Plan to use FFC for FRA-MEX roundtrip on Lufthansa and thought it would help to book the FRA-MEX roundtrip by March 31, 2021 to get the no change fees on rebooked international travel rule to apply to new ticket. Recent United email said: Terms and conditions: *You can change Basic Economy and international tickets not originating in the U.S. without change fees if the ticket is issued by March 31, 2021.

Reading the fare rules for Lufthansa restricted fare Q & W, however, it looks like 190 Euro change fee would apply anyway, whether we rebooked by March 31, 2021 or waited? Thank you for any tips!

GENERAL RULES TEXT CANCELLATIONS ANY TIME CHARGE EUR 190.00 FOR CANCEL/NO-SHOW/REFUND. WAIVED FOR DEATH OF PASSENGER OR FAMILY MEMBER. NOTE - WAIVERS MUST BE EVIDENCED BY DEATH CERTIFICATE ----------------------------------------------- REFUND PERMITTED BEFORE DEPARTURE IN CASE OF REJECTION OF VISA. EMBASSY STATEMENT REQUIRED. ----------------------------------------------- REFUND RULES APPLY PER PRICING UNIT. ----------------------------------------------- WHEN COMBINING NON-REFUNDABLE FARES WITH REFUNDABLE FARES - 1. THE MOST RESTRICTIVE CANCELLATION CONDITION APPLIES TO THE ENTIRE PRICING UNIT. 2. THE HIGHEST CANCELLATION PENALTY WITHIN THE PRICING UNIT WILL BE CHARGED. ----------------------------------------------- REFUND FOR PARTLY USED TICKET - IF A RETURN TICKET SHALL BE USED FOR ONE WAY TRAVEL - THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE RETURN FARE AND THE APPLICABLE ONE WAY FARE WILL/SHALL BE CALCULATED. APPLICABLE ONE WAY IS THE ONE WAY FARE WITHIN THE SAME OR HIGHER RBD. ANY CREDIT WILL BE REFUNDED LESS ANY APPLICABLE CANCELLATION PENALTY. ----------------------------------------------- CHILD DISCOUNT DOES NOT APPLY. INFANT WITHOUT SEAT FREE OF CHARGE. ----------------------------------------------- REFUND PERMITTED WITHIN TICKET VALIDITY. ----------------------------------------------- ANY ORIGINAL NON-REFUNDABLE AMOUNT FROM A PREVIOUS TICKET REMAINS NON REFUNDABLE AND WILL BE CARRIED FORWARD TO ANY REISSUED/EXCHANGED TICKET. ----------------------------------------------- REFUND OF UNUSED TAXES PAID TO THIRD PARTIES PERMITTED. EXCEPT FOR TAXES THAT ARE LEGALLY NON-REFUNDABLE. PASSENGER FACILITY CHARGES APPLICABLE TO US AIRPORTS WITH TAX CODES US/ ZP/ XF ARE- REFUNDABLE WHEN THE FARE IS REFUNDABLE OR NON-REFUNDABLE WHEN THE FARE IS NON-REFUNDABLE. ----------------------------------------------- REFUND OF UNUSED YR NOT PERMITTED. THIS ALSO INCLUDES LH/LX/OS/SN DCC - DISTRIBUTION COST CHARGE - SHOWN AS YR ON THE TICKET. ----------------------------------------------- REFUND OF UNUSED YQ - A. FOR TOTALLY UNUSED TICKET - REFUND OF UNUSED YQ PERMITTED. B. FOR PARTIALLY USED TICKET - SHOULD THE APPLICABLE FARE FOR THE ROUTING TRAVELLED BE HIGHER THAN THE FARE ORIGINALLY PAID - THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE APPLICABLE FARE AND THE FARE ORIGINALLY PAID SHALL BE DEDUCTED FROM THE YQ AMOUNT. THE YQ IS USED TO COVER POSSIBLE RESIDUAL AMOUNTS RESULTING FROM CANCELLATION PENALTIES HIGHER THAN THE FARE AMOUNT. ANY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CANCELLATION PENALTY AND THE FARE ORIGINALLY PAID SHALL BE DEDUCTED FROM THE YQ AMOUNT. ONLY THE YQ RESIDUAL AMOUNT CAN BE THEN REFUNDED. ----------------------------------------------- GERMAN AVIATION SECURITY CHARGE IS POTENTIALLY REFUNDABLE FOR TRANSFER PASSENGERS ARRIVING FROM COUNTRIES US/CA OR ME HAVING TRANSFER IN FRA TERMINAL 1 WITH NO ADDITIONAL SECURITY CHECK BY FEDERAL POLICE IN FRA. ----------------------------------------------- THE OPTIONAL PAYMENT CHARGE IS NON-REFUNDABLE. ----------------------------------------------- CHANGES ANY TIME CHANGES PERMITTED. NOTE - SALES RESTRICTION 25AUG20 - 31MAY21 ----------------------------------------------- REISSUE/REVALIDATION/EXCHANGE PERMITTED. EXCEPT TO -LGT/-BV/-LQ TYPE FARE. ----------------------------------------------- REROUTING PERMITTED. ----------------------------------------------- WAIVERS MUST BE EVIDENCED BY DEATH CERTIFICATE. ----------------------------------------------- RULES FOR CHANGES APPLY BY FARE COMPONENT/DIRECTION. IN CASE OF FARE COMBINATION CHARGE THE HIGHEST FEE OF ALL CHANGED FARE COMPONENTS. ----------------------------------------------- A CHANGE IS A DATE/FLIGHT/ROUTING/BOOKING CODE CHANGE. ----------------------------------------------- CHANGE FEE APPLIES FOR EVERY SINGLE CLOSED REISSUE/REVALIDATION/REBOOKING TRANSACTION. CHILD DISCOUNT DOES NOT APPLY. INFANT WITHOUT SEAT FREE OF CHARGE. ----------------------------------------------- CHANGES NOT PERMITTED IN CASE OF NO SHOW. REFER TO REFUND SECTION. ----------------------------------------------- IF A RETURN FLIGHT CANNOT BE BOOKED DUE TO THE RETURN DATE OUTSIDE SYSTEM BOOKING RANGE - AN ALTERNATIVE FLIGHT MAY BE BOOKED FOR TICKET ISSUANCE. ONE LATER REBOOKING FOR THE DESIRED DATE/TIME IS PERMITTED WITHOUT REBOOKING FEE. ALL OTHER PROVISION MUST REMAIN THE SAME. ----------------------------------------------- IF CHANGES ARE MADE TO ANY OTHER THAN THE FIRST TICKETED FLIGHT COUPON / THE FARES IN EFFECT AT THE TIME OF ORIGINAL TICKET ISSUE WILL APPLY PROVIDED THE NEW ITINERARY QUALIFIES FOR ALL THE PROVISIONS OF THE ORIGINALLY TICKETED BOOKING CODE FARE IGNORING ADVANCE RESERVATION OR TICKETING REQUIREMENTS. ----------------------------------------------- IF CHANGES ARE MADE TO FIRST TICKETED FLIGHT COUPON OF A TOTALLY UNUSED TICKET -THE FARES IN EFFECT AT TIME OF REBOOKING/REISSUE WILL APPLY PROVIDED THE NEW ITINERARY QUALIFIES FOR ALL THE PROVISIONS OF THE ORIGINALLY TICKETD BOOKING CODE FARE INCLUDING ADVANCE RESERVATION OR TICKETING REQUIREMENTS. ----------------------------------------------- WHEN CHANGES ARE MADE AND THE ORIGINALLY TICKETED BOOKING CLASS ARE KEPT THE NEW FARE MAY BE LOWER/ EQUAL OR HIGHER. ANY RESIDUAL AMOUNT WILL BE IGNORED. ----------------------------------------------- WHEN CHANGES ARE MADE AND THE ORIGINALLY TICKETED BOOKING CLASS CHANGED THE NEW FARE MAY ONLY BE EQUAL OR HIGHER. ----------------------------------------------- IF APPLICABLE - COLLECT THE CHANGE FEE AND CHARGE THE FARE DIFFERENCE TO THE HIGHER FARE. ----------------------------------------------- REVALIDATION/REISSUE AND EMD ISSUANCE MUST BE MADE WITHIN 24 HOURS AFTER CHANGE OF RESERVATION BUT NOT LATER THAN DEPARTURE OF THE ORIGINAL FLIGHT BEING CHANGED. IF NOT DONE WITHIN 24 HOURS TICKET WILL ONLY BE VALID FOR REFUND OR NOT APPICABLE AT ALL. ----------------------------------------------- IN CASE OF SUBSEQUENT REISSUE/EXCHANGE - THE ORIGINAL NON-REFUNDABLE FARE- OR REFUND PENALTY AMOUNT REMAINS NON-REFUNDABLE. -----------------------------------------------