Recently, each of the domestic US airlines has announced that they are eliminating change fees. That’s awesome. But the details can be hard to remember. Which fare classes apply? Do we keep the fare difference if the new flight is cheaper? Are standby fees eliminated too? What’s happening with award change fees? The answer to each of these questions differs by airline. This post offers a few quick reference tables to answer those questions.
UPDATE 8/14/21: United has followed Delta’s lead with similar changes:
- Added a new COVID related waiver: Customers booked in Basic Economy can make changes to their flights purchased through 12/31/21 for travel completed by 12/31/21. Travel for the changed ticket must begin by the expiration date of the original ticket (12 months from the date of the original ticket purchase).
- Basic economy tickets can continue to fly standby for free on the same day of travel to the same destinations.
Table of Contents
COVID Waiver
Airlines waived all change fees (including on basic economy tickets) for tickets issued during the pandemic, but most of those basic economy waivers have since ended. Now Delta & United have added a new window of travel where these fees are waived (flights scheduled to fly by 12/31/21).
| AA | Delta | United | Alaska | Hawaiian | JetBlue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Changes Allowed for All Flights Including Basic Economy | Tickets issued by 3/31/21 | Tickets issued by 4/30/21 or flown by 12/31/21 | Tickets issued by 4/30/21 or flown by 12/31/21 | Tickets issued by 4/30/21 | Tickets issued by 4/30/21 | Tickets issued by 4/30/21 |
| Includes Award Change Fees? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Includes Award Cancellation Fees? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Paid Fare Change Fees
Here are the situations in which change fees are permanently waived post-pandemic:
| AA | Delta | United | Alaska | Hawaiian | JetBlue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Economy | Fees NOT waived | Fees NOT waived | Fees NOT waived | Fees NOT waived | Fees NOT waived | Fees NOT waived |
| All other paid tickets | Fees waived on all flights originating in North or South America. | Fees waived on all flights originating in North America. | Fees waived on all flights originating in the United States or between the U.S. and Mexico or the Caribbean | Fees waived for all routes | Fees waived for all routes | Fees waived for all routes |
| What if new flight is cheaper? | Fare difference preserved for future flight | Fare difference preserved for future flight |
Fare difference preserved for future flight | Fare difference preserved for future flight | Fare difference preserved for future flight | Greg’s guess: Fare difference preserved for future flight |
Award Ticket Fees
Here are the situations in which award change fees are permanently waived post-pandemic:
| AA | Delta | United | Alaska | Hawaiian | JetBlue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Economy | Fees NOT waived | Fees NOT waived | Fees NOT waived | Fees NOT waived | Fees NOT waived | Fees NOT waived |
| Change Fees Waived for These Routes: | Change fees waived for all routes |
Fees waived on all flights originating in North America. | Fees waived for all routes when changed more than 30 days before. Fees also waived within 30 days for flights originating in U.S. | Change fees waived for all routes | Change fees waived for all routes | Change fees waived for all routes |
| Cancellation Fees Waived for These Routes: | Cancellation fees waived for all routes | Fees waived on all flights originating in North America. | Cancellation fees waived for all routes when cancelled more than 30 days before departure. | Cancellation fees waived for all routes | N/A. Hawaiian charges $30.00 for tickets wholly within Hawaii; $150.00 all other tickets |
Cancelation fees waived for all routes |
Same Day Changes
Only AA, Delta, and United have announced the elimination of same day change fees. This chart shows the current rules as to who gets free changes (to the best of my knowledge):
| AA | Delta | United | Alaska | Hawaiian | JetBlue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Same Day Standby |
Free for all members as of Oct 1 2020. | Free for all members as of Aug 2021. | Free for all members as of Jan 1 2021. | See note for rules** | See note for rules*** | |
| Same Day Confirmed |
Free for select flights and members* | Free for Gold elite & higher | Free for all elite (Premier) members. | Free for MVP Gold or when booked on fully refundable tickets | Free for Mosaic members or Blue Extra fares |
* AA offers free same day confirmed changes for AAdvantage® Executive Platinum and Platinum Pro status (and companions in same reservation), oneworld® Emerald members with elite status on Alaska Airlines, and those flying award tickets or Unrestricted Economy (Y fare), Business, First, AirPass.
** Alaska offers standby at no cost only if your travel meets one of these conditions: 1) You are traveling on a nonstop flight between: Anchorage and Fairbanks; Seattle and Portland; or Seattle and Spokane; or 2) You have a refundable First Class or Main Cabin ticket; or 3) You are an MVP® Gold Mileage Plan member.
*** Hawaiian Airlines offers same day standby for flights to neighboring islands only for Gold and Platinum elites, and Corporate customers who booked through their corporate portal.
Other Changes and Enhancements
United allows customers to pay to change basic economy to economy
Basic economy tickets are usually nonrefundable and non-changeable, except when covid or other waivers are in place. Now, though, United has added the option to pay $45 each way to upgrade from basic economy to regular economy so that you can change your flight as needed. Details can be found here.
Delta eliminates 72 hour award change rule for domestic flights
Delta has issued the following statement:
Effective immediately, Delta is making the following permanent changes for travel within the U.S. (including Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands):
- Eliminating the $150 redeposit fee to cancel an award ticket and the $150 reissue fee to change an award ticket for all SkyMiles Members. This covers travel on all tickets, excluding Basic Economy fares.
- Allowing changes and cancellations on award tickets before departure for all SkyMiles Members, excluding Basic Economy fares. No longer will changes and cancellations made within 72 hours of departure result in the loss of miles on domestic award tickets.
AA Changes Basic Economy
American Airlines announced a number of changes to basic economy:
Later this fall, members who have achieved Elite status with the AAdvantage® program will receive the benefits they’re accustomed to no matter the ticket they purchase. In addition to enjoying Priority Access/Preferred Boarding, our elite members who purchase a Basic Economy fare will now be able to access their:
- Upgrade privileges.
- Elite seat privileges, including access to Main Cabin Preferred and Main Cabin Extra seats.
- Same-day confirmed flight change benefit.
Effective Jan. 1, 2021, Basic Economy tickets will no longer earn elite qualifying dollars, miles or segments toward future status.
As airlines continue eliminating change fees, we’ll continue to update this post.
Previous Updates to this Post
- UPDATE 8/6/2021: Delta has made a few positive changes:
- Added a new COVID related waiver: Customers booked in Basic Economy can make changes to their flights for travel happening 7/28/21 through 12/31/21.
- Basic (non-elite) members can now standby for same-day earlier flights for free, but only when a confirmable change is not available. Confirmed same day changes still incur fees. Same day standby applies to those flying within the United States, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands Details here.
- UPDATE 5/4/2021: Now that JetBlue is the only airline continuing to waive change/cancel fees for basic economy tickets (through 5/31/21), we’ve moved the COVID Waiver section below the permanent change charts.
- UPDATE 4/1/2021: JetBlue has extended change and cancellation waivers for all fares (including Blue Basic fares) through 5/31/21. United now offers electronic travel certificates when switching to a lower fare. Alaska, Delta, Hawaiian, and United have extended waivers for basic economy fares purchased through April 30th. AA never followed the pack.
- UPDATE 2/17/2021: JetBlue has eliminated change and cancellation fees except for Blue Basic fares. That’s the good news. The bad news is that Blue Basic fares no longer offer free carry-on bags.
- 12/14/20: A Delta spokesperson has confirmed that the elimination of change fees for flights from North America to anywhere in the world applies also to award tickets.
- 12/9/20: Delta has eliminated change fees for Delta tickets when flying from North America to anywhere in the world. Additionally, Delta has extended the existing waiver of no change fees for all tickets purchased through March 30, 2021 (prev Dec 31), for travel at any time to anywhere. Similarly, United has eliminated change fees for United-issued tickets originating in the United States. And, like Delta, United has extended their pandemic change fee waiver for all tickets purchased through March 31, 2021 (prev Dec 31 2020).
- 11/19/20: AA has eliminated change fees for international tickets originating in North America or South America.
- 11/10/20: American Airlines has eliminated all award change and redeposit fees for both AA and partner flights! Phone booking fees are eliminated too.
- 9/22/20: Among other enhancements, Delta has announced the removal of change, cancel, and redeposit fees for domestic awards. For these awards they’ve also removed the 72 hour-in-advance requirement. I’ve updated the tables below accordingly.
- 9/9/20: United has announced that they’ve extended the elimination of change fees to include Mexico and the Caribbean. H/T View from the Wing
