Jan 5, 2019, 6:51 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
Link to the current thread.
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 ARCHIVE 2015-2016: Award Change for date, time, routing, co-terminal, cost, all changes.
Link to ARCHIVE 2012-14: Award Change for date, time, routing, co-terminal, cost, all changes.
AAnytime <-> MileSAAver and other changes
Link to the current thread.
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 ARCHIVE 2015-2016: Award Change for date, time, routing, co-terminal, cost, all changes.
Link to ARCHIVE 2012-14: Award Change for date, time, routing, co-terminal, cost, all changes.
ARCHIVE: 2017 Voluntary Award Change: date, time, routing, airline, co-terminal, cost
May 21, 2017, 7:42 am
#151
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Did AA quietly add a fee for changing airlines on an award ticket?
This was found under the fees page: https://www.aa.com/i18n/aadvantage-p...ard-travel.jsp
"For awards involving travel on other airlines, origin or destination changes or changes to the airline(s) in the itinerary will incur a change fee of $150, even when retaining the same award type."
I thought that AA allowed a change of airline if the routing remained the same? For example, if you booked on BA and switched to AA when inventory opened, AA would allow the change with no fee and refund the surcharge paid. Has that changed or am I misreading the policy?
This was found under the fees page: https://www.aa.com/i18n/aadvantage-p...ard-travel.jsp
"For awards involving travel on other airlines, origin or destination changes or changes to the airline(s) in the itinerary will incur a change fee of $150, even when retaining the same award type."
I thought that AA allowed a change of airline if the routing remained the same? For example, if you booked on BA and switched to AA when inventory opened, AA would allow the change with no fee and refund the surcharge paid. Has that changed or am I misreading the policy?
May 26, 2017, 9:27 am
#152
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 97
I've got a SFO to LHR via Finnair - coming up in June but I want to move that out to next year. Finnair is one world right so no fee? I don't see the ability to change the date online. where can I do this?
May 26, 2017, 9:45 am
#153
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,591
May 30, 2017, 3:28 pm
#154
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Southern Europe/USA
Posts: 662
21 day confusion
There is normally no charge to change the date of award travel as long as origin and destination remain the same, and the new date is at least 21 days after the award's original ticketing date, but award seats must be available at the same award level.
If the new award itinerary uses different airlines than the original itinerary, a change fee might or might not apply.
If the new award itinerary uses different airlines than the original itinerary, a change fee might or might not apply.
May 31, 2017, 6:13 am
#155
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,591
Certainly: Since both the original date of travel and the new date of travel are more than 21 days from the date of ticketing, there is no fee. Just keep in mind that all travel on the award must be completed within one year of ticketing.
May 31, 2017, 9:18 pm
#156
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Croydon
Posts: 69
Combine 2 award tickets (award changes - to merge)
I have 2 separately ticketed award reservations, one from MIA-LAX (50K points) and another LAX-MEL (110K points) both in First class. The transit time at LAX is 14 hours (same day)
When i called the AA reservations to see if I can combine the two, (with the intent that I get the 50K from the first reservation back) the agent said I will have to pay $150 to cancel the first reservation (‘reinstatement’) and then pay another $150 to amend the second reservation; worse there was no guarantee that the canceled award space would be available immediately.
I havent HUCA yet, but is this the norm?
Thanks
When i called the AA reservations to see if I can combine the two, (with the intent that I get the 50K from the first reservation back) the agent said I will have to pay $150 to cancel the first reservation (‘reinstatement’) and then pay another $150 to amend the second reservation; worse there was no guarantee that the canceled award space would be available immediately.
I havent HUCA yet, but is this the norm?
Thanks
May 31, 2017, 9:30 pm
#157
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Live: IWI; Work: DCA/Everywhere; Play: LAS/SJU/MLE
Programs: AA EXP, DL PM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Ambassador/LTP, Nat'l Exec Elite, LEYE Gold
Posts: 6,670
I have 2 separately ticketed award reservations, one from MIA-LAX (50K points) and another LAX-MEL (110K points) both in First class. The transit time at LAX is 14 hours (same day)
When i called the AA reservations to see if I can combine the two, (with the intent that I get the 50K from the first reservation back) the agent said I will have to pay $150 to cancel the first reservation (‘reinstatement’) and then pay another $150 to amend the second reservation; worse there was no guarantee that the canceled award space would be available immediately.
I havent HUCA yet, but is this the norm?
Thanks
When i called the AA reservations to see if I can combine the two, (with the intent that I get the 50K from the first reservation back) the agent said I will have to pay $150 to cancel the first reservation (‘reinstatement’) and then pay another $150 to amend the second reservation; worse there was no guarantee that the canceled award space would be available immediately.
I havent HUCA yet, but is this the norm?
Thanks
May 31, 2017, 9:31 pm
#158
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: AA EP
Posts: 2,203
Yeah. You are basically starting all over again -- and thus, you need to "redeposit the 2" and reissue one. However, I would think that if u are paying fees, they can work to ensure that ur confirm ed Mia lax is added to your lax Mel. It can be done (assuring that the space is avail) and correctly put into the intl itinerary. Now, finding an agent to do al of this may be the tricky part. But if u do find one, play let's make a deal with them and see if they will only charge u for one redeposit.
I have 2 separately ticketed award reservations, one from MIA-LAX (50K points) and another LAX-MEL (110K points) both in First class. The transit time at LAX is 14 hours (same day)
When i called the AA reservations to see if I can combine the two, (with the intent that I get the 50K from the first reservation back) the agent said I will have to pay $150 to cancel the first reservation (‘reinstatement’) and then pay another $150 to amend the second reservation; worse there was no guarantee that the canceled award space would be available immediately.
I havent HUCA yet, but is this the norm?
Thanks
When i called the AA reservations to see if I can combine the two, (with the intent that I get the 50K from the first reservation back) the agent said I will have to pay $150 to cancel the first reservation (‘reinstatement’) and then pay another $150 to amend the second reservation; worse there was no guarantee that the canceled award space would be available immediately.
I havent HUCA yet, but is this the norm?
Thanks
May 31, 2017, 9:56 pm
#159
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,605
It all does sound correct
If there is saver award availability for MIA-LAX, change the 1st award to be MIA-LAX-MEL which will incur a $150 change fee
Can then cancel the MIA-LAX award , pay $150 award reinstatement fee and get the miles back for that flight
If there is no 1st class award availability from MIA-LAX, you will be gambling on teh award returning to inventory and would not do it unless there is award availability in at least one of the 3 classes that you can use in case it does not return to inventory
I am assuming that you are in 1st class on a flight with both 1st and business class from MIA-LAX since a 2 class flight saver award in U class would not be 50k
Also - I assume that these are 2 x non stop services. If you have other connections, then make sure that the entire journey would be eligible as 1 award
If it is available, it seems worth $300 to get 50k miles back
If there is saver award availability for MIA-LAX, change the 1st award to be MIA-LAX-MEL which will incur a $150 change fee
Can then cancel the MIA-LAX award , pay $150 award reinstatement fee and get the miles back for that flight
If there is no 1st class award availability from MIA-LAX, you will be gambling on teh award returning to inventory and would not do it unless there is award availability in at least one of the 3 classes that you can use in case it does not return to inventory
I am assuming that you are in 1st class on a flight with both 1st and business class from MIA-LAX since a 2 class flight saver award in U class would not be 50k
Also - I assume that these are 2 x non stop services. If you have other connections, then make sure that the entire journey would be eligible as 1 award
If it is available, it seems worth $300 to get 50k miles back
May 31, 2017, 10:45 pm
#160
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Live: IWI; Work: DCA/Everywhere; Play: LAS/SJU/MLE
Programs: AA EXP, DL PM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Ambassador/LTP, Nat'l Exec Elite, LEYE Gold
Posts: 6,670
I imagine 3-class F saver awards on MIA-LAX are hard to come by.
Paying $300 and risking losing the saver award space might not be a worthwhile expenditure to get 50,000 miles back.
May 31, 2017, 11:02 pm
#161
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,605
This is a good observation. 3-class F makes sense, since the saver award would be 50k one-way for that. And the anytime awards are 45k/55k for 2-class.
I imagine 3-class F saver awards on MIA-LAX are hard to come by.
Paying $300 and risking losing the saver award space might not be a worthwhile expenditure to get 50,000 miles back.
I imagine 3-class F saver awards on MIA-LAX are hard to come by.
Paying $300 and risking losing the saver award space might not be a worthwhile expenditure to get 50,000 miles back.
If there is no saver award availability, then I would just leave it alone
May 31, 2017, 11:10 pm
#162
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: NYC
Posts: 419
Seth
May 31, 2017, 11:50 pm
#163
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,237
You'd think that a (good?) agent should be able to somehow hold the already-booked domestic award inventory while moving it into the international PNR, possibly with the assistance of a supervisor or revenue management contact.
If the agent gent says they can do it for $300, i'd maybe ask the question about preserving the space, but then be inclined to believe their word. If they screw it up, that's when you can go ballistic on them and make them fix it.
If the agent gent says they can do it for $300, i'd maybe ask the question about preserving the space, but then be inclined to believe their word. If they screw it up, that's when you can go ballistic on them and make them fix it.
Jun 2, 2017, 6:36 pm
#164
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: ADL
Programs: QFF, AAdvantage, All
Posts: 1,137
How strict are the conditions on changing an AAward booking's port of origin?
I currently have DUS-HEL-CDG- (AY) to connect with QR the next day. But I now find it would be best to do ZRH-HEL-CDG-.
Would it be possible?
I currently have DUS-HEL-CDG- (AY) to connect with QR the next day. But I now find it would be best to do ZRH-HEL-CDG-.
Would it be possible?
Jun 2, 2017, 6:38 pm
#165
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730