Originally Posted by
cepheid
If you don't have an immediate need for the residual ticket value, since the flight isn't until July 2018, wait and see if something happens that would result in a travel waiver -- e.g., severe weather. Then the flight can be changed or often cancelled for free.
@OP I'm flagging this post for you. Since the change fee occurs whenever you actually change it (and just needs to be executed before travel), follow this advice. Maybe not as last minute as weather, but if they change your departure or arrival times by a certain amount (I am unsure the UA rules, on DL it was 60 minutes) then you can call and say the new time doesn't work and you want a refund.