How Do Same-Day Changes Work for Award Tickets?
"Reader Questions" are answered twice a week by TPG Senior Points & Miles Contributor Ethan Steinberg.
Sometimes when you're booking travel, especially award travel, it's less about finding the perfect flight times and more about finding award availability that you can make work with your schedule. Sometimes this means booking a good flight and hoping a great one will become available closer to departure. TPG reader Brian wants to know if he can change award flights the same way as paid ones ...
[pullquote source="TPG READER BRIAN"]On a normal United flight, I can do a same day change for $75. Is the same true for award tickets?[/pullquote]
It's no secret that many airlines release additional award space in the days and hours before a flight departs to fill unsold seats, so looking for a same-day flight change can help you find an itinerary that better suits your needs. When it comes to changing an award ticket, any fees will be determined by the program through which you book as opposed to the airline actually operating your flight. So how do the three US legacy airlines (United, American and Delta) handle same-day award changes? Let's take a look
To keep things manageable, I'll assume that you booked your award directly with the airline (e.g. using United MileagePlus for United flights rather than booking United-operated flights with Aeroplan miles).
United Airlines
We'll start with United, as that's the airline Brian asked about originally. While large corporations often bury pages of fine print when describing a perk like this, United is surprisingly brief with its rules for same-day flight changes. You can start looking for a change 24 hours before your departure, and award tickets are treated the exact same as cash tickets. As long as your ticket is issued by United for travel on United and your same fare class is available, you can change your ticket at the last minute for just $75 (this is waived for United Premier Gold members and above).
So the good news here is that Brian can utilize United's same-day change policies to adjust his award flights in the same way he's used to doing for revenue tickets. You can even do this to shorten a trip — while your origin and destination must remain the same, you're allowed to add or remove a connection. Again though, the biggest restriction applies to the fare class, as you must have the same award class available on the new flight in order to switch.
American Airlines
American Airlines does things a bit differently. On the one hand, the carrier is surprisingly generous in changes leading up to your departure, as you can modify an award ticket for free as long as the following conditions are met:
- You aren't changing the award type (e.g. MileSAAver to AAnytime).
- You aren't changing the origin or the destination.
- You aren't changing the airline(s) in the award ticket.
When it comes to same-day changes with American, you must have award inventory available to modify an award ticket at the last-minute. While the carrier's "E" fare class is used for same-day changes to paid tickets, award tickets are eligible for these same-day changes only if awards at the same level are available.
Delta Airlines
Delta allows same-day confirmed changes and standby on all domestic award tickets and for travel between the US, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, with the exception of basic economy award tickets ("E" fare). However, just like United, your originally booked award fare class must be available, which may not be the case within 24 hours of departure.
You're not, however, allowed a same-day change on international Delta award tickets.
Bottom Line
The rules about same day changes vary from airline to airline, and they're often contingent on how your ticket is issued or what fare class you've booked. American Airlines is probably the most generous, allowing free changes on many award tickets in advance. United comes in a close second, especially for Gold and higher elites, while Delta brings up the rear by limiting you to same-day changes for domestic travel only.
Thanks for the question, Brian, and if you’re a TPG reader who’d like us to answer a question of your own, tweet us at @thepointsguy, message us on Facebook or email us at info@thepointsguy.com.
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- 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.
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- $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.
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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. |
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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
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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.