Jan 5, 2019, 6:11 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
Voluntary Award Changes Questionsfor carrier, co-terminal, date, destination, add / drop a segment, origin, routing, cancellation AAnytime <-> MileSAAver and other changes
See the current thread here, please.
NOTE: For involuntary award changes (caused by the operating carriers), see Involuntary Award Changes / What To Do (merged threads).
Ordinarily, one must call to request or make changes to award tickets.
Award changes, ordinary
NOTE: More extensive listing of terms and conditions are listed in oneworld and other all partner awards rules, Information 2015 on
Award carrier, connection, date or routing changes: As long as origin and destination (but read on for exceptions such as first / last segment) remain the same, change / award redeposit fees are usually waived for awards under certain circumstances when date, connection, routing or carrier changes are made But:
Award cancellations can be by phone or online, but online cancellation requires separate action to reinstate the miles. Canceling online does not request or result in miles redeposit.
Award miles reinstatement: Redeposit fees are waived for Executive Platinum members. See here for more information on award miles reinstatement.
"Upgrading" class of service by using miles requires redepositing the original award and issuing a new one for the higher class if service. AA will waive the deposit fee on the redeposited award, and will not charge for this. (However, taxes may differ, such as going from the discounted U.K. Air Passenger Duty to the full APD if upgrading from Y / PE to J; if there are higher taxes and fees imposed by the new fare, the passenger is charged for those.)
Co-terminals: For award purposes, there are no co-terminals; changing co-terminal airports (MIA and FLL, PBI; JFK, LGA, EWR etc.) will incur a $150 change fee. See this thread for detail on award miles redeposit.
An award using AS, FJ, HA or TN to South Pacific (e.g. AKL, SYD) can not be changed to AA or QF without requiring award redeposit (or vice versa).
Dropping segments: Awards made on AA or / and "all partner" carriers will allow changes mentioned above without requiring redeposit fees. Instances of dropping an origin segment can be allowed, or a final segment - as long as doing so does not change the destination zone (or sub-zone, in the case of intra-North America awards); changing the mileage (miles required) of the award claimed or the number of awards claimed.
Segments can be dropped as long as doing so does not change the destination zone (or sub-zone, in the case of intra-North America awards). If you are refused, refer agents to the in-house memo/advisory dated 02/03/11 entitled "Dropping OWFA segments." (guv1976)
As JonNYC posted:
This document was current as of December 2014:
For permitted changes and fees, see this post in the airline partner award thread.
See TravelingBetter.com here and illustrations here.
If the award is AA and oneworld, changes may be made as long as the main / governing /Most Significant Carrier makes an unconstructed fare on the award routing and the governing fare's carrier is not changed to one not offering such a fare.
Close-in booking fee: Changes made to bring travel to under 21 days from award issue will incur close-in booking fees of $75.
Schedule changes: On international awards, schedule changes of two hours or longer, or those breaking connections by bringing them below MCT / minimum connection times, flight cancellations, generally may be cancelled and redeposited without fees, or engender greater flexibility in changes. With AA awards, it is possible award seating may be opened when there is none; with partners, AA can appeal to the Liaison to the partner to open seating in these cases (the partner airline may or may not grant the exception requested). Equipment change constitutes a schedule change and you will be able to get the fee waived pre this thread: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...solidated.html
Partner changes: If the award includes non-oneworld partners such as AS, EY, FJ or TN, or a oneworld carrier award is changed to include a non-oneworld carrier, or vice versa, significant fees will be incurred ($150).
"Upgrading" class of service by using miles requires redepositing the original award and issuing a new one for the higher class if service. AA will waive the deposit fee on the redeposited award, and will not charge for this. (However, taxes may differ, such as going from the discounted U.K. Air Passenger Duty to the full APD if upgrading from Y / PE to J; if there are higher taxes abd fees imposed by the new fare, the passenger is charged for those.)
Changes that require different award type -
Changes to the itinerary which involve different AAdvantage award(s) than originally ticketed require a reinstatement of the original award ticket, payment of the applicable award reinstatement charge (see below), and a new award ticket issued (waived for AAdvantage Executive Platinum members using miles from their account). However, SAAver awards canceled for AAnytime awards, or changing to a higher class of service, will not incur redeposit fees.
Changes to your outbound travel date, resulting in a departure within 21 days -
Close-in booking fee: A $75 USD award processing charge will apply for a confirmed change to the date on an AAdvantage MileSAAver and AAnytime award ticket if the change results in a new outbound travel date that is within 21 days of the original booking date (waived for AAdvantage elite members using miles from their account).
Contact AAdvantage Reservations to change your itinerary, pay the applicable charge and have your ticket reissued prior to travel.
Canceling Awards / Reinstating Award Tickets
(Waived for AAdvantage Executive Platinum members using miles from their account)
Award class changes: MileSAAver to AAnytime changes generally incur no fees; conversely, AAnytime to MileSAAver awards generally will.
Award cabin class "upgrades" (e.g. Y to J): If the change made is an increase of miles to another cabin class, fees are not normally charged (but some government required fees such as UK Air Passenger Duty, airport passenger facility fees, etc. may change).
Redepositing awards incurs a fee of $150 other than for Executive Platinum members redepositing to their accounts. If two or more awards are being redeposited to the same account at the same time, the fees are $150 for the first award, $25 for every award thereafter. Note the awards do not have to share the same PNR, though some less knowledgeable agents will insist so.
Note: given a 120 hr / 5 day hold is offered, there is no right to “Free” cancellation (without redeposit) within 24 hours of securing the award. OTOH, mere date changes to a year from Booking are free of charge in most instances.
Please see: State of the award reinstatement fee (Nov 2015 - clarifying)
FAQ: Cancel award ticket / cancellation (time frame, taxes, etc.) (merged threads)
Link to 2012-2014 archive of older posts on this topic
See the current thread here, please.
NOTE: For involuntary award changes (caused by the operating carriers), see Involuntary Award Changes / What To Do (merged threads).
Ordinarily, one must call to request or make changes to award tickets.
Award changes, ordinary
NOTE: More extensive listing of terms and conditions are listed in oneworld and other all partner awards rules, Information 2015 on
Award carrier, connection, date or routing changes: As long as origin and destination (but read on for exceptions such as first / last segment) remain the same, change / award redeposit fees are usually waived for awards under certain circumstances when date, connection, routing or carrier changes are made But:
Airline / carrier changes incur no change or redeposit fees as long as you do not try to change between all AA oneworld airlines and non-oneworld airlines or vice versa.
E.g. an AA award such as SEA-HNL-SYD using AS can not be changed to use JL without requiring award redeposit. An award using AA LAX-HKG can be changed to JL via NRT or CX Without redeposit ing miles.
If Maximum Permitted Miles (usually 125% of the most direct available routing) for an award is exceeded, two awards may be charged
or
MSC fare requirements: The most significant or prevailing carrier, usually the one with the transoceanic sector, must offer an unconstructed fare between desired origin and destination; if a fare would require "married segments", two awards may be required.
Award validity: Awards must be used within one year of original booking. For travel beyond that, the award miles will have to be redeposited and new awards secured.E.g. an AA award such as SEA-HNL-SYD using AS can not be changed to use JL without requiring award redeposit. An award using AA LAX-HKG can be changed to JL via NRT or CX Without redeposit ing miles.
If Maximum Permitted Miles (usually 125% of the most direct available routing) for an award is exceeded, two awards may be charged
or
MSC fare requirements: The most significant or prevailing carrier, usually the one with the transoceanic sector, must offer an unconstructed fare between desired origin and destination; if a fare would require "married segments", two awards may be required.
Award cancellations can be by phone or online, but online cancellation requires separate action to reinstate the miles. Canceling online does not request or result in miles redeposit.
Award miles reinstatement: Redeposit fees are waived for Executive Platinum members. See here for more information on award miles reinstatement.
"Upgrading" class of service by using miles requires redepositing the original award and issuing a new one for the higher class if service. AA will waive the deposit fee on the redeposited award, and will not charge for this. (However, taxes may differ, such as going from the discounted U.K. Air Passenger Duty to the full APD if upgrading from Y / PE to J; if there are higher taxes and fees imposed by the new fare, the passenger is charged for those.)
Co-terminals: For award purposes, there are no co-terminals; changing co-terminal airports (MIA and FLL, PBI; JFK, LGA, EWR etc.) will incur a $150 change fee. See this thread for detail on award miles redeposit.
An award using AS, FJ, HA or TN to South Pacific (e.g. AKL, SYD) can not be changed to AA or QF without requiring award redeposit (or vice versa).
Dropping segments: Awards made on AA or / and "all partner" carriers will allow changes mentioned above without requiring redeposit fees. Instances of dropping an origin segment can be allowed, or a final segment - as long as doing so does not change the destination zone (or sub-zone, in the case of intra-North America awards); changing the mileage (miles required) of the award claimed or the number of awards claimed.
Segments can be dropped as long as doing so does not change the destination zone (or sub-zone, in the case of intra-North America awards). If you are refused, refer agents to the in-house memo/advisory dated 02/03/11 entitled "Dropping OWFA segments." (guv1976)
As JonNYC posted:
This document was current as of December 2014:
For permitted changes and fees, see this post in the airline partner award thread.
See TravelingBetter.com here and illustrations here.
If the award is AA and oneworld, changes may be made as long as the main / governing /Most Significant Carrier makes an unconstructed fare on the award routing and the governing fare's carrier is not changed to one not offering such a fare.
Close-in booking fee: Changes made to bring travel to under 21 days from award issue will incur close-in booking fees of $75.
Schedule changes: On international awards, schedule changes of two hours or longer, or those breaking connections by bringing them below MCT / minimum connection times, flight cancellations, generally may be cancelled and redeposited without fees, or engender greater flexibility in changes. With AA awards, it is possible award seating may be opened when there is none; with partners, AA can appeal to the Liaison to the partner to open seating in these cases (the partner airline may or may not grant the exception requested). Equipment change constitutes a schedule change and you will be able to get the fee waived pre this thread: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...solidated.html
Partner changes: If the award includes non-oneworld partners such as AS, EY, FJ or TN, or a oneworld carrier award is changed to include a non-oneworld carrier, or vice versa, significant fees will be incurred ($150).
"Upgrading" class of service by using miles requires redepositing the original award and issuing a new one for the higher class if service. AA will waive the deposit fee on the redeposited award, and will not charge for this. (However, taxes may differ, such as going from the discounted U.K. Air Passenger Duty to the full APD if upgrading from Y / PE to J; if there are higher taxes abd fees imposed by the new fare, the passenger is charged for those.)
Changes that require different award type -
Changes to the itinerary which involve different AAdvantage award(s) than originally ticketed require a reinstatement of the original award ticket, payment of the applicable award reinstatement charge (see below), and a new award ticket issued (waived for AAdvantage Executive Platinum members using miles from their account). However, SAAver awards canceled for AAnytime awards, or changing to a higher class of service, will not incur redeposit fees.
Changes to your outbound travel date, resulting in a departure within 21 days -
Close-in booking fee: A $75 USD award processing charge will apply for a confirmed change to the date on an AAdvantage MileSAAver and AAnytime award ticket if the change results in a new outbound travel date that is within 21 days of the original booking date (waived for AAdvantage elite members using miles from their account).
Contact AAdvantage Reservations to change your itinerary, pay the applicable charge and have your ticket reissued prior to travel.
Canceling Awards / Reinstating Award Tickets
(Waived for AAdvantage Executive Platinum members using miles from their account)
Award class changes: MileSAAver to AAnytime changes generally incur no fees; conversely, AAnytime to MileSAAver awards generally will.
Award cabin class "upgrades" (e.g. Y to J): If the change made is an increase of miles to another cabin class, fees are not normally charged (but some government required fees such as UK Air Passenger Duty, airport passenger facility fees, etc. may change).
Redepositing awards incurs a fee of $150 other than for Executive Platinum members redepositing to their accounts. If two or more awards are being redeposited to the same account at the same time, the fees are $150 for the first award, $25 for every award thereafter. Note the awards do not have to share the same PNR, though some less knowledgeable agents will insist so.
Note: given a 120 hr / 5 day hold is offered, there is no right to “Free” cancellation (without redeposit) within 24 hours of securing the award. OTOH, mere date changes to a year from Booking are free of charge in most instances.
Please see: State of the award reinstatement fee (Nov 2015 - clarifying)
FAQ: Cancel award ticket / cancellation (time frame, taxes, etc.) (merged threads)
Link to 2012-2014 archive of older posts on this topic
ARCHIVE: 2015-16 Award change date change route all changes
Jul 21, 2015, 10:36 am
#211
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
How bad is the typo? Many truncated, omitted middle initials and the like don't matter.
Last edited by Often1; Jul 21, 2015 at 4:44 pm
Jul 21, 2015, 10:50 am
#212
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: South Florida
Programs: AA LTG (EXP), Hilton Silver (Dia), Marriott LTP (PP), SPG LTG (P) > MPG LTPP
Posts: 11,329
Jul 21, 2015, 12:18 pm
#213
Join Date: Aug 2012
Programs: AA PLT, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,405
If the change is minor and ticket is solely AA flights, they might help you. If on partners, you're SOL. Happened last year when I put honeymoon flights on hold before our wedding, mistakenly in my wife's maiden name. CX said not our problem, call AA. AA said too bad, CX doesn't allow name changes. So had to cancel the tickets but luckily they went back into inventory so I reclaimed them an hour later.
Jul 21, 2015, 2:32 pm
#214
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: SOF
Programs: A3 Gold, IHG Platinum, Marriott Silver
Posts: 849
If the change is minor and ticket is solely AA flights, they might help you. If on partners, you're SOL. Happened last year when I put honeymoon flights on hold before our wedding, mistakenly in my wife's maiden name. CX said not our problem, call AA. AA said too bad, CX doesn't allow name changes. So had to cancel the tickets but luckily they went back into inventory so I reclaimed them an hour later.
Jul 21, 2015, 2:47 pm
#215
Join Date: Aug 2012
Programs: AA PLT, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,405
That's odd - I haven't heard of airlines not allowing a legal name change. The no name changes rule usually means that you can't have anyone else travel in the ticketed passenger's place but if the passenger has a legal name change, I don't see why the ticket cannot be updated. This is something common - people get married, divorced, adopted all the time. Very odd for an airline like CX to disallow this.
Jul 21, 2015, 3:40 pm
#216
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: DL: Silver; AA: EX PLAT; UA: Silver; HY: DIA; HH: DIA; MR: TIT
Posts: 1,708
If the change is minor and ticket is solely AA flights, they might help you. If on partners, you're SOL. Happened last year when I put honeymoon flights on hold before our wedding, mistakenly in my wife's maiden name. CX said not our problem, call AA. AA said too bad, CX doesn't allow name changes. So had to cancel the tickets but luckily they went back into inventory so I reclaimed them an hour later.
Jul 25, 2015, 6:54 am
#217
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: WAS
Programs: No Longer Anything
Posts: 478
I very much appreciate all the information and advice on this thread. I was planning on simply redepositing my miles and paying the fee for an award I won't be using now (2 of us booked out of my account), but I could actually use the award next year instead ... with some changes (and this is within one year of award ticket issuance). Trying to determine if change fees would apply or not, potentially equaling or exceeding redeposit fees. Here is my situation:
Have: DCA-JFK-LHR-VIE in J on AA metal, but for LHR-VIE on BA J.
This is for travel in October. We instead have booked J on OS IAD-VIE with UA miles so will not use the AA award.
Want: IAD-LHR in F on BA for next March.
A number of things would lead me to believe that fees would be incurred for these changes based upon AA published rules, but I've heard reality is different.
Date change can be done with no fee.
Upgrading from J to F may not incur a charge in reality (but seems to have a fee based on published rules).
Changing from DCA to IAD may not incur a charge if I am also upgrading and staying within same region (but seems to have a fee based on published rules).
Dropping last segment LHR-VIE may not incur a charge (but seems to have a fee based on published rules).
Changing carriers AA to BA on transatlantic may not incur a charge (but seems to have a fee based on published rules).
Any thoughts would be appreciated. It is no big deal to pay the re-deposit fee as these are alot of changes to make the award fit with what we would like, but thought I'd ask here just to see.
We need to get to LHR to join up with another AA F award to New Zealand (Qantas thru DXB and MEL). Whether we just buy an economy ticket or splurge on BA's A380 from IAD (and yes pay those high fees), or something in between, is up in the air. Thanks!
Have: DCA-JFK-LHR-VIE in J on AA metal, but for LHR-VIE on BA J.
This is for travel in October. We instead have booked J on OS IAD-VIE with UA miles so will not use the AA award.
Want: IAD-LHR in F on BA for next March.
A number of things would lead me to believe that fees would be incurred for these changes based upon AA published rules, but I've heard reality is different.
Date change can be done with no fee.
Upgrading from J to F may not incur a charge in reality (but seems to have a fee based on published rules).
Changing from DCA to IAD may not incur a charge if I am also upgrading and staying within same region (but seems to have a fee based on published rules).
Dropping last segment LHR-VIE may not incur a charge (but seems to have a fee based on published rules).
Changing carriers AA to BA on transatlantic may not incur a charge (but seems to have a fee based on published rules).
Any thoughts would be appreciated. It is no big deal to pay the re-deposit fee as these are alot of changes to make the award fit with what we would like, but thought I'd ask here just to see.
We need to get to LHR to join up with another AA F award to New Zealand (Qantas thru DXB and MEL). Whether we just buy an economy ticket or splurge on BA's A380 from IAD (and yes pay those high fees), or something in between, is up in the air. Thanks!
Jul 25, 2015, 7:05 am
#218
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
Incorrect. Staying within the same region is not enough. A change of airport of origin or destination triggers a fee. AA does not even allow co-terminal airports on awards.
Jul 25, 2015, 7:25 am
#219
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: WAS
Programs: No Longer Anything
Posts: 478
Thanks for quick response. The exception some people had noted was that you could change airports IF you were upgrading your ticket. There actually used to be language on this exception, but is no longer on AA's site. I understand that co-terminals are considered a change in origin otherwise.
Jul 25, 2015, 7:34 am
#220
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Jul 25, 2015, 7:57 am
#221
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: WAS
Programs: No Longer Anything
Posts: 478
Okay. Thanks JohnNYC! I expect you do know the facts on this! Below is the text (from a year ago) that was suppose to be linked to AA's webpage at the time. Don't recall exactly where i took it from, but had kept it. Definitely not in the rules now.
We'll just get the miles redeposited.
-------------------------
Changes to origin/destination –
A $150 USD charge or additional miles will apply for a change to an eligible origin or destination on a MileSAAver or AAnytime award, (waived for AAdvantage Executive Platinum members using miles from their account). This additional charge or miles are waived when voluntarily upgrading to a higher award level in the same region.
We'll just get the miles redeposited.
-------------------------
Changes to origin/destination –
A $150 USD charge or additional miles will apply for a change to an eligible origin or destination on a MileSAAver or AAnytime award, (waived for AAdvantage Executive Platinum members using miles from their account). This additional charge or miles are waived when voluntarily upgrading to a higher award level in the same region.
Jul 25, 2015, 8:22 am
#222
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Okay. Thanks JohnNYC! I expect you do know the facts on this! Below is the text (from a year ago) that was suppose to be linked to AA's webpage at the time. Don't recall exactly where i took it from, but had kept it. Definitely not in the rules now.
We'll just get the miles redeposited.
-------------------------
Changes to origin/destination –
A $150 USD charge or additional miles will apply for a change to an eligible origin or destination on a MileSAAver or AAnytime award, (waived for AAdvantage Executive Platinum members using miles from their account). This additional charge or miles are waived when voluntarily upgrading to a higher award level in the same region.
We'll just get the miles redeposited.
-------------------------
Changes to origin/destination –
A $150 USD charge or additional miles will apply for a change to an eligible origin or destination on a MileSAAver or AAnytime award, (waived for AAdvantage Executive Platinum members using miles from their account). This additional charge or miles are waived when voluntarily upgrading to a higher award level in the same region.
Here is some detailed info on where/when "Charge Does Not Apply":
http://www.travelingbetter.com/showthread.php?t=5847
Jul 27, 2015, 7:02 pm
#223
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Charlottesville, Va. USA
Posts: 1,752
award change fee ?
I booked a one way award business class tickets as follows: mao/mia/iad. This includes an overnight stop at mia. When I booked the award the only mia/iad or dca availability was a 2:00p.m. flight to Iad. When I checked today there was availability mia/dca at 11a.m. When I called to make the change I was told this was a "destination change" and I would have to pay a $175 change fee each for my wife and I. I thought if you were going to the same city but just changing the airport you did not have to pay the change fee? Am I wrong or do I need to call back and talk to a supervisor? Or, is this another unpleasant change to the program?
Thanks in advance for any guidance.
Thanks in advance for any guidance.
Jul 27, 2015, 7:07 pm
#224
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: SFO, MIA
Programs: AA 2MillionMiler, BA ExecutiveClub, UA MileagePlus, AS MileagePlan
Posts: 449
As far as I know, this has been around for a while. A few years ago, I tried to change an award from JFK to EWR and was told that there would be a change fee.
On award tickets, a change of airport means a change fee.
On award tickets, a change of airport means a change fee.
Jul 27, 2015, 7:13 pm
#225
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Yep and Yep. With the exception that in some cases if it's just s segment being dropped, that won't incur fee. But no such thing as co-terminals or same-city airports in this context for award tix changes.