Originally Posted by
jsloan
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?
Great memory on the NONREF sequence (recent tickets drop the /CHGFEE endorsement but typically the order is as you listed). Slight elaboration -- the CXLFEE/CHGFEE/REFUNDABLE endorsement is for fares that are refundable with a penalty; a fully refundable (no penalty) fare will just be endorsed -/-REFUNDABLE-/- -- but those are something you generally have to go looking for/make a specific effort to book (at least without a corporate contract), and they're [virtually] never the lowest available fare, IME.
Best solution for OP as mentioned is to look at the penalties section of the fare rules for the ticket. UA may be (but isn't required to be) more generous than the fare rules but can't be less generous.