PVDProf

I have not found a united.com channel to find this exact information. (Anyone else?) All of the GDS systems use this type of fare construction, and it used to be printed on the bottom of every ARC (paper) ticket/receipt. Saudia just provides access to query the GDS which is accessible to consumers; any travel agent or UA agent could easily see this information if asked. But successive revisions to united.com have slowly dropped this information, and I wish they'd put it on their receipts (it matters to me because I sometimes have to expense different segments of trips to different grants). When I am booking, I get this information from the ITA matrix website I use to build tickets, and after the fact, Saudia.

But it's not like UA is trying to hide the relative fare components. The default ticket search on united.com quotes fares each way (based on round-trip purchase), and these are accurate and transparent. During an online booking, there is also the option to view the fare rules, which shows your fare (but not price, but if you know the fare ordering, you can figure out which component is larger). This was only not transparent in your case because you booked over the phone, but I'm certain they would have told you; it is tough to know where to draw the line between making booking transactions convenient and reading every buyer the entire fare rules and CoC on every transaction.

Then go get 'em! I wouldn't know whether to push the point of whether there was actually an empty seat or cleared standby who took your wife's confirmed seat when she declined it, or just stand with my wife's direct testimony that "I was never offered the opportunity to board," but I bet you do.