Award change, cancellation and redeposit fees compared

What counts as a change, a cancellation and a redeposit?

Award servicing splits into separate events. A change is an alteration the member asks for after the award has been issued, and a cancellation is the member withdrawing that award. MileagePlus attaches the charge to each change or cancellation requested by the member. [7]

Redeposit is the step that decides whether the miles come back. Under the MileagePlus rules, when an award is redeemed and later cancelled or returned in accordance with the programme's applicable rules and the ticketed fare rules at that time — or, where the award involves a partner, that partner's rules — the award miles taken for it will be redeposited into the member's account, subject to a service charge. [7]

The rules and fare rules that count are the ones in force at the time the award is cancelled or returned. [7]

When does a change or cancellation charge apply?

Timing. The charge sits after the award has been issued: the rules place it on changes and cancellations that the member requests on an award ticket or other award that already exists. [7]

Who is charging. MileagePlus award tickets may be subject to the taxes, fees, tariffs, Contract of Carriage, ticket terms and re-accommodation policies of the carrier on which travel is scheduled, so the operating carrier's conditions can sit alongside the programme's own servicing charge. [7]

How firm the figure is. United reserves the right to change programme rules, benefits and conditions at any time with or without notice, including the mileage, cash required and applicable co-pays for an award, and members may not rely on the continued availability of an award or an award level. [7]

How does redeposit work when an award is cancelled?

Eligibility. Some awards may not be eligible for redeposit of miles, and the rules state that those awards will say so. [7]

Account security. United says it is not responsible for stolen security credentials or passwords, and will not redeposit miles for redemptions made using the member's credentials or password. [7]

Mistaken deductions. A member who believes miles were deducted from the account in error has to notify United within 12 months of the date of the deduction; United reviews the claim, may require proof, and decides whether to redeposit the miles, with that decision treated as final. [7]

What else adds to the cost of servicing an award ticket?

Award tickets can carry cash charges of their own, including applicable departure taxes, federal inspection fees, passenger facility charges and other fees, charges or taxes; the person using the award ticket, certificate or seat upgrade is responsible for paying them. [7]

United may also withdraw, limit, modify or cancel any award, and may increase the mileage, cash required or applicable co-pays, at its discretion and with or without notice. [7]

Exceptions and limits

• Prohibited conduct. Abuse of the programme, fraud, misrepresentation or a breach of the programme, contract of carriage, fare or partner rules can lead United to cancel accrued mileage and pending or outstanding award redemptions, confiscate award tickets, or require travel to be completed on a paid revenue fare plus applicable taxes and fees. [7]
• Account audits. While an account is suspended during an investigation, the member may keep accruing miles and Premier qualifying credits, but no redemptions or other transactions are permitted, and outstanding award redemptions, certificates and benefits are subject to cancellation or suspension. [7]
• Partner awards. Routing and destinations for award travel on airline partners are determined by the individual travel partners, and partner offers are governed by the terms and conditions of the partner concerned. [7]
• Boundary of this comparison. The charges described here are the servicing charges a member requests on an award; what a paid ticket costs to change follows the fare rules of that ticket rather than the award rules. [7]

Frequently asked questions

Do you get your miles back if you cancel an award ticket?

Where the cancellation follows the programme rules and the ticketed fare rules in force at the time, the miles taken for the award will be redeposited to the member's account, subject to a service charge. Some awards are not eligible for redeposit and state so. [7]

Is there a charge for changing an award ticket?

Yes, a service charge may be imposed: the MileagePlus rules apply it to each change or cancellation requested by the member after an award ticket or other award has been issued. [7]

What happens if an award is booked with a stolen password?

United says it is not responsible for stolen security credentials or passwords and will not redeposit miles for redemptions made using the member's credentials or password. [7]

Can the miles or cash needed for an award change later?

United may withdraw, limit, modify or cancel any award and may change the mileage, cash or co-pays required, with or without notice, and members may not rely on the continued availability of an award or award level. [7]

Related pages

Compare award no-show and redeposit rules, work through the award ticket change checklist, or read the glossary entries for award redemption fee, award reinstatement and no-show fee. Browse all frequent flyer terms.

Sources

Sources checked on 18 October 2026. The comparison covers the published award servicing rules of United Airlines MileagePlus; American Airlines AAdvantage, Delta SkyMiles, Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France-KLM Flying Blue and Emirates Skywards are not covered here.

1. United MileagePlus program rules, checked 18 October 2026