Airline Fees to Hold, Change and Cancel – Information is Gold

How do the Alaska, American, Delta and United Hold, Change & Cancel Policies and Fees Stack Up?

We all know it’s stressful to push the buy button when purchasing an airline ticket with cash or airline award miles. And it’s no wonder with fees to change or cancel as high as $450!

Let’s review the fees and policies across the airlines so the next time you go to purchase a cash or award ticket you have all of the information you need to make an informed decision!

Let’s start out with four very important Tips:

1. Hold off as long as you can before cancelling or changing a flight. If any of the major domestic carriers have changes or delays to the schedule or cancel a flight, you may be entitled to a refund or change with no fees. The policy is especially helpful if you book far in advance. Also, consider a same-day flight change, which is a more economical change option. And remember, many fees are waived for those flyers with Elite status… Loyalty pays!

2. Know the fees before you book two one-way flights instead of a round-trip. Most airlines charge exorbitant fees to change or cancel paid flights (it’s as high as $450 for international travel). And that fee is typically charged per flight! For example, if you change or cancel a paid domestic round-trip flight, you may pay $200. If you change or cancel two one-way domestic paid flights you will pay $200 for each – or $400!

3. Call the airline if you have an extraordinary circumstance like illness, a death in the family or a natural disaster. The airline may be willing to waive fees and adjust your itinerary if you do not have trip cancellation or interruption coverage with protection through your credit card or a policy.

4. Consider trip cancellation or interruption coverage – see our great travel insurance Tip!

Now let’s dig into each airlines policies and fees.

ALASKA AIRLINES:

Holds, Changes and Cancellations for Paid and Award Tickets:

• Reservations made via alaskaair.com, the call centers or at the airport require immediate purchase but customers can cancel or make one change to wholly unused paid or award tickets within 24 hours of the original date of purchase without incurring change fees (any applicable increase in fare still applies)

• A $15 nonrefundable call center booking fee is imposed for paid and award tickets booked over the phone, with the fee waived for Mileage Plan MVP Gold and Gold 75K members

• Unique to Alaska Airlines – no fees are incurred for changes and cancellations made more than 60 days from the date of travel to paid or award tickets

• A $125 charge is applied when changing or cancelling a nonrefundable ticket within 60 days of travel, with fees waived for Mileage Plan MVP Gold and Gold 75K members

• When non-refundable paid tickets are changed or cancelled, any excess value will be issued as a credit to be used by the same person within 12 months; a refundable ticket allows a refund to the original form of payment; and award miles are placed back into the members account

• If a MVP Gold or Gold 75 member books award travel using their miles for a non-Elite flyer, the change and cancellation fees will be waived and the miles will be redeposited back into the Elite member’s account

• A $12.50 nonrefundable partner award fee applies each way, per award, for all new Alaska airline partner award bookings

Same-Day Changes to Paid and Award Flights on Alaska are a Bargain Compared to the Competition:

• Same-day changes can be made for $25, with the fee waived for Mileage Plan MVP, MVP Gold and Gold 75 members and customers booked in F, D, A (First) and Y, Z (Coach) classes of service

• The flight and the itinerary must be sold and operated by Alaska Airlines

• Passengers must keep the same departure, arrival and connecting cities on the same day as the confirmed flight; except for flights departing between 12:00 a.m. and 3:59 a.m., the new desired flight may depart at or after 10:00 p.m. on the day prior to the original departure

• Non-MVP, MVP Gold or Gold 75 flyers may make confirmed flight changes up to six hours prior to the desired new flight time as long as a seat is available

• Mileage Plan MVP, MVP Gold and Gold 75 members may make confirmed flight changes any time after 10 p.m. the day prior to the scheduled flight; if a seat cannot be confirmed on the desired flight, free Same-Day Standby may be requested

• For nonstop flights between Anchorage and Fairbanks, Seattle and Portland or Seattle and Spokane, passengers can request free Same-Day Standby

• The same-day change may be made during online or mobile check-in, by request to customer service by phone or in the airport, or during check-in at an airport kiosk

AMERICAN AIRLINES:

Holds, Changes and Cancellations for Paid Tickets:

• For paid tickets, both complimentary and paid hold options are available:
  • A 24-hour complimentary hold applies to all paid reservations
  • For extended holds, choose the “Hold” option on the “Review and Pay” page during the booking process (the cost will vary depending on the type of ticket and the hold option chosen)

• A change or a cancellation of a paid ticket will incur up to a $450 fee ($200 for domestic and up to $450 for international travel) per ticket plus any fare difference, with no waiver for Elite members

• When non-refundable tickets are changed or cancelled, any excess value will be issued as a credit to be used by the same person within 12 months; a refundable ticket allows a refund to the original form of payment

Holds, Changes and Cancellations for Award Tickets:

• AAdvantage has a very generous, complimentary award hold policy for most tickets; a ticket hold can be processed online or by phone (with a fee) and is dependent on how far in advance the ticket was booked:
  • 15-330 days in advance, enjoy a 5-day hold
  • 1-14 days in advance, enjoy a 1-day hold
  • If booked within 24 hours of departure the hold allowance is only 2 hours
  • A few special fares may have different conditions, we suggest you review the terms of the ticket before purchasing

• If a change is needed to the dates of an award ticket or upgrade more than 21 days before departure (with the same routing), no fee will be charged

• If the departure date is within 21 days, a $75 change fee will be charged for each ticket, which is waived for Executive Platinum, Platinum and Gold members using miles from their account

• If a change is needed to the origin or destination or airline but not the award type of an award flight or upgrade:
  • MileSAAver awards incur a change fee of $150 for each ticket
  • AAnytime award change fees are waived
  • Awards involving travel on other airlines will incur a change fee of $150 for each ticket
  • If you need to make a change that requires a different award type, the ticket will be need to be reinstated for $150 and a new award issued
  • These change fees will be waived for Executive Platinum members using miles from their account

• For a cancellation of an award ticket or upgrade, the miles can be reinstated for a $150 fee as long as the ticket hasn’t expired; a $25 fee will be charged for each additional cancelled ticket with the miles returned to the same account

Same-Day Changes to Paid and Award Flights:

• Changes to an alternative flight with no fare difference expense are available on the same day as the original confirmed flight for flights on American Airlines and American Eagle in the US, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Canada and the Caribbean

• The fee is $75 for confirmed or standby travel with the same departure and arrival airports, same routing and number of connections; standby is only available when seats are not available on the preferred flight and therefore cannot be confirmed

• The $75 fee is waived for:
  • AAdvantage Executive Platinum, Platinum or Gold members, and oneworld Emerald, Sapphire or Ruby members and any customers flying on the same reservation
  • First and Business Class customers flying on a paid or award flight
  • Customers who purchase a refundable (unrestricted Y fare)
  • Customers who purchase a Choice Plus fare
  • Customers who purchase an AAdvantage AAnytime travel award

* American Airlines is currently testing international same-day changes for $150 on a few select routes flown by American Airlines including JFK-LHR and LHR-JFK. The same-day change must be booked online and the fee is waived for AAdvantage Executive Platinum passengers. We will let you know if this test period is expanded, extended or made permanent. 

DELTA AIRLINES:

Holds, Changes and Cancellations for Paid Tickets:

• For paid  tickets, Delta eliminated the complimentary hold in 2013, but does have a risk-free cancellation policy for eTickets purchased through Delta originating in the US, US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Canada, which allows a full refund for cancellation to the original form of payment before midnight the day after the ticket was booked

• A change or a cancellation of a paid ticket will incur up to a $500 fee ($200 for Delta marketed flights within the US, US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Canada, and up to $500 for international travel with changes usually only permitted to the return portion of an international itinerary); the change and cancel fees are per ticket plus any fare difference

• An additional $50 fee is added to the change and cancel fee for adjustments to tickets issued in the US or Canada but not issued by Delta

• Change fees on paid tickets are not waived for Elite members

• Basic Economy tickets (fare class E) are not eligible for any changes

• Bulk fare or tour fare tickets issued through certain third-party websites and travel agents are not eligible for any changes

• When non-refundable tickets are changed or cancelled, any excess value is generally issued as a credit to be used by the same person within 12 months; a refundable ticket allows a refund to the original form of payment

Holds, Changes and Cancellations for Award Tickets:

• Delta has a risk-free cancellation policy for  award tickets purchased through Delta originating in the US, US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Canada, which allows you to cancel with a redeposit of your miles and refund of fees before midnight the day after you book the ticket

• If you need to change (the award will be cancelled and then reissued) or cancel your ticket, the award ticket redeposit fee is $150 if more than 72 hours before your flight

• No award flight changes can be made within 72 hours of departure

• Any change and reinstatement fees are waived for Diamond and Platinum Medallion members using miles from their own account more than 72 hours prior to departure

Same-Day Changes to Paid and Award Flights:

• Same-day changes are available for confirmed or standby travel on flights operated by Delta and Delta Connection for paid and award tickets; standby is only available when seats are not available on the preferred flight and therefore cannot be confirmed

• Requests can be made up to 24 hours before the original departure and are limited to the same day as the original flight with the same departure and arrival airports in the US, US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Canada (only confirmed changes are allowed for travel to or from Canada – not standby)

• The fee is $50 for non-members, general SkyMiles members and Silver Medallion members

• The change fee is waived for Gold, Diamond and Platinum Medallion members but Medallion complimentary upgrades do not transfer to the rebooked ticket

• Flights with a connection cannot be changed to a non-stop flight

• Basic Economy tickets (fare class E) are not eligible for same-day confirmed or standby travel changes

• For non-basic economy fares, the passenger must stay in economy class but premium cabin fares including Delta One, First and Business Class can be confirmed if a seat is available in a premium cabin

• Trip Extras or seats purchased for the original flight do not transfer to your rebooked ticket

• A few unique policies exist for standby:
  • Silver Medallion members, general SkyMiles members and non-members may only fly same-day standby for a flight that is earlier than their original flight
  • Diamond, Platinum and Gold Medallion members may fly standby for a flight any time on the same day as their original flight
  • Standby is permitted for multi-segment flights, but customers must stand by for each individual flight segment and standby fees are not refundable once you are assigned a seat on the first standby segment

UNITED AIRLINES:

Holds, Changes and Cancellations for Paid Tickets:

• United’s 24-hour Complimentary Flexible Booking policy for all paid tickets booked on united.com or with the United Customer Contact Center allows changes and cancellations within 24 hours of ticket purchase without incurring a fee; Special Note: group tickets and tickets purchased using Western Union, cash or e-certificates are excluded

• United eliminated their complimentary ticket hold policy in 2013 and introduced FareLock:
  • The cost to lock and hold a fare is typically $9.99 for a 72-hour hold and $14.99 for a 7-day hold per reservation for most flights booked directly with United online or by phone
  • FareLock fees will not be refunded if the United’s 24-hour Complimentary Flexible Booking option is exercised
  • FareLock is only offered on flights operated solely by United and United Express with no partner segments
  • The FareLock logo will appear next to eligible fares on united.com; after selecting flights, FareLock can be purchased, if available, in the Purchase Options section on the Review Trip Itinerary page
  • An email reminder will be sent 24 hours before the FareLock hold ends; if the ticket is not purchases before expiration, the flight will be cancelled and the ticket refunded to the original form of payment

• A change or a cancellation of a paid ticket will incur up to a $400 fee ($200 for domestic and up to $400 for international travel) per ticket plus any fare difference – change fees on paid tickets are not waived for Elite members

• When non-refundable tickets are changed or cancelled, any excess value will be issued as a credit to be used by the same person within 12 months; a refundable ticket allows a refund to the original form of payment

Hold, Booking, Change and Cancellation Fees for Award Tickets (including upgrades) on United and Partner Airlines:

• A 72-hour or 7-day FareLock hold is available for Saver and Standard Award tickets with the same terms outlined above for paid tickets

• Booking an award ticket online incurs no booking fee but if booked through the United Customer Contact Center a $25 fee will be charged, with the fee waived for Global Services, Premier 1K and Premier Platinum members

• Booking an award ticket through any channel within 21 days of travel will result in these fees:
  • $75 for General and non-MileagePlus members
  • $50 for Premier Silver members
  • $25 for Premier Gold members
  • The fee is waived for Global Services, Premier 1K and Premier Platinum members

• For award ticket changes more than 21 days before departure (with the same origin and destination), general and non-MileagePlus members will incur a fee of $75, with the fee waived for all MileagePlus members with Silver status and above

• For award ticket changes with a departure within 21 days, or if making an origin, destination, cabin, award type, carrier, date or time change any time:
  • General and non-MileagePlus members will incur a fee of $100
  • Premier Silver members will incur a fee of $50
  • Premier Gold members will incur a fee of $25
  • The fee is waived for Global Services, Premier 1K and Premier Platinum members

• To cancel an award ticket or upgrade and have the miles reinstated to the account within one year:
  • General and non-MileagePlus members will incur a fee of $200
  • Premier Silver members will incur a fee of $125
  • Premier Gold members will incur a fee of $100
  • The fee is waived for Global Services, Premier 1K and Premier Platinum members

Same-Day Changes to Paid and Award Flights:

• Same-day changes to routing and departure times with the same origin and destination can be made for $75, with the fee waived for MileagePlus Premier Gold, Premier Platinum and Premier 1K members

• The itinerary must be operated by United or United Express, and the ticket number must begin with 016

• Changes may be made within 24 hours of the scheduled flight, which may provide the opportunity to travel the day before or after if within 24 hours of the original departure time

• If the original ticketed fare class is not available, a change can be made to an available class by paying the same-day change fee with either a fare charge or refund for the difference in price

The Wrap-Up:

Alaska Airlines has a generous no fee change and cancellation allowance 60 days or more before travel and wins for being the most flexible with the least cash outlay to make adjustments. And American Airlines has a very generous award ticket hold policy providing peace of mind at the beginning of the ticket booking process. But overall changes to a trip can be very costly and it’s important to be fully informed before purchase so you know what you are getting into.

Consider round-trip purchases to avoid the risk of two change fees and the same-day change option is an economical choice for those who need last minute changes. Of course, loyalty pays with many of the fees waived on award tickets and same-day changes.

Investigate whether trip interruption and/or cancellation coverage is offered through any of the credit cards in your wallet and use the card that provides the best protection to purchase your ticket. To learn more about trip cancellation or interruption coverage see our travel insurance Tip!

While the fees and policies are complex, we hope this Tip gave you a better understanding of the hold, change and cancel policies and associated fees across the airlines.

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Happy Loyalty, Happy Travels!

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