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![How To Cancel an Alaska Airlines Flight [Points or Cash Ticket]](https://upgradedpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Alaska-Air-737-MAX.jpeg?auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=1420&height=650&fit=crop)
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The process of canceling a flight, especially one you’ve been looking forward to, can be confusing, frustrating, and expensive — but luckily it doesn’t have to be! Doing a bit of research on potential cancellation fees in advance can save you quite a bit of time and money if you do end up needing to cancel.
If you happened to book your flight, or are planning to book a flight, with Alaska Airlines, you’re in the right place! Here’s all the information you need to navigate its cancellation policy and determine what policies apply to your situation.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, if you purchased a Saver fare between February 27, 2020, and April 30, 2021, you may cancel your trip without a fee and deposit the funds into your My Account wallet or receive a credit certificate for future travel.
If you purchase a nonrefundable first class, main, or award ticket between February 27, 2020, and April 30, 2021, you may:
As of May 1, 2021, change and cancellation fees have been permanently eliminated on main and first class fares. Saver fares may not be changed or canceled outside of the 24-hour cancellation policy.
View the full policy here. If you booked via a third party, refer to your booking provider for its policies.
With cancellation policies due to COVID-19 being ever-changing, for the most up-to-date policies across all airlines, please refer to our COVID-19 Airline Cancellations article.
All customers have 24 hours from the time of their original booking to cancel their reservation without being charged a cancellation fee, regardless of the fare selected.
| Ticket Type | Cancellation Fee |
| Saver | Not permitted (outside of the 24-hour window) |
| Main cabin | $0 |
| First class | $0 |
| Award ticket | $0 |
If you purchase a Saver fare you can cancel within the 24-hour cancellation policy, but once it’s out of the 24-hour cancellation policy Alaska will no longer allow you to cancel a saver fare ticket.
As of May 1, 2021, cancellation fees have been permanently eliminated on main cabin fares.
As of May 1, 2021, cancellation fees have been permanently eliminated on first class fares.
As of May 1, 2021, cancellation fees have been permanently eliminated on award tickets.
Hot Tip: Looking for even more information about canceling award tickets? Explore our guide on canceling award tickets, including information on over 30 carriers, to learn more.
As with cancellations, all customers will have 24 hours from the time of their original booking to change their reservation without being charged a fee, regardless of the fare selected.
| Ticket Type | Change Fee |
| Saver | Not permitted |
| Main cabin | $0 |
| First class (non-refundable) | $0 |
| First class (refundable) | $0 |
| Award ticket | $0 |
| Same-day changes | $50* ($25 for flights within California) |
If you purchase a Saver fare, you cannot change your ticket, even within the 24-hour window from when your ticket was purchased. If less than 24 hours have passed, your best option would be to cancel the ticket and book a new one.
If you need to make a change to your main cabin ticket you can do so without needing to pay any extra change fee. If you are changing your flight to a more expensive option, then you’ll need to pay that price difference as well.
First class tickets can be changed without incurring any change fees. If you are changing your flight to a more expensive option, then you’ll need to pay that price difference as well.
Alaska no longer charges a change for award tickets.
Same-day changes are $50 for all ticket types (not including Saver tickets), with the exception of those whose travel is entirely within the state of California, in which case the fee is $25. If you hold MVP Gold, MVP Gold 75K, or MVP Gold 100K status with Alaska Airlines, or your travel itinerary is wholly within the state of Alaska, the same-day change fee will be waived.
Keep in mind that same-day changes are subject to availability for seats in the same cabin. However, you will only be charged the fee if you get a seat. If there is no availability, you won’t be charged for being on same-day standby.
Step 1: Log into your account on Alaska’s homepage and select My Trips.
Step 2: Once you’ve selected the trip you want to cancel, select Cancel. You can also change your ticket from this screen as well.
Step 3: The next screen will ask you to confirm that you want to cancel your booking. After you click Confirm, your booking will officially be canceled and you’ll receive a confirmation containing your ticket number with any remaining funds after any potential cancellation fees.
If you prefer to have a customer service agent walk you through the cancellation process, you can do so by calling 800-252-7522.
After you receive your confirmation email containing your ticket number and the remaining funds associated with that ticket, you can log into your Alaska account and add them to My Wallet. All you need to do is log into your account, select My Wallet, and enter the ticket number. Those funds will be available for use on a future Alaska Airlines flight.
If you’re worried that you may need to cancel your flight and want to make sure you can receive a full refund without paying any cancellation fees, a first class refundable ticket is going to be your best option. If you have MVP Gold, MVP Gold 75K, or MVP Gold 100K status with Alaska, you can cancel or make changes to your flights without needing to worry about paying additional fees. Sometimes it does pay to be loyal to an airline!
Having to deal with canceling a flight can be difficult enough as it is, so consider adding a credit card that provides compensation! Be certain to review fare rules closely so that you know what your options are both at the time of booking and if you end up needing to cancel.
Alaska does not charge and cancellation fees for main cabin, first class, or award tickets. Saver class tickets are not permitted to be changed.
Yes, all customers will have 24 hours from the time of their original booking to cancel their reservation without being charged a cancellation fee, regardless of the fare selected.
As long as it was not a Saver class ticket, you can cancel your ticket free of charge, and the remaining fare will be given to you as an eCredit for future use on an Alaska flight.
Alaska Airlines eCredits expire exactly 1 year after their issue date.
For same-day changes, Alaska charges $50 for all ticket types (not including Saver tickets), with the exception of those whose travel is entirely within the state of California, in which case the fee is $25. If you hold MVP Gold or MVP Gold 75K status with Alaska Airlines, or your travel itinerary is wholly within the state of Alaska, the same-day change fee will be waived.
No, Alaksa no longer charges a fee to cancel an award ticket.
You can not change a Saver ticket with Alaska, even within the 24-hour window. Your only option would be to cancel the ticket and rebook. Since this is still within the 24-hour window, you will not be charged a cancellation fee and will receive a full refund for the cancel ticket.
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Boasting a portfolio of over 20 cards, Jarrod has been an expert in the points and miles space for over 6 years. He earns and redeems over 1 million points per year and his work has been featured in outlets like The New York Times.
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28 comments
Robert
October 14, 2020
Re “Is there a fee to cancel an award ticket with Alaska?
Yes, Alaska charges $125 to cancel and award ticket. This fee is waived for those who hold MVP Gold or MVP Gold 75k status.”
I don’t think that’s correct per https://www.alaskaair.com/content/advisories/travel-advisories#flex
If you purchase a nonrefundable First Class, main, or award ticket between February 27, 2020 and December 31, 2020, you may:
Change your trip without a fee. A fare difference may apply to your new itinerary.
Cancel your trip without a fee and deposit the funds into My Account wallet or receive a credit certificate for future travel.
Jarrod West
October 14, 2020
Hi Robert,
Yes, those are temporary policies that were put in place due to COVID. This article covers Alaska’s standard cancellation and change fees – but you’ll notice that COVID related changes are outlined at the top of the post.
Thanks for reading!
Robert
May 05, 2021
Hi, does the fee-free award cancellation policy apply to flights on partner airlines booked using Alaska points?
Jarrod West
May 18, 2021
Hi Robert,
If you booked through Alaska, then yes the fee-free cancellation policy should apply.
Lisa
May 28, 2021
I cancelled my award reservation through Alaska. They redeposited the miles, but did not refund me the partner award service fee. Does anyone know if I can get those refunded since the cancellation is COVID related?
Jarrod West
May 28, 2021
Hi Lisa,
If the cancellation was Covid related then you might be able to. I would call Alaska directly and explain your situation to see what they can do for you.
Heath
June 30, 2021
Alaska canceled my Vegas to SEA flight on July 13th and I booked a non-refundable 1st Class ticket. Am I able to get a refund back to my credit card if the airline was the one to get rid of my flight altogether?
Jarrod West
June 30, 2021
Hi Heath,
Yes, if the airline canceled your flight they are required to refund you.
Michelle
August 01, 2021
If I cancel with Alaska on a main airfare will the miles go back to my account?
Jarrod West
August 02, 2021
Hi Michelle,
Yes, the miles should be redeposited in your account.
Joann Noll
August 22, 2021
So if I cancel my Saver ticket, do I still get credit for the miles since I get no refund?
Jarrod West
August 23, 2021
Hi Joann,
Yes, you should receive the miles.
Ted
November 06, 2021
I believe there are no change fees for partner award tickets in Alaska Airlines.
Rick
November 07, 2021
Maybe I’m just not searching in the right place on their website but where is the policy stating that there are no award cancellation fees for partner awards? I just wanted to have a snapshot I could screenshot before booking. Thanks!
Enzo
November 30, 2021
If I have a wallet credit of 111 bucks that expires by December 31st 20201, and I book a new main flight close to that price or a bit over, can I then cancel it to get it put back into my wallet for a new expiration date? I mainly am trying to find a way to not lose my wallet credit but haven’t found a reason to fly in the near future and need to use it by the end of the month. Thanks!
Jarrod West
December 01, 2021
Hi Enzo,
Unfortunately, Alaska Wallet credits are nonrefundable and non-transferable. So if you were to book using it and cancel you would not receive a refund.
Anthony
July 28, 2022
It may depend on the type of credits. I deposited gift certificates, I bought at Costco, and they were refundable, but it took 3-4 days to be deposited into my account. The same for customer care credits.
Companion certificates are not refundable, but once used, you are able to change your reservation for another flight, but you need to contact the call center to do so. Canceling and trying to rebook will cause the credits to disappear. I made a change, using the text chatting feature on the Alaska app. It was better than waiting 2-5 hours on the phone or waiting for a phone call back from the wrong department.
I don’t know if the expiration date is a factor or not, but the reservation call center may not see the expiration date of the wallet credits when rebooking.
Samuel
January 15, 2022
Thank you for the article. What are the cancellation fees for award bookings made with a partner airline (i.e. Qatar Airways) on Alaska Airlines if you don’t have any status with them?
Jarrod West
January 18, 2022
Hi Samuel,
Alaska has eliminated cancellation fees for award bookings, and that applies to bookings made on Alaska metal and with their partners.
Raul
April 02, 2022
I just messaged Alaska airlines on IG and they confirmed that my JAL first flight booked with AS miles will incur cancellation fees.
Jeff
April 14, 2022
I just had my travel plans changed, and I think it is lame that Alaska Saver fares don’t provide a credit. I have never run into this with another airline, that they just keep your fare. How is it costing them anything? I will avoid this airline in the future.
Katie Seemann
April 18, 2022
Hi Jeff,
That’s definitely frustrating. Have you tried contacting the airline about your situation? I’ve had luck in the past with getting a one-time exception from American so it may be worth a try.
Frank
August 29, 2022
If I buy an Alaska ticket through a bank travel portal and later cancel it can I save the amount I paid into my Alaska wallet? When I bought the ticket it was not related to my Alaska Air account.
Also, how long can I keep the funds in my wallet? and I read that these funds can be converted into Alaska Miles at 1c per point – is that true?
So, in short: can I use a portal to buy a $200 ticket on Alaska, and later (after 24 hours) cancel it and have the $200 added to my wallet and then convert that to 20,000 Alaska Miles?
Jarrod West
August 29, 2022
Hi Frank,
Unfortunately not. Tickets purchased through a travel portal are treated as 3rd party bookings, and therefore can not be refunded to your Alaska account.
Frank
August 31, 2022
Thanks … 🙁
Eric
October 07, 2022
What’s the redeposit fee of $125 for canceling a reward ticket? Even the cancellation is free for a reward ticket on Alaska with no status. To put my miles back into my account, do I need to pay $125? Thank you for any insight.
Jarrod West
October 10, 2022
Hi Eric,
That was a typo. Alaska no longer charges a redeposit fee to change or cancel an award ticket.
Douglas Halm
February 26, 2023
I just cancelled an AA awards reservation in which Alaska Airlines was the carrier. My awards points got put back into my AA account immediately. Yeah! But I paid $69 directly to Alaska for premium seats. Will that be refunded to me? The trip is 5 months from now. Thx!
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