Award ticket change and cancellation policies across 16 major airlines

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When you’re redeeming miles for a flight, the last thing you want is to get hit with surprise fees if your plans change. But unlike paid tickets, award flights often follow their own set of rules — which vary between airlines — and are often more flexible.

To make things easier before you book your next trip, we've gathered the policies for the 16 airlines currently supported by Points Path. These rules apply specifically to points and miles bookings, not cash tickets, and most changes or cancellations must be handled before departure to get your miles back.

Keep in mind that all Points Path users have access to award pricing for Alaska, American, Delta, JetBlue, Spirit, and United. But to access the remaining 10, you must have a Pro membership or be a Founders Club member.

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Changes and cancellations on Atmos Rewards award tickets are free as long as they're made before departure.

However, when you're booking a partner award, Alaska charges a $12.50 booking fee each way. That fee is non-refundable if you cancel your award.

American Airlines doesn't charge any fees for changing or canceling flights booked with miles.

However, select fares can't be changed, and instead you'll need to cancel and rebook.

As long as your flight originates in the United States (including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), you can change or cancel your award flight for no fee, except basic fares.

However, for flights originating outside North America, Delta charges a $150 fee per person to change your flight or redeposit your miles.

Basic fares can't be changed, but they can be canceled for a fee. For flights within the U.S., or to Canada, Mexico, Central America, or the Caribbean, Delta will deduct 9,900 miles from the amount redeposited into your account. For all other flights, the fee is significantly greater, with 19,900 miles being deducted.

Most award flights on JetBlue can be canceled or changed without a fee. The only exception are Blue Basic fares, where no changes are allowed. If you cancel, you'll be charged $100 per person for flights within North America, Central America, or the Caribbean, and $200 per person for all other routes.

When canceling an award, the taxes and fees paid will go into your JetBlue Travel Bank and won't be refunded to your original form of payment.

When it comes to changing or canceling an award flight, Spirit Airlines is actually more generous than you'd expect. While the policy is vastly different for paid reservations, flights booked with points can be changed or canceled with no fees.

United doesn't charge any fees when it comes to changing or canceling an award flight.

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For flights booked with points, all changes and cancellations must be made at least two hours prior to the flight's departure and will incur a fee.

The exact fee depends on the award type. For standard or lowest fare types, changes cost $75 CAD and cancellations cost $150 CAD (more if done through the call center and not online). There's no fee for flexible awards.

Air France / KLM allows passengers to change or cancel an award flight prior to departure (before check-in closes) for a fee of €70.

However, fees are waived for Flying Blue Platinum members.

Making changes to a flight booked with Avianca LifeMiles is one of the more complex — and pricier — situations.

Fees vary based on region and range between $30 and $200.

If you need to change a flight booked with Emirates Skywards miles, there's a $25 fee for date changes and $75 fee for destination changes.

But, if you want to cancel your flight, there's a $75 fee to redeposit your miles.

Etihad has one of the most stringent and complex policies when it comes to changing and canceling an award ticket.

For starters, award tickets cannot be changed or canceled within 72 hours of departure.

Prior to that window, fees depend on the fare type. For Value and Comfort award tickets, cancellations are not allowed, and changes cost 600 AED (~$163) for Value tickets and 200 AED (~$55) for Comfort tickets.

For Deluxe tickets, there's no fee to change or cancel an award flight.

Changing or canceling a Qantas flight booked on points isn't free, but the fees are relatively modest.

Changes cost 5,000 points per passenger, while cancellations (with redepositing your points) cost 6,000 points per passenger.

Additionally, to make changes or cancellations online, you must do so 24 hours prior to departure.

Fees for changing or canceling an award flight with Singapore Airlines vary depending on a few components — the award type booked, the change requested, and the operating airline.

For flights operated by Singapore Airlines, date changes cost $25 for Saver awards and are free for Advantage and Access awards.

But if you're looking to change the route, cabin class, award type, or add a stopover, the fee is $25 for all awards types.

For partner airlines, any change costs $50 for Saver awards. Note: You cannot book Advantage or Access awards on partner airlines.

Canceling and redepositing miles costs $75 for Saver awards and $50 for Advantage and Access awards.

TAP Air Portugal charges a fee to change or cancel a flight booked with miles, although many are waived for elite members.

Changes for domestic European flights cost €50, while continental flights cost €75. These fees are waived for those with Gold and Navigator status.

But when it comes to booking an award flight on a partner airline, the fee is a hefty €150, but also waived for Gold and Navigator members.

Canceling and redepositing miles cost €75 (€100 for a partner airline), although Gold members pay a slightly reduced fee of €50, while it's free for those with Navigator status.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club has relatively high fees for changes and cancellations, costing $100 in the U.S. or £70 in the U.K.

Flights must be canceled at least 24 hours prior to departure to get your points back.

One caveat to this program is that instead of paying the cancellation fee, you can choose to forfeit the taxes and fees paid and still get your points back. This can be worthwhile if those costs are lower than the fee.

For domestic flights, the cost to change or cancel an award flight is 4,500 points or $35 per guest, and must be done at least 24 hours prior to scheduled departure.

For international and partner flights, the fee increases to 7,500 points or $60 per guest per booking, and again, must also be completed at least 24 hours in advance.

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