Originally Posted by
jsloan
What I would do, however, now that you're booked onto Alaska, is to have your husband let you know if there's a flight delay on EWR-SFO. If there is, and it's substantial enough, call UA and ask them to refund your PNR.
OP this is actually really important advice that I hope you don't miss. You are pretty much in the best situation now. On the day of travel, watch for any sort of delay to the EWR-SFO flight. If it posts, call in and state that you needed to get back earlier and so have made other arrangements. You will then get a full refund in that case with no change fee at all. If it leaves on time, oh well you already have other arrangements and were planning to miss the flight anyway and eat the cost.
Also I have no problem with you checking in for the flight and no showing.