A couple of weeks back I called United Reservations to make a change to a travel itinerary that was originally booked by my company's travel agent.

The conversation over the phone was pretty good , minimum wait time, agent understanding the changes I wanted to make and proceeding to change the reservation in a very professional and effective manner ..

The agent noted that it was a travel agent booked ticket and asked me to confirm that I wanted them to take it over .. to which I said yes , and she proceeds to make the change and collect from me the change fee and fare difference.

A few days go by and I notice a separate 25$ charge to my credit card ...

Thinking this was some sort of mistake because as a "1K the phone reservation fee is waived" I send an email to UA ....

As a week went by and I still didnt have a reply I decided to call today ...

No wait time, agent cannot find the charge from the 016# showing on my credit card statement ... Give her the 016# of the fare/fee add collect which helps and she comes back with the following :

The 25$ fee is because you changed your reservation over the phone ....

As I remind her that as a 1K phone reservation fees are waived she proceeds to say that somehow this charge is not a "phone reservation fee" (which is waived) but rather a fee because UA was changing a TA issued ticket...

From my perspective this is a textbook case of either "nickel and diming nonsense" or "making stuff up as needed"

Has anyone encountered that situation ? What was your outcome ?

Is this one of UA's "changes that we are going to like" ?

Does anyone know where to find the actual terms and conditions that spell out the non-waivable aspect of the fee associated with this specific case (changing a TA issued ticket) ?

The change here was made prior to beginning of travel ... does anyone knows if the same "change fee policy" would apply for changes made after travel started ? (I believe at that point UA -HAS- taken over the reservation)