I booked a flight I couldn't take — and changed it with no penalty
The coronavirus pandemic has had a multitude of impacts on the travel industry, but one notable, customer-friendly shift was the nearly-universal removal of airline change fees here in the U.S. During a frenzied period in late August and early September, the major airlines that previously punished travelers for adjusting flights simply did away with them — and further tweaks in the months since have (amazingly) offered even more leeway for flight changes.
And just this week, I got a chance to experience this new-found flexibility first hand.
Here's how a simple mistake that would've cost me $375 a year ago set me back exactly $0 in fees.
The initial booking
After postponing a long-awaited trip to Asia (twice) due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic, I was sitting on a pile of miles with Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. While the carrier's recent entrance into Oneworld will introduce some notable new redemption options over the rest of 2021, I remain skeptical that its existing award charts will remain wholly intact in the process.
As a result, I started looking at burning this stash for my daughter's 2022 spring break next March.
(And yes, we almost always plan our international trips 10-11 months in advance.)
The country of Jordan has been on our travel wish list for quite some time, and after some research, it appeared that March was a great time to visit. Shoulder season meant fewer crowds but still temperate weather — and we were thrilled to find a convenient, one-stop routing in Emirates business class from Orlando (MCO) to Amman (AMM) via Dubai (DXB).
The Saturday departure meant that we could work (and our daughter could be in school) all day Friday. This would give us the chance to finish our packing that night and enjoy a relatively-leisurely Saturday morning before the early-afternoon flight.
Unfortunately, I pulled the trigger a bit too soon ...
The realization
A couple of weeks after booking, we received an invitation to an engagement party for some family friends. We weren't able to attend, but when looking at the couple's registry for a gift (using an online shopping portal, of course), I was dismayed to see the date of their wedding: the Saturday of our flight!
That's right. My wife — who had known the wedding date for weeks — had forgotten to put it on her calendar (and neglected to let me know). This was completely out of character for her, but all blame aside, we were left with a choice: take the flight and miss the wedding, or adjust the itinerary to make it work.
Thankfully for us, Alaska Airlines updated its change-fee policy back on Sept. 1, 2020. Instead of needing to fork over $125 per passenger to switch our flights, we could make the change for free.
Related: Complete guide to changing and canceling award tickets
The outcome
Once we realized our mistake and decided we didn't want to miss the wedding, I started looking at alternate options. Initially, I figured we could simply postpone our departure by a day — but at the time of writing, Emirates is only operating its Orlando-to-Dubai service 4x weekly (departing from MCO on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays). As a result, pushing to Sunday wasn't an option.
Fortunately, our return flights from Jordan back to the U.S. weren't booked yet, so I began to investigate changing the itinerary to get home. And sure enough, the exact date we needed was available.
Even better? I could make the change with just a few clicks online:
When I first discovered our error, I was afraid that I would need to pay a second round of partner booking fees for making the change. Alaska charges $12.50 per passenger in each direction, and it's typically non-refundable.
Thankfully, the cost breakdown on the new ticket showed that I was only responsible for the additional taxes and fees (which would've been imposed on any flight originating in Jordan and returning to the U.S.).
After just a few minutes, the three of us were confirmed on a new itinerary.
Bottom line
The airline industry is far from perfect. We continue to receive reports of long hold times with certain carriers, and there's lingering frustration from refund issues that occurred at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
That said, it's critical to point out just how fantastic these new, no-change-fee policies are. Simple modifications to a flight — like a new date of travel or a different destination — used to cost hundreds of dollars on most U.S. airlines. Now, you typically can adjust your trip without a penalty, and with many award tickets, you can even cancel them outright for a full refund.
If you're feeling under the weather, there's no charge to postpone your flight.
If you have a last-minute emergency, it won't cost you to switch.
And if you forget to tell your spouse the date of an upcoming wedding (I'll admit that this is a very specific example), there's no penalty to change your trip.
Perhaps Delta CEO Ed Bastian put it best on our recent Return of Travel webinar:
"Any revenue source that has a punitive characteristic to it is not a stable and durable revenue stream for your business."
No one can argue that exorbitant change and cancellation fees were punitive to consumers, and the sudden lurch away from them is one of the most important trends to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic.
And it just saved my family nearly $400.
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| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
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Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.