Originally Posted by
Brianguy11
If I do that, then book her on a $29 United Basic Economy ticket (and she doesn't make the flight), United will automatically refund the remaining ~$1970 right back onto my card, with no restrictions or hoops to jump through? Sounds a little too good to be true haha.
For a wholly unused ticket, that should be correct. The only caveat would be if United had written something into the rules about what the replacement flight had to be (e.g., travel must be international). But, in the worst case, you'd still only be out the cancellation fee.
Originally Posted by
WineCountryUA
yep, that is too good. What you will get is an ETC for the $1,970 usable by anyone with the PIN code which is good for 12 months (presently).
OP has a
refundable ticket. You're quoting the rules for a
nonrefundable ticket. If the change fee is waived, OP can absolutely change to a $29 fare and get the remainder as an actual refund, provided that the itinerary remains valid.