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 o...
Edited by: Keri Stooksbury
With years of experience in corporate marketing and as the Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Qatar, Keri is now Editor-in-Chief at UP, overseeing daily content operations and r...
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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