Originally Posted by
emcampbe
Right...that would be a new itinerary/ticket - an ETC is just a form of payment, not really unlike a credit card.
I don't have any experience trying to cancel a ticket since March or April, but reading the threads here, seems like UA stopped offering the choice of ETCs several months ago, and went back to the standard where the funds from a canceled itinerary stay in the PNR, which can be used to re-book. Maybe some have gotten exceptions by calling, but I suspect these are now exceptions, not the rule.
I think you're right that it's now the exception rather than the rule but every trip I've had to cancel, including the latest two weeks ago (bought two months ago and no schedule change but rather a voluntary cancel due to potential covid exposure and wanting to be safe - test came back negative), I've kindly asked for it to go back to an ETC and each time the answer has been no problem