I’ve been loving using Alaska miles since they lowered award costs last year, with short-haul awards on American now starting at just 4,500 miles in coach or 9,000 miles in first class. It’s like someone opened a portal back to the golden days of 2011 award ticket pricing!
It got even better when AMEX points started transferring to Alaska, thanks to the Hawaiian merger.
With last minute one-way Cleveland to NYC or Philadelphia flights going for close to $500, redeeming 4,500 miles at a value of 10 cents each is incredible.
I’m even batting 1.000 on getting upgraded with my American Executive Platinum status on Alaska booked flights thanks to this workaround.
The only pain point is that Alaska charges a $12.50 each way per passenger surcharge for booking partner award travel, on top of the $5.60 9/11 fee. That $12.50 fee is non-refundable if you don’t cancel within 24 hours of booking.
That’s a bummer compared to using AA or United miles, which became fully refundable with no fees thanks to policies that changed over COVID. But that’s a small price to pay to save a bundle of miles.
Many people don’t seem to realize this, but paying the fee doesn’t mean you’re locked into a specific booking when using Alaska miles.
If your plans change, you might be tempted to cancel your ticket and get the miles back.
Don’t.
If you do that, you will forfeit the partner award booking fee.
Instead, just change the route or date at no charge.
To do so, go to your Alaska trips page, and click on change reservation. Then select to change the trip and enter in any route and dates. Change the search preferences to select your new desired class of service.
If you change to a cheaper flight, you’ll get back the extra miles and taxes paid and the new ticket will just act as a placeholder if you don’t actually want to fly then.
When you’re ready to book another flight, you can change it again and just pay (or get back) the difference in fare and taxes.
The ticket will be valid for a year, at which point you’ll have to use it, or you can always request a refund at that time.
There is no limit to how many changes you can make on a ticket, all free of charge!
Did you know about this workaround to avoid losing the partner award booking fee when your travel plans change?
What routes have you booked with Alaska miles?
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24 Comments On "Don’t Cancel Your Award Booked With Alaska Miles!"
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I’ve taken the Miami for 7.5 k miles and buffalo for 4.5 it’s amazing
If you do have to cancel.. any way to get back the fee?
May i suggest an optometrist?
In theory if you change it to something far enough out you can also get lucky with a schedule change and then get that 12.50 back as well. Thanks for the tip!
Booked and Flew AMS-PHL/LGA. AA in J
45K Miles
Did not know this workaround (sort of). Thank you
Nice tip!
Can you change ticket names without canceling?
Used it to fly my wife PHL – BNA and back in F for 9K each way, and I did PHL – PDX in F for I think 35K.
Valid for a year from the date of booking, or from the date of flight?
Yes, I’ve known about this. I’ve been using it for EWR-MIA.
A no brainer that never entered my brain, I was always waiting for the last minute and then… canceled.
As soon as I’ve seen the headline I got it.
Thanks again Dan.
Enjoy!
If I have a business elal flight on Alaska miles will Alaska or Elal let me switch to a different flight at this point?
Only if there’s a schedule change
How about the taxes for international flights? Is that refundable?
Sure.
If you switch from an American flight to an Alaska flight, what happens to the partner fee?
It’s non-refundable after 24 hours.
Just booked 2 tickets jfk-Cvg which was $340 each for a total of 9k miles. Thank Dan!!
Awesome!
I did that a few weeks ago, made four changes before I took the final flight.
I called them after I cancelled a few tickets and they (after some hemming and hawing) refunded me the partner booking fees. I actually wonder if this would withstand a DOT challenge being that within 24 hours it is supposed to be 100% refundable.
I got back my $12.50 fees for flights canceled within 24 hours via X DM.
DOT wouldn’t be happy if they refused.