Flight Award Redemptions: Change & Cancellation Fees

Whether you are just getting started with miles and points or have been involved in the hobby for quite some time, there is a mass of information to absorb and understand to get the most out of loyalty programs. 

Flight redemptions are one of the most confusing aspects of the hobby, and knowing how to search for availability and optimally book flights can be a big mountain to climb. However, there are other aspects of flight bookings, such as change and cancellation fees, that are equally as important to understand if you want to maximize the flexibility of flight award redemptions.

Let’s take a look at the basics of changes and cancellations when it comes to award travel, and the policies surrounding the most popular frequent flyer programs for Canadians.

The Value of Changes & Cancellations in Award Travel

Undoubtedly my favorite part of award travel is being able to experience flights and awards that I wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford. A close second is the flexibility that award travel offers, as booking flights with miles and points is generally far more flexible than paying cash rates.

Many frequent flyer programs offer the ability to make changes and/or cancel your ticket, all for a minimal fee. No real money is on the line when making an adjustment to your booking, as you will receive the miles earned back, plus the taxes and fees, less any applicable change or cancellation fees.

This flexibility really shines when it comes to cancellations, as cash fares may only be refunded as a travel bank credit that can be used when booking with that specific airline, depending on the fare class that is booked. The fact that you can receive 99% of your initial cost back when redeeming miles and points is a major plus for the program and removes a large amount of risk when it comes to making speculative bookings.

The Finer Details of Flight Award Changes & Cancellations

There are a few finer details that every miles and points enthusiast should be aware of when it comes to handling change and cancellations with award flights. These details become even more important as you get into booking within airline alliances and utilizing partner awards.

Look at the Policy of the Program You Booked With, Not The Airline You Are Flying On

I’ve noticed that once an individual gets into redeeming partner award flights within loyalty programs, there is sometimes confusion as to who the booking actually lies with. If you need to make any changes or cancellations to the partner award flight booking, the loyalty program you booked with is responsible for assisting with those changes.

For example, if I book an EVA Air business class flight through Air Canada Aeroplan using my Aeroplan points, for any changes and cancellations I would need to go through Air Canada Aeroplan customer service. This also means that I would be governed by the change and cancellation fees outlined in the Air Canada Aeroplan program, not the EVA Air Infinity MileageLands program.

Usually, when you book a flight award on the partner airline, there is minimal interaction that you will have with that airline outside of seat selection and meal selection (if that is an offered feature). Thinking about partner awards with this mindset will help you when it comes to booking, as you can look for loyalty programs that have the most favorable terms for changes and cancellations if you have points in multiple programs.

The 24 Hour Rule with Travel To/From the United States

Per the Department of Transportation, airlines operating flights to/from the United States must allow customers to cancel tickets within 24 hours of booking without any penalty.

You might be wondering what value this offers for Canadians. Depending on the carrier you are flying, you might need to book a positioning flight to fly your international flight. For example, I am based in Edmonton, and so when I am traveling to Japan later this year, I am flying Japan Airlines business class out of San Francisco. This means when I booked my San Francisco to Tokyo award ticket, I would have been eligible to cancel within 24 hours of booking at no cost.

This rule applies to any reservations that are made seven or more days prior to the scheduled departure. It also doesn’t only apply to US airlines, but also foreign airlines that are either traveling to or from the United States.

There is significant value in knowing this feature exists for any inbound or outbound US flights, as this can give you the extra time needed to solidify your plans. This also means you can book award availability as soon as you see it, and chat with your travel partner later to determine if this is a trip you want to take, without any risk.

Frequent Flyer Programs: Change & Cancellation Fees

Below, we’ve included the most popular frequent flyer programs utilized by Canadians and the policies and fees surrounding changes and cancellations when it comes to modifying award tickets booked through that program. 

The below sections do not explore if the perks of Elite status allow waiving of fees, so if you hold status with any frequent flyer program, look into those details to see if that is an applicable benefit.

Air Canada Aeroplan

Since Air Canada Aeroplan is the loyalty program that most Canadians will be utilizing, understanding the change and cancellation policy is imperative for those who make award flight bookings whether for Air Canada flights or flights on partner airlines.

Air Canada is a bit more complex than most other frequent flyer programs, as they provide a chart that assigns change and cancellation fees based on the fare class that the award ticket is booked within:

Since there is an additional charge of $25-$50 per ticket when canceling via the contact center, it is better to self-serve any cancellations where possible.

The above chart also applies to when you make a partner award booking as you will still need to choose a fare class. The more flexible option will always be more expensive, but it can be a price worth paying if your booking is speculative or may change.

There is also the potential to get creative when it comes to making changes to Air Canada Aeroplan bookings. Check out Jeff’s guide to Air Canada Aeroplan flight reward changes for more information.

Air France/KLM Flying Blue

Air France/KLM Flying Blue charges a flat rate of €70 per ticket for any changes or cancellations. Changes or cancellations must be made before check-in closure occurs else the ticket is forfeit.

The change and cancellation fees are the same for any tickets that are booked as part of Flying Blue’s Promo Rewards as well.

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

The Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan offers no fees to change or cancel an award ticket.

However, when booking a partner award through Alaska Mileage Plan, a $12.50 USD partner award booking fee per ticket, per direction will be charged. This fee is not refunded upon cancellation, but all other taxes and fees will be refunded.

All Nippon Airways (ANA) Mileage Club

ANA Mileage Club offers free changes for up to 96 hours before departure of your booked award ticket flight.

When it comes to cancellations, ANA Mileage Club is different than every other frequent flyer program on this list as they don’t charge a cash fee, but they charge miles instead. When canceling an award ticket booked with ANA Mileage Club, members will be charged 3,000 ANA Miles per ticket canceled.

The remaining miles will be credited back to your account and the full taxes and fees will be returned to your original payment method.

American Airlines AAdvantage

American Airlines AAdvantage charges no change or cancellation fees on any bookings, making them one of the best options for booking award availability as you find it. Even if you need a few weeks to iron out travel plans or the rest of your itinerary, there is zero stress in taking extra time, knowing that your AAdvantage redemption is locked down for no risk.

Many partner airlines are also bookable via AAdvantage with minimal taxes and fees, so if you have access to US credit cards or are willing to transfer RBC Avion points into the program, aiming for a redemption within the program is definitely worth considering thanks to the massive flexibility offered.

American Airlines AAdvantage is also one of the few programs that allows members to self-serve ticket holds. This feature, coupled with the fact that there are no change or cancellation fees, makes AAdvantage an absolute powerhouse of a frequent flyer program when it comes to flexibility.

British Airways Executive Club

British Airways Executive Club charges their change and cancellation fees in a currency that is aligned with the region of departure.

If you were departing from Canada, you would be charged $58 CAD per ticket for any changes or cancellations:

For many Canadians, the USA taxes and fees are much more applicable for the majority of flights that would be booked through British Airways Executive Club. If you were departing from the United States, you would be charged $55 USD per ticket for any changes or cancellations:

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

Cathay Pacfic Asia Miles charges a reasonable $50 USD per ticket for flight changes and $120 USD per ticket for flight cancellations.

Customers can also pay change and cancellation fees with Asia Miles, at a rate of 7,500 miles per ticket and 17,000 miles per ticket respectively. Obviously, this is incredibly poor value for Asia Miles, so just pay the cash fee should you need to adjust your award ticket.

Qatar Airways Privilege Club

Qatar Airways Privilege Club offers generous change and cancellation terms for all bookings made within the program.

The program charges $25 USD per ticket for changes or cancellations made more than 24 hours before departure. An increased fee of $100 USD per ticket will be charged for changes or cancellations made between 3 and 24 hours of departure.

Considering how hard it can be to lock down Qatar Airways QSuites availability, the generous change and cancellation fees are a major plus for this program in being able to book first and figure out plans later.

United MileagePlus

United MileagePlus does not charge any fees for changes or cancellations in advance of the award ticket flight departure. 

While we might not recommend collecting United Miles since we have the utility of Air Canada Aeroplan and both programs are within Star Alliance, the additional flexibility offered over Aeroplan bookings might be worth it for some customers.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club charges a flat rate of $50 USD per ticket for both award ticket changes and cancellations.

There have been some data points that if your taxes and fees on a reservation are less than $50 USD, you won’t be charged this fee. This was my experience when canceling an ANA award ticket previously but I wouldn’t expect this to always occur.

WestJet Rewards

The change and cancellation fees for award flights booked through the WestJet Rewards program are governed by the fare class that the ticket was booked within, similar to Air Canada Aeroplan. 

Any of the fare classes that are denoted as Flex, including EconoFlex, PremiumFlex, and BusinessFlex, do not have any fees when making changes or cancellations (except if the ticket is changed into one that is more expensive, the difference will need to be paid).

WestJet customers can refer to the below table to have a better idea of the change fees depending on the fare class they have booked:

Similarly, they can refer to the below table to understand the cancellation fees that are charged when canceling a ticket:

All of the values denoted above are per ticket per direction, meaning that making changes or canceling can get expensive quite quickly. If you are looking to fly internationally and are uncertain of your plans, look to other frequent flyer programs with more generous change and cancellation terms to benefit from the much-needed additional flexibility.

Conclusion

Understanding the change and cancellation policies and fees of the loyalty program you are interested in booking a flight with will go a long way in dealing with any necessary ticketing changes. Plus, if you have miles and points in several different frequent flyer programs, it can sometimes be worth choosing the program with more favorable change and cancellation fees, provided all other aspects of the booking, including costs, are the same.