HH Gold
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And truly, until we get past March and FT'ers start changing awards and reporting anecdotes, I'm not going to 100% assume any "lock-in" will work if I need to change an award. It is a very nice hedge though against the devaluation, and I'm happy AA is allowing this to happen (even if it's not clear-cut).