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 12, 2016, 7:47 pm
#1111
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: BDL,CLT,LIM
Programs: AA,BA
Posts: 345
Unless you are CK or AAdvantage Elite (no charge). Also, keep in mind that if you try to change it and the same award class is not available, you will require a reinstatement of miles (fee) and reissue of ticket.
Last edited by IncaTrails; Jul 12, 2016 at 8:03 pm
Jul 12, 2016, 7:49 pm
#1112
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: MSY; 2-time FT Fantasy Football Champ, now in recovery.
Programs: AA lifetime GLD; UA Silver; Marriott LTTE; IHG Plat,
Posts: 14,518
The fee is charged if the new departure date is within 21 days of the *original ticketing date*, not if its within 21 days of the change date. The point is to catch folks booking awards far off and then changing tem to close in to avoid the expedite fee. As such, I believe that the fee should ony ever be charged once per PNR, whether you change the outbound twice or whether you change the outbound and then the return separately.
Jul 12, 2016, 10:50 pm
#1113
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,620
So AA allows you to change an award ticket for free so long as the origin and destination are the same correct? And they also charge $75 for booking/making changes 21 days or less before departure.
My question is -- if I have a r/t award, and I pay $75 to make changes to the outbound (with same o/d) a week before departure -- will I need to pay $75 again if I make last minute changes to the return? Or will they consider that I've already paid the $75 close-in fee for this reservation?
TIA
My question is -- if I have a r/t award, and I pay $75 to make changes to the outbound (with same o/d) a week before departure -- will I need to pay $75 again if I make last minute changes to the return? Or will they consider that I've already paid the $75 close-in fee for this reservation?
TIA
If you made an award booking in advance and the new date is still 21 days after the original ticketing date, then there will be no charge - even if you made the change the day before the flight departure date
e.g. on 1 July make booking for 1 August - No fee
On 16th July make change to 24th July - still no fee since 24 July > 21 Days from 1 July
On 17th July make change to 20th July - $75 fee will apply since 20 July < 21 days from 1 July
on 18 July make change to 19th July - no fee applies since it has already been paid
Jul 13, 2016, 11:49 am
#1114
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 41
Thank You
1. Cancelling your BF's ticket would cost you $150 if you wanted the miles reinstated.
2. You would need two awards for YYZ-NYC-(stop)-SFO. This would mean cancelling both awards and reinstating for $175, and then booking two awards for yourself, which would be at least 40K miles if everything is in F (assuming there is even F on YYZ-NYC) and you are not on a nonstop JFK-SFO.
3. Again, you would have to pay $175 to cancel and reinstate both your ticket your BF's. You would then book a YYZ-NYC award, which would be 7.5K/15K for Y/F, assuming MileSaaver availability.
2. You would need two awards for YYZ-NYC-(stop)-SFO. This would mean cancelling both awards and reinstating for $175, and then booking two awards for yourself, which would be at least 40K miles if everything is in F (assuming there is even F on YYZ-NYC) and you are not on a nonstop JFK-SFO.
3. Again, you would have to pay $175 to cancel and reinstate both your ticket your BF's. You would then book a YYZ-NYC award, which would be 7.5K/15K for Y/F, assuming MileSaaver availability.
Jul 14, 2016, 7:40 pm
#1115
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: Top Tier with all 3 alliances
Posts: 11,669
Two quick questions:
1. Has anyone cancelled a pre-March 22 award without redepositing the miles, and then later calling to change the dates, without it repricing?
2. How late can you cancel an award before the flight and still be able to get back the miles and fees? Please be specific. I am on a very tight connection and not sure if I should risk it to see if I make it (probably not), or cancel the award flight now. (AA delayed as always causing this)
1. Has anyone cancelled a pre-March 22 award without redepositing the miles, and then later calling to change the dates, without it repricing?
2. How late can you cancel an award before the flight and still be able to get back the miles and fees? Please be specific. I am on a very tight connection and not sure if I should risk it to see if I make it (probably not), or cancel the award flight now. (AA delayed as always causing this)
Jul 14, 2016, 7:44 pm
#1116
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Columbia, SC
Programs: AA Plat, SPG/Marriot Gold, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Expl
Posts: 2,363
Two quick questions:
1. Has anyone cancelled a pre-March 22 award without redepositing the miles, and then later calling to change the dates, without it repricing?
2. How late can you cancel an award before the flight and still be able to get back the miles and fees? Please be specific. I am on a very tight connection and not sure if I should risk it to see if I make it (probably not), or cancel the award flight now. (AA delayed as always causing this)
1. Has anyone cancelled a pre-March 22 award without redepositing the miles, and then later calling to change the dates, without it repricing?
2. How late can you cancel an award before the flight and still be able to get back the miles and fees? Please be specific. I am on a very tight connection and not sure if I should risk it to see if I make it (probably not), or cancel the award flight now. (AA delayed as always causing this)
As far as canceling, you should be able to cancel any time prior to departure. AA doesn't have DL's ridiculous 72-hr no change/cancel rule.
Jul 14, 2016, 7:48 pm
#1117
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: LAX, LGB, SNA
Programs: AA EXP OWE, DL DM ST+, AS MVPG, UA, BA, WN CP, Hyatt E, Ritz Plat, HH GM
Posts: 3,185
I haven't done #1, but that's how it should work -- anything not requiring a re-deposit should allow you to keep the pre-deval pricing.
As far as canceling, you should be able to cancel any time prior to departure. AA doesn't have DL's ridiculous 72-hr no change/cancel rule.
As far as canceling, you should be able to cancel any time prior to departure. AA doesn't have DL's ridiculous 72-hr no change/cancel rule.
Jul 14, 2016, 7:58 pm
#1118
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: Top Tier with all 3 alliances
Posts: 11,669
Jul 14, 2016, 8:28 pm
#1119
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Columbia, SC
Programs: AA Plat, SPG/Marriot Gold, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Expl
Posts: 2,363
Jul 14, 2016, 8:47 pm
#1120
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: AY+ Plat, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 2,846
I believe there is a 4hr rule when booking partner awards in particular--i.e., it is possible to book awards on partners up to 4hrs before departure.
I am not aware of any specific time cutoff in terms of canceling an award and getting the miles back.
I am not aware of any specific time cutoff in terms of canceling an award and getting the miles back.
Jul 14, 2016, 10:08 pm
#1121
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Only listed for CX redemptions. And, at various time I've been told that's no longer in effect-- but it is still listed.
Jul 14, 2016, 11:33 pm
#1122
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: Top Tier with all 3 alliances
Posts: 11,669
Jul 15, 2016, 5:23 am
#1123
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: AY+ Plat, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 2,846
Jul 16, 2016, 5:47 am
#1124
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: SFO or OAK
Programs: AA 1MM GLD, Hertz #1 Gold, bunch of other programs w/no status
Posts: 1,454
Award change to one segment => reprice => redeposit => risk losing other segments?
Have an award booked IST-LHR-DFW-SFO for later this month. Have talked to several agents and was told different things. I want to replace IST-LHR with XXX-LHR, where XXX is another TBD city in Europe. The award was booked under the old levels and I understand a reprice will be in order. However, it is unclear if this triggers a redeposit such that we will risk losing the LHR-DFW-SFO segments. Anyone have experience in this? In Europe now and this is my family's flight home, so need to be careful.
Jul 16, 2016, 6:52 am
#1125
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,483
Have an award booked IST-LHR-DFW-SFO for later this month. Have talked to several agents and was told different things. I want to replace IST-LHR with XXX-LHR, where XXX is another TBD city in Europe. The award was booked under the old levels and I understand a reprice will be in order. However, it is unclear if this triggers a redeposit such that we will risk losing the LHR-DFW-SFO segments. Anyone have experience in this? In Europe now and this is my family's flight home, so need to be careful.