Waived AA Change Fees for Amex Card members booking F80O fare via AMEX
Nov 20, 18, 11:19 pm - Wikipost
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What we know now:
Must be booked through ANEX PTS (Platinum Travel Service) or AMEX AMEX Platinum members can contact AMEX PTS (Platinum Travel Service) and secure both cheaper fares than AA offers (when available) and fares with waived change fees for some routings, using AMEX “insider fares”, paying the $39 PTS booking fee (and $39 for ticket reissue if you change your original itinerary). “If you book an "insider fare" on amextravel.com and pay with your points you will get free changes on AA ($39 phone fee applies per passenger)” “If you want to pay in cash you have to call to get the insider/private fares... some agents know how to do it, others don't. You will have to pay $39 per passenger if you book this way...” “Also, if you apply an SWU or upg with miles on one of these fares it makes it very difficult to change. It becomes an AMEX vs AA battle and can be very frustrating as AA takes "control" of the ticket when the upgrade is applied yet they still defer to AMEX for changes and AMEX defers to AA.” Updated Experience: Obviously not every situation may work out so well but I just had an itinerary on insider fare (pay with points) which had an SWU applied. When I called AMEX, they said hands were tied. When I called AA Ex Plat desk, they said they had to call "contracts" to make any changes. The Ex Plat agent handled everything, made the change I wanted. I had to pay fare difference only (no change fee and no booking fees at all) and he applied the SWU to the new reservation. This is the 2nd time I've been able to make a change in this way, without incurring any additional booking fees (the prior one AA said they'd have to charge $50 to "takeover" the reservation but ended up waiving it because of my Ex Plat status). --cphurley AMEX Centurion members may be able to do this as well, without paying the fee.“AMEX Platinum Travel telephone agent today shared with me the magic code to mention to invoke the AA change-fee-waiver: F80O said it applies to AA bookings made via both AMEX Platinum Travel telephone agents (Phoenix address on statement) and AMEXTravel.com for Plats (Chicago address on statement) bookings.”
Originally Posted by Airstat
I used this a couple of weeks ago. I called the AMEX Platinum Travel and inquired about a ticket to BGI in business it was $200 cheaper than the AA website. She told me they normally had cheaper fares than what AA was offering. She also said it was changeable I just had to pay the $39 reissue fee.
What we don’t know If this applies to a subset of AMEX cards or if we can find these easily online. Let’s add what we learn and fill in the blanks; looks like a great payoff. Thanks to Airstat, Colin, kar don. 
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Jan 19, 18, 7:38 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EP
Posts: 105
Waived AA Change Fees for Amex Card members booking F80O fare via AMEX
Bryan Kelly posted today about why he likes his Business Centurion card and stated that his AA change fees are always waived for revenue tickets. This is news to me.
My interpretation is that he is suggesting that booking revenue tickets through an Amex Travel Counselor (not the online portal but calling) will allow you to book a standard (not Y) economy ticket at the normal price, and then you call Amex and they will make changes with no $200 penalty. A lot (platinum, etc) of Amex cards have access to Amex Travel, and the only Business Centurion difference is the waived $39 booking fee. I don't have a biz centurion but I would gladly pay $39 every single ticket if it meant they were equivalent to Y tickets at the same price as the cheapest ticket.
Of course, neither Amex nor AA has any idea what he is talking about when I asked them about this. His blog posted about a partnership a long time ago but I thought the general consensus was the discounts Amex offered were minimal and inconsistent. His wording today implies it is a hard and fast, written concrete rule that Amex travel is exempt from AA change fees. I asked him for more details in the comments and he moderated my comment out and just replied with the same link I already had. I don't think he's lying but I also have no idea how he's getting his change fees waived every time? Am I missing something?
My interpretation is that he is suggesting that booking revenue tickets through an Amex Travel Counselor (not the online portal but calling) will allow you to book a standard (not Y) economy ticket at the normal price, and then you call Amex and they will make changes with no $200 penalty. A lot (platinum, etc) of Amex cards have access to Amex Travel, and the only Business Centurion difference is the waived $39 booking fee. I don't have a biz centurion but I would gladly pay $39 every single ticket if it meant they were equivalent to Y tickets at the same price as the cheapest ticket.
Of course, neither Amex nor AA has any idea what he is talking about when I asked them about this. His blog posted about a partnership a long time ago but I thought the general consensus was the discounts Amex offered were minimal and inconsistent. His wording today implies it is a hard and fast, written concrete rule that Amex travel is exempt from AA change fees. I asked him for more details in the comments and he moderated my comment out and just replied with the same link I already had. I don't think he's lying but I also have no idea how he's getting his change fees waived every time? Am I missing something?
Jan 20, 18, 12:31 am
#2
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: jfk area
Programs: AA platinum; 2MM AA, Delta Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 9,173
I have a business amex plat card. I once spoke with an amex travel agent, she specifically noted the FREE flt change perk as one of the advantages of booking through amex. I haven't tested this out but plan to in the near future.
Jan 23, 18, 9:46 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EP
Posts: 105
Thanks for your reply. Going to try to do more research on this. I'm surprised/confused this isn't publicized anywhere, seems like it would be quite a notable benefit.
The last credit card in memory to offer waived change fees was from Virgin, but that benefit stopped at the start of this year when they closed all those credit card accounts
The last credit card in memory to offer waived change fees was from Virgin, but that benefit stopped at the start of this year when they closed all those credit card accounts
Mar 23, 18, 10:12 pm
#4
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: BDL, BOS
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 305
I’ve been able to book an international flight and domestic flight (both economy) on a special Amex Plantinum Travel Desk AA fare that waves the change fees. The costs for both the same as if I had booked it directly through AA.com.
In in the case of the international ticket I changed the return flight 3 times right up until the last minute and incurred no change fee or fare increase (may have been just lucky with the fare increase).
Not all flights appear to be available - but I always check with Amex first before I book directly with AA now. Given AA is also my selected airline for the Business Platinum I also get the 35% points rebate when booking with MR points.
Pretty amazing perk of the Platinum card, in my opinion.
In in the case of the international ticket I changed the return flight 3 times right up until the last minute and incurred no change fee or fare increase (may have been just lucky with the fare increase).
Not all flights appear to be available - but I always check with Amex first before I book directly with AA now. Given AA is also my selected airline for the Business Platinum I also get the 35% points rebate when booking with MR points.
Pretty amazing perk of the Platinum card, in my opinion.
Mar 24, 18, 7:48 am
#5
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: AA EXP, United Silver
Posts: 165
Some reps at AMEX travel are unaware of this benefit but if you CALL and pick some flights and have them look at the fare rules then it should say there is no change fee. To my knowledge this is only if you call if you book travel online then there is a change fee. Also I believe you need to be platinum or centurion card holder
Mar 25, 18, 12:15 am
#9
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: BAEC Silver, KE, NH, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 236
Originally Posted by ymx
I’ve been able to book an international flight and domestic flight (both economy) on a special Amex Plantinum Travel Desk AA fare that waves the change fees. The costs for both the same as if I had booked it directly through AA.com.
In in the case of the international ticket I changed the return flight 3 times right up until the last minute and incurred no change fee or fare increase (may have been just lucky with the fare increase).
Not all flights appear to be available - but I always check with Amex first before I book directly with AA now. Given AA is also my selected airline for the Business Platinum I also get the 35% points rebate when booking with MR points.
Pretty amazing perk of the Platinum card, in my opinion.
In in the case of the international ticket I changed the return flight 3 times right up until the last minute and incurred no change fee or fare increase (may have been just lucky with the fare increase).
Not all flights appear to be available - but I always check with Amex first before I book directly with AA now. Given AA is also my selected airline for the Business Platinum I also get the 35% points rebate when booking with MR points.
Pretty amazing perk of the Platinum card, in my opinion.
Mar 25, 18, 12:30 am
#10
Join Date: Feb 2000
Posts: 4,516
wonder if only for tickets issued by AMEX Platinum Travel Services real agents who charge a $39 ticketing fee
or
if also includes tickets issued via AMEXTravel.com (and paid via AMEX Plat card) without a ticketing fee and serviced by inferior Expedia agents
or
if also includes tickets issued via AMEXTravel.com (and paid via AMEX Plat card) without a ticketing fee and serviced by inferior Expedia agents
Mar 25, 18, 9:49 am
#11
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: SAN
Programs: Hyatt Explorist, American Air, National Car
Posts: 1,095
Can someone who’s figured this out turn this thread into a wiki?
from above info:
waived change fees fees are available only on flights originally booked on the phone with AMEX travel - this method of booking incurs a $39 fee
available to all business and personal plat / cent cardholders
Is there a limit to dates of change? I assume within one year of original booking
from above info:
waived change fees fees are available only on flights originally booked on the phone with AMEX travel - this method of booking incurs a $39 fee
available to all business and personal plat / cent cardholders
Is there a limit to dates of change? I assume within one year of original booking
Mar 25, 18, 10:31 am
#12
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: LAX or NYC
Programs: DL DM; AS 75K; AA Gld/MM Travel Leaders
Posts: 909
Give the elusive naature of details on this, I'm questioning whether there is any formal policy (wouldn't there be more buzz around here and all the FF blogs?), or whether AMEX travel has some arrangement where AA allows them a limited/reasonable quantity of waivers to extend customers on a courtesy basis. Have no idea how this would function in practice (maybe each agent or the whole office has a given number of waivers to offer each shift, maybe it's only for certain high value customers, etc.). If this is indeed a formal policy, I think so many small business owners would be flocking in droves to AMEX travel to the point where AA would dismantle the arrangment. I'd gladly pay $39 for ticket issuance on a consistent basis if I knew I could avoid a $200+ change fee to rebook.
Mar 25, 18, 3:22 pm
#13
Moderator: American AAdvantage, TAP, Mexico, Technical Support and Feedback, and The Suggestion Box
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,775
Originally Posted by 4aks
Can someone who’s figured this out turn this thread into a wiki?
from above info:
waived change fees fees are available only on flights originally booked on the phone with AMEX travel - this method of booking incurs a $39 fee
available to all business and personal plat / cent cardholders
Is there a limit to dates of change? I assume within one year of original booking
from above info:
waived change fees fees are available only on flights originally booked on the phone with AMEX travel - this method of booking incurs a $39 fee
available to all business and personal plat / cent cardholders
Is there a limit to dates of change? I assume within one year of original booking
But I’m not sure we’ve really figured this out as yet; there’s no source information or defining language from AMEX or AMEX Platinum Travel Service we can quote yet.
Mar 25, 18, 7:44 pm
#14
Join Date: Feb 2007
Programs: Marriott Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 475
I have used this feature of the Amex personal platinum card a couple of times. It seems to be a "published" benefit, not a special exception, but you have to ask the travel agent about it because they don't always mention it.
The last time I did it, the agent said that I should be able to book online to avoid the service charge and would still get the benefit. I wasn't able to find the same fare online, so the agent waived the $39 fee.
The last time I did it, the agent said that I should be able to book online to avoid the service charge and would still get the benefit. I wasn't able to find the same fare online, so the agent waived the $39 fee.
Mar 25, 18, 9:51 pm
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,072
Is this fee waived for all Amex cardholders booking AA through Amex Travel, or only holders of certain cards? The thread title implies the former, but only people with "high end" cards seem to mentioned they've used / seen the benefit.
