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
Apr 6, 2017, 1:42 pm
#121
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: ORD
Posts: 1,844
beerup, Thanks. I'll try to hunt down the exact words on your link.
It's done, question answered. The challenge was not finding anything on AA.com, and, on such an easy question, the AAgents kept giving me different answers.
AA... Arrrggg.
So many have answered. You know, I've been on the phone quite a while asking AA this question. What a waste of time.
Apr 6, 2017, 1:44 pm
#122
Join Date: Nov 2008
Programs: AA EXP 3MM
Posts: 1,773
I think many, if not most answers, will tell you that you can't redeposit after departure time based upon their intuition, but not based upon actual policy.
Apr 6, 2017, 6:18 pm
#125
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: ORD
Posts: 1,844
We ticketed the original flight to NRT in December, then recently saw the 6K AAmiles to FUK, and thought that would be a good idea. But, we're not totally convinced we want to go.
We wanted the options to cancel if the weather is bad, or we're not feeling well, or without motivation to keep going after the flight into NRT.
Is that against the rules?
The NO SHOW thing was about the flight into NRT being delayed, and missing the connection. Thinking we were going to be forced to take the next flight, even if it's departing the next day, or lose the AAmiles.
That's would not be fun.
Last edited by zznoname; Apr 6, 2017 at 10:32 pm
Apr 10, 2017, 7:05 pm
#126
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Sun Prairie, WI
Programs: AA Executive Platinum, HH Diamond, National Executive
Posts: 1,786
I'm sure my question is answered 100s of times here but the Mrs is asking me for an answer to her question like yesterday.
The Mrs booked a one way award in F using her own miles. She has no status. She's looking to move the flight back a day. What will happen? I assume she will need to cancel and pay a penalty to return the miles? What's that penalty? Does she then need to just rebook using miles again? Any way to just pay a fee and move it back a day or is it based on award availability?
The Mrs booked a one way award in F using her own miles. She has no status. She's looking to move the flight back a day. What will happen? I assume she will need to cancel and pay a penalty to return the miles? What's that penalty? Does she then need to just rebook using miles again? Any way to just pay a fee and move it back a day or is it based on award availability?
Apr 10, 2017, 9:22 pm
#127
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,585
I'm sure my question is answered 100s of times here but the Mrs is asking me for an answer to her question like yesterday.
The Mrs booked a one way award in F using her own miles. She has no status. She's looking to move the flight back a day. What will happen? I assume she will need to cancel and pay a penalty to return the miles? What's that penalty? Does she then need to just rebook using miles again? Any way to just pay a fee and move it back a day or is it based on award availability?
The Mrs booked a one way award in F using her own miles. She has no status. She's looking to move the flight back a day. What will happen? I assume she will need to cancel and pay a penalty to return the miles? What's that penalty? Does she then need to just rebook using miles again? Any way to just pay a fee and move it back a day or is it based on award availability?
If the new award itinerary uses different airlines than the original itinerary, a change fee might or might not apply.
Apr 10, 2017, 10:00 pm
#128
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Sun Prairie, WI
Programs: AA Executive Platinum, HH Diamond, National Executive
Posts: 1,786
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.
Apr 11, 2017, 6:53 am
#129
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
The date needs to be 21 days later than the original booking, not from the date of change. So if you book on Jan 1 for a flight Mar 1, on Jan 31 you can move the flight to Feb 1 (providing right booking fare available).
Apr 11, 2017, 7:29 am
#130
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio
Programs: DL DM, Former AA EXP now AY Plat, AC 75K, NW Plat, Former CO Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 27,042
Have to agree. Last interaction with a live agent they said your record locator is and wrote on a piece of paper PNR followed by the actual PNR.
Apr 11, 2017, 7:49 am
#131
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Sun Prairie, WI
Programs: AA Executive Platinum, HH Diamond, National Executive
Posts: 1,786
Oh awesome! Yes, we booked more than 21 days ago. Thanks!!
Apr 17, 2017, 12:50 am
#132
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 302
About to book BKK-AUH-FRA-LHR-VIE on EY / BA.
- If EY opens space on their A380 will i be able to re-route the itinerary to BKK-AUH-LHR-VIE?
- If not may i drop FRA-LHR-VIE without a fee? As i have understood the drop segment part of the wiki as long as the destination zone (Europe) does not change it should be okay?
- If EY opens space on their A380 will i be able to re-route the itinerary to BKK-AUH-LHR-VIE?
- If not may i drop FRA-LHR-VIE without a fee? As i have understood the drop segment part of the wiki as long as the destination zone (Europe) does not change it should be okay?
To give a follow up to my original question.
I was able to drop the last two legs and end the journey in Frankfurt on the Partner (EY) Award. The London (A380) Route was unfortunately not available but i managed to switch to earlier flights on the same route.
Took three agents for the changes and a fourth during check-in when i was told the "new" ticket never got issued
Last edited by ctrlf; Apr 17, 2017 at 10:30 pm
Apr 18, 2017, 6:55 pm
#133
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: PHX
Programs: Whatever you have, I have too.
Posts: 377
I am confident seasoned AA flyers can assist me. I'm not a long time pax on AA, but my husband and I accrued enough AA miles to confirm two Business Class tks to CDG which we confirmed last July for travel in April, 2017. A week before our departure date, I fell, causing trauma and injury to my knee. As such, I had to cancel our trip. Here's my question: have any of you had any luck seeking a waiver of the redeposit fees based on a medical condition? And, built in question, if I find we could rebook our tkts, w/just a date change/could we get a waiver on the change fees? I asked my dr to write a support letter, which I have in my possession, and I plan to submit it to AA, but I really don't have high hopes my fees will be waived as airlines, through the years, have had so many bogus claims tossed at them that I'm pretty sure they are tone deaf about medical pleadings. Your thoughts?
Apr 19, 2017, 8:20 am
#134
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
I am confident seasoned AA flyers can assist me. I'm not a long time pax on AA, but my husband and I accrued enough AA miles to confirm two Business Class tks to CDG which we confirmed last July for travel in April, 2017. A week before our departure date, I fell, causing trauma and injury to my knee. As such, I had to cancel our trip. Here's my question: have any of you had any luck seeking a waiver of the redeposit fees based on a medical condition? And, built in question, if I find we could rebook our tkts, w/just a date change/could we get a waiver on the change fees? I asked my dr to write a support letter, which I have in my possession, and I plan to submit it to AA, but I really don't have high hopes my fees will be waived as airlines, through the years, have had so many bogus claims tossed at them that I'm pretty sure they are tone deaf about medical pleadings. Your thoughts?
Apr 19, 2017, 8:59 am
#135
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: PHX
Programs: Whatever you have, I have too.
Posts: 377