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
Jun 2, 2017, 6:42 pm
#166
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: ADL
Programs: QFF, AAdvantage, All
Posts: 1,137
Jun 2, 2017, 6:47 pm
#167
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
Jun 2, 2017, 6:52 pm
#168
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: ADL
Programs: QFF, AAdvantage, All
Posts: 1,137
Jun 3, 2017, 7:21 pm
#169
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Croydon
Posts: 69
all - thank you so much for the various inputs!
I first moved the one-way from Nov to sometime in 2018. Immediately that flight became available again and I then asked the agent to add that leg to my LAX-MEL trip!
Good catch by platbrownguy - I for some reason mentioned MIA instead of JFK. The one way leg I referred to was JFK-LAX.
Relatively new with AA, but it seems that leg has the 6am and the 1030pm flights available in F almost every day!
I first moved the one-way from Nov to sometime in 2018. Immediately that flight became available again and I then asked the agent to add that leg to my LAX-MEL trip!
Good catch by platbrownguy - I for some reason mentioned MIA instead of JFK. The one way leg I referred to was JFK-LAX.
Relatively new with AA, but it seems that leg has the 6am and the 1030pm flights available in F almost every day!
Jun 6, 2017, 5:08 am
#170
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,066
"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, significant fees will be incurred ($150)"
How about the other way around? I currently have a non-oneworld carrier booking (EY). If I change it to include Oneworld + EY, will I incur the $150 fee?
How about the other way around? I currently have a non-oneworld carrier booking (EY). If I change it to include Oneworld + EY, will I incur the $150 fee?
Jun 6, 2017, 4:26 pm
#171
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 263
Have AA award: HKG on CX-KUL on MALAYSIAN-SYD on QF-MEL. Ticketed 24 May. Malaysian has a non-stop KUL-MEL that I'm eyeing every day to see if award seats open up. If it does I want to change the routing (same day/dates) HKG-KUL-MEL. So there would be two changes involved: Changing the Malaysian flight, and dropping the Syd-Mel QF segment. Origin-Destination the same. In this scenario will there be any change fees? Any problems I should expect with AA? Thank you in advance.
Jun 6, 2017, 5:33 pm
#172
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,483
Have AA award: HKG on CX-KUL on MALAYSIAN-SYD on QF-MEL. Ticketed 24 May. Malaysian has a non-stop KUL-MEL that I'm eyeing every day to see if award seats open up. If it does I want to change the routing (same day/dates) HKG-KUL-MEL. So there would be two changes involved: Changing the Malaysian flight, and dropping the Syd-Mel QF segment. Origin-Destination the same. In this scenario will there be any change fees? Any problems I should expect with AA? Thank you in advance.
Jun 22, 2017, 12:12 pm
#173
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,203
Online date changes to Award emtirely on AA
Moderators: Please move this to appropriate thread. Could not determine which award thread this belong to. (Couldnt find answer either usng search)
For international one-way award booked entirely on AA (say JFK-LHR direct flight). (Booked within few days of departure, so $75 fee was already paid)
On the day before departure, if one wants to postepone travel by two days (and online availibility exists), can you just change the dates online or a phone call to AA call-enter is needed?
For international one-way award booked entirely on AA (say JFK-LHR direct flight). (Booked within few days of departure, so $75 fee was already paid)
On the day before departure, if one wants to postepone travel by two days (and online availibility exists), can you just change the dates online or a phone call to AA call-enter is needed?
Jun 22, 2017, 12:23 pm
#174
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,483
Moderators: Please move this to appropriate thread. Could not determine which award thread this belong to. (Couldnt find answer either usng search)
For international one-way award booked entirely on AA (say JFK-LHR direct flight). (Booked within few days of departure, so $75 fee was already paid)
On the day before departure, if one wants to postepone travel by two days (and online availibility exists), can you just change the dates online or a phone call to AA call-enter is needed?
For international one-way award booked entirely on AA (say JFK-LHR direct flight). (Booked within few days of departure, so $75 fee was already paid)
On the day before departure, if one wants to postepone travel by two days (and online availibility exists), can you just change the dates online or a phone call to AA call-enter is needed?
Jun 25, 2017, 7:45 pm
#175
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 263
Called AA to make a change to one segment of my one PNR ticket: Complete routing is CX-MH-QF. Where I wanted to change was QF SYD-MEL, same day, same airline, just at a different time. Agent said that he would have to redo the entire ticket. Is this correct? He said something about code-shared OneWorld link segment causing this. Huh? I never heard of this. Anyhow, I told him not to as there was no longer availability in the class I am flying on the first segment in CX. If someone can help me out before I call again as to what I should understand about AA award changes in my situation I would be thankful.
Jun 25, 2017, 9:01 pm
#176
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: ADL
Programs: QFF, AAdvantage, All
Posts: 1,137
Called AA to make a change to one segment of my one PNR ticket: Complete routing is CX-MH-QF. Where I wanted to change was QF SYD-MEL, same day, same airline, just at a different time. Agent said that he would have to redo the entire ticket. Is this correct? He said something about code-shared OneWorld link segment causing this. Huh? I never heard of this. Anyhow, I told him not to as there was no longer availability in the class I am flying on the first segment in CX. If someone can help me out before I call again as to what I should understand about AA award changes in my situation I would be thankful.
In your case, since its the last leg you seek to change, force the change, but definitely WITHOUT a ticket reissue.
Jun 25, 2017, 9:45 pm
#177
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 263
Doesn't sound right at all. That said, I had a similar situation that arose due to the original booking being at fault. In that case, the change I made to the faulty booking was OKed at that time, but was denied later, rendering my original itinerary obsolete due to the original sectors no longer being available. They didn't budge on the issue, I had to cancel.
In your case, since its the last leg you seek to change, force the change, but definitely WITHOUT a ticket reissue.
In your case, since its the last leg you seek to change, force the change, but definitely WITHOUT a ticket reissue.
Last edited by loopflyer; Jun 25, 2017 at 9:49 pm Reason: added comment
Jun 25, 2017, 11:44 pm
#178
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: ADL
Programs: QFF, AAdvantage, All
Posts: 1,137
Yeah, I'll call again, but certainly I don't want them to monkey with the entire ticket. That's why I always do my homework in advance of calling to know what is still available, and to warn the agent not to get itchy fingers and pull the plug on the already confirmed ticket. My change is not urgent, I just want more time at Sydney for the transit and to take a shower in the QF lounge. I have currently 2 hours from MH to QF in SYD. That's enough to make the next flight after clearing immigration/customs and hopping a QF bus to the domestic terminal, but it might be a situation of literally going seat to seat. Finally, since it is the Syd-Mel shuttle that goes every 30 to 15 minutes, I could ask QF in Syd if they could just book me in on a later flight. Not that there's a shortage of flights or seats currently. And it is the last segment so what would AA care or know what QF does. The trip is over at that point.
Jun 27, 2017, 3:52 pm
#180
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: CLD
Programs: ua S, marriott P, hilton G, ihg P
Posts: 579
award - can you change inbound date for free once outbound has started?
I'm about to book an award RT ticket, with outbound in two months (Aug 2017) and inbound 6-month later (Feb 2018). I know AA won't charge you for change of date, as long as the origin and destination remain the same. But my question is: after I have started the trip, can I still make (free) changes to the return date? ..before 21 days of the new departure date of coz (say, Mar 2018)..