Originally Posted by
sgtpepa
I booked 2 tickets in Business from Newark to Delhi, India for November, 2020. One ticket I used miles for and the other I paid over $4000 for. It was a class Z. I thought when I booked it in February 2020 that you could cancel it for $400. The ticket I used miles for could be re-deposited. I called today and they confirmed that I could re-deposit the ticket I used miles for, but told me my only choice on my paid Z fare ticket was to get a travel certificate good for 2 years. I have nothing.in writing to show what I saw when I booked as to cancellation fee but would hope someone more knowledgeable to let me know if UA is trying to film flam me or if that is the rules? If I’m stuck with a travel certificate, does it have to be used for a single flight, or is it like a credit that can be used until the money runs out?
I very much doubt that UA is trying to flam-flam you, but it's possible the agent made a mistake. Furthermore, they couldn't even if they wanted to: if you have a refundable fare, and you initiate a refund on the website, it'll be credited to the original form of payment automatically.
Originally Posted by
WineCountryUA
Yes you can cancel /reschedule for $400 fee but refundable is a different thing. And it would be unusual to have a refundable Z fare.
Refundability depends upon the market.
Originally Posted by
WineCountryUA
What you need to do is download the fare rules from united.com. (this should be an option when viewing the itin online) and look in the penalities section (or post them here). (this will reflect the terms of the ticket you purchased).
Agree 100% -- this is the correct course of action.
Originally Posted by
WineCountryUA
Additionally if you have any connecting flights, their fare rules are important as the most restrictive applies to the entire ticket.
Yes; in most (not all) cases, the fare is based upon the cities where travel begins and ends, regardless of the cities where any stops occur.
Originally Posted by
paperwastage
Yes -- a change waiver applies, but cancellation fees are not waived.
OP: I did a quick search for a Z fare for EWR-DEL that would have been current in February 2020. I don't see any with a $400 cancellation or change fee. However, the Z fares that I see
are refundable, for a $500 fee, or changeable, for a $450 fee.
But the change fee is currently waived -- so, if you were to change this ticket -- say, to EWR-FLL -- the entire difference should be refunded... assuming your fare rules are the same as the ones that I found. That's why it's very important to read them.
Also, refundable vs. nonrefundable will show up on your original receipt, in the endorsements. A refundable ticket says something like CXLFEE/CHGFEE/REFUNDABLE, whereas a non-refundable fare say something like NONREF/0VALUAFTDPT/CHGFEE (I forget the exact sequences, but they're something like this). What's on your receipt?