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
Apr 20, 2016, 2:32 pm
#796
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: YYZ
Programs: AA LT Plat, AC 25K, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,137
I had a JFK-LHR saver award at 20k + LHR-AUH at 30k on one ticket for total of 50k. Now, I had to change the date, but the JFK-LHR fell out of the saver window, so they have to re-instate ($150) and er-issue the whole thing at new award level which is 30k + 42.5k even though LHR-AUH was just date change.
Sounds about right, but I wonder if anyone had a similar issue and able to keep the non-US-LON flight at old award levels?
Sounds about right, but I wonder if anyone had a similar issue and able to keep the non-US-LON flight at old award levels?
YYZ-AUH-KHI, KHI-AUH-YYZ was booked pre-deval in J (2x67.5K), and was changed yesterday to YYZ-AUH-IKA, KHI-AUH-YYZ on the same dates.
Even though only the outbound was being changed, the entire ticket was re-issued and I was refunded 135K and charged 150K (as well as charged USD150 plus refunded the difference in taxes).
I tried to argue the point, but the agent at AA Australia wouldn't budge. Since AA USA couldn't see the space, I had to ticket with AA Australia.
Last edited by nabeelj; Apr 20, 2016 at 2:38 pm
Apr 20, 2016, 3:21 pm
#797
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: OZ *G; HH Diamond;
Posts: 1,644
I had a JFK-LHR saver award at 20k + LHR-AUH at 30k on one ticket for total of 50k. Now, I had to change the date, but the JFK-LHR fell out of the saver window, so they have to re-instate ($150) and er-issue the whole thing at new award level which is 30k + 42.5k even though LHR-AUH was just date change.
Sounds about right, but I wonder if anyone had a similar issue and able to keep the non-US-LON flight at old award levels?
Sounds about right, but I wonder if anyone had a similar issue and able to keep the non-US-LON flight at old award levels?
Apr 20, 2016, 3:35 pm
#798
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,572
I had a JFK-LHR saver award at 20k + LHR-AUH at 30k on one ticket for total of 50k. Now, I had to change the date, but the JFK-LHR fell out of the saver window, so they have to re-instate ($150) and er-issue the whole thing at new award level which is 30k + 42.5k even though LHR-AUH was just date change.
Sounds about right, but I wonder if anyone had a similar issue and able to keep the non-US-LON flight at old award levels?
Sounds about right, but I wonder if anyone had a similar issue and able to keep the non-US-LON flight at old award levels?
If that can be done for $150 whilst leaving the LHR-AUH in place, should then be able to make the date change for LHR-AUH without a new award being issued
Can then make a separate JFK-LHR at the new rate
If there is no stopover in London, then the drawback of this would be the lack of protection should the connection be missed and that luggage would not be checked through
Apr 20, 2016, 3:47 pm
#799
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,172
I would see what the agent quotes to just cancel the JFK-LHR sector out of the booking
If that can be done for $150 whilst leaving the LHR-AUH in place, should then be able to make the date change for LHR-AUH without a new award being issued
Can then make a separate JFK-LHR at the new rate
If there is no stopover in London, then the drawback of this would be the lack of protection should the connection be missed and that luggage would not be checked through
If that can be done for $150 whilst leaving the LHR-AUH in place, should then be able to make the date change for LHR-AUH without a new award being issued
Can then make a separate JFK-LHR at the new rate
If there is no stopover in London, then the drawback of this would be the lack of protection should the connection be missed and that luggage would not be checked through
Great point, but wouldn't that change the orig/dest and cause for a re-issue at new levels anyways?
I already made the change now (which apparently I had no choice but to either cancel or accept. When I originally called to make the change, the AU agent made no mention of all this and this got hung up in ticketing which prompted the AA call).
Apr 20, 2016, 3:53 pm
#800
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,572
(This is a stopover in LHR)
Great point, but wouldn't that change the orig/dest and cause for a re-issue at new levels anyways?
I already made the change now (which apparently I had no choice but to either cancel or accept. When I originally called to make the change, the AU agent made no mention of all this and this got hung up in ticketing which prompted the AA call).
Great point, but wouldn't that change the orig/dest and cause for a re-issue at new levels anyways?
I already made the change now (which apparently I had no choice but to either cancel or accept. When I originally called to make the change, the AU agent made no mention of all this and this got hung up in ticketing which prompted the AA call).
Apr 20, 2016, 4:26 pm
#801
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: AA EP
Posts: 2,203
Agents have been instructed to look at the entire PNR -- even if it is multiple awards. Have assisted a few people with multiple awards within a PNR, trying to say drop a segment on award #2 or in one case just wanting to voluntarily change and pay a higher amount on the outbound award. Each time, it was determined that any change would cause a total re-pricing. The only exception to this would be the last award. If you can find a way to not use the last award at all, was advised to fly the first 2 awards and then refund/change the last award once the first 2 awards are flown. In the end we ended up biking a new 3rd award for different dates with non AA space so as not to cause SAGE to freak out with an impossible routing. All worked well.
Apr 20, 2016, 4:49 pm
#802
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: SEA, FLL, Martha’s Vineyard
Programs: AS MVPGold75K, Hilton Gold, IHG Platinum, Pan Am million-miler
Posts: 2,019
I booked a reservation pre-devaluation J award, DEN-LAX-HND AA metal. I now want a DEN-LAX-HKG-HND on CX. There are no overnights, and it doesn't violate any AA rules. Do I have to pay the difference in miles, and is there any change fee? This is for a friend who does not have status.
Apr 20, 2016, 5:06 pm
#803
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: AA EP
Posts: 2,203
I booked a reservation pre-devaluation J award, DEN-LAX-HND AA metal. I now want a DEN-LAX-HKG-HND on CX. There are no overnights, and it doesn't violate any AA rules. Do I have to pay the difference in miles, and is there any change fee? This is for a friend who does not have status.
Last edited by AAExecPlatFlier; Apr 20, 2016 at 5:28 pm
Apr 20, 2016, 5:15 pm
#804
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Apr 20, 2016, 8:03 pm
#805
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 52
I'm trying to plan for a call tomorrow requesting a schedule change. Current pre-deval tickets are ATL-(AA F)-LAX-(TN J)-PPT and mirrored return. 2 tickets with separate PNRs because we're currently on the same TN flights but different AA flights due to what was available at booking--looks like AA is only releasing 1 Z per flight from ATL-LAX and LAX-ATL for 2017 so far.
I want to change 1 ticket with just the new dates, otherwise same routing and class. The other I want to change the same way, but it looks like there are not 2 Z seats even on separate flights on the outbound. So the 1 ticket would need to change to ATL-DFW/CLT/PHX-LAX-PPT. That should be ok without a reprice, right?
And 2nd question, more advanced though: There's a chance we're moving from ATL to DC area before these flights. Does the crowd think it should be possible to change to ATL-DCA-LAX-PPT; PPT-LAX-DCA-ATL and then with a 2nd call drop the ATL-DCA and DCA-ATL segments?
Thanks for all the great info so far!
I want to change 1 ticket with just the new dates, otherwise same routing and class. The other I want to change the same way, but it looks like there are not 2 Z seats even on separate flights on the outbound. So the 1 ticket would need to change to ATL-DFW/CLT/PHX-LAX-PPT. That should be ok without a reprice, right?
And 2nd question, more advanced though: There's a chance we're moving from ATL to DC area before these flights. Does the crowd think it should be possible to change to ATL-DCA-LAX-PPT; PPT-LAX-DCA-ATL and then with a 2nd call drop the ATL-DCA and DCA-ATL segments?
Thanks for all the great info so far!
Apr 22, 2016, 12:10 pm
#806
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,720
I changed the dates of an itinerary booked for next October to March, without a reprice in the awards level. ^
However, it still shows as being "on request" and hasn't ticketed yet. I need to make an additional date adjustment; must I wait until it tickets to make the adjustment or can I make the date change while it's still in "on request" status?
Thanks!
However, it still shows as being "on request" and hasn't ticketed yet. I need to make an additional date adjustment; must I wait until it tickets to make the adjustment or can I make the date change while it's still in "on request" status?
Thanks!
Apr 22, 2016, 12:35 pm
#807
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: New York City
Programs: SPG Plat, Hyatt Globalist, DL Platinum
Posts: 96
That would be changing the origin and the destination of the original, pre-deval booking (assuming I am understanding your plan correctly), which would cause the new booking rates to be applied.
Apr 22, 2016, 12:35 pm
#808
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: los angeles, calif.
Programs: Alaska Airlines Gold MVP
Posts: 7,170
I booked a reservation pre-devaluation J award, DEN-LAX-HND AA metal. I now want a DEN-LAX-HKG-HND on CX. There are no overnights, and it doesn't violate any AA rules. Do I have to pay the difference in miles, and is there any change fee? This is for a friend who does not have status.
Apr 22, 2016, 5:09 pm
#809
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: LAX
Posts: 10,908
May end up doing no-show if it comes to that...
Apr 22, 2016, 6:48 pm
#810
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 2
Can anyone tell me if this specific flight change would trigger an award repricing. Took me 5 days to read the whole thread and I feel like I only saw 1-2 relevant data points that include the original transpacific flight as AA metal.
Original
XXX-DFW (AA)F
DFW-NRT (AA)F
NRT-HKG (CX)F
HKG-BKK (CX)F
New
XXX-ORD (AA)F
ORD-HKG (CX)F
HKG-BKK (CX)F
Thanks.
Original
XXX-DFW (AA)F
DFW-NRT (AA)F
NRT-HKG (CX)F
HKG-BKK (CX)F
New
XXX-ORD (AA)F
ORD-HKG (CX)F
HKG-BKK (CX)F
Thanks.