Alaska Airlines is making changes to its fees and cancellation policy.
24 hour free change/cancellation policy
This policy update will be effective for tickets purchased on or after June 5, 2018.
Here’s what’s changing:
- The 24-hour free cancellation policy will now only apply to tickets booked for travel starting 24 hours or more from the time of purchase.
- If travel begins within 24 hours of buying your non-refundable ticket, standard change/cancellation fees will apply immediately.
Change and cancellation fee changes
This policy update will be effective for tickets purchased or last exchanged on or after June 5, 2018.
Here’s what’s changing:
- If you change or cancel your ticket more than 60 days before departure, that change/cancellation will now be subject to a fee of $125.
- For travel that begins within the 24 hours after you purchase a ticket, the $125 fee applies immediately. For all other travel, the $125 change/cancellation fee applies starting 24 hours after ticketing.
There are three exceptions:
- Change/cancellation fees do not apply to refundable fares, whether purchased, award, or Money & Miles.
- MVP® Gold and Gold 75K Mileage Plan™ members will still enjoy the same service fee waivers that they currently have.
- Change fees do not apply to travel wholly within the state of Alaska on purchased or Money & Miles tickets. Standard cancellation fees apply. Note: Standard change/cancellation fees do apply to intra-Alaska award travel.
Same day confirmed changes
The updates to our same day confirmed changes policy will be effective for travel that takes place on or after June 5, 2018.
Here’s what’s changing:
- We’re removing the 6-hour window requirement, so you can request a same-day change at any time during check-in.
- The new flight you choose will still need to be on the same calendar day as your ticketed flight.
- The same-day confirmed change fee is increasing to $50.
- Our same day confirmed change fee will now apply to non-refundable First Class award travel booked in our A class of service.
There are four exceptions:
- For travel entirely within the state of California, the same day confirmed change fee will remain $25.
- For travel on our shuttle flights between Anchorage and Fairbanks, Spokane and Seattle, or Portland and Seattle, the same day confirmed change fee will remain $25.
- Refundable purchased or award travel (booked in F, D, Y, or Z class of service) will have no same day confirmed change fee.
- MVP® Gold and Gold 75K Mileage Plan members will continue to have their same day confirmed change fee waived.
Guru’s Wrap-Up
These changes are mostly negative. The change to their free 60-day change policy with disappoint many people. Starting June 5th, they will charge a $125 for all changes and cancellations. They are also eliminating free cancellations for tickets purchased within 24 hours of a flight. Read the full changes here.
