What is Redeposit fee?

A redeposit fee is the charge a programme applies for returning already redeemed miles to the account after a cancellation.

Also called: Reinstatement fee.

How it works#

This fee is the real price of an award booking’s flexibility. It decides whether an early award reservation is a low-risk hold or a commitment. Many programmes waive it above a certain tier or when cancellation happens well before departure; others keep a fixed share of the miles every time. The rule belongs in the decision before booking, not after it.

Not to be confused with#

A redeposit fee is not the same as a change fee: one applies when miles return to the account, the other when the same booking moves to a different date.

In German#

The German term is Wiedereinbuchungsgebühr. German version of this term

Related terms#

• Award ticket: An award ticket is a flight paid for with miles or points instead of cash; taxes, fees and surcharges almost always still have to be paid in money.
• Close-in booking fee: A close-in booking fee is a surcharge some programmes add when an award ticket is issued shortly before departure.
• Fare rules: Fare rules are the conditions attached to a specific airfare covering changes, refunds, validity, stopovers and mileage earning.

Articles that use this term#

• What does changing or cancelling an award ticket cost?
• What happens to your miles if the airline fails?
• Do miles expire, and how do you stop it?