Originally Posted by
TerryK
jsloan is correct. I checked my PNRs and those FFCs we used were from residuals. I didn't realize there are two different types of FFCs: raw FFC and residual FFC. I thought FFCs were FFCs.
What we did was to create a new PNR, for both, using credits from residual FFCs from each passenger. No transfer of FFC credit. Each used his/her own FFC. No ETCs were involved. I don't know if this rebooking works with raw FFCs now.
i don’t think there are really two types of ‘FFCs’. I think maybe they are not referred to correctly.
FFC = Future Flight credit - it’s essentially the remains of an existing PNR with the original flight segments canceled, and the value stored within to be used on new flights. It’s how any change/cancelation works. Can be used on either UA or partners, but only for the original passenger(s).
ETC = electronic travel certificate - it’s essentially a proprietary UA form of payment (a UA-only equivalent of credit card). But there are restrictions - can only be used for UA/UAX flights. You need the name of the pax it was issued to to authorize use, but can only be used for a new Reservation, which can be for any passenger you want.
My guess is some people refer to both as FFCs, but they are not the same, and I don’t believe I’ve ever heard UA refer to them as the same type. They have different names, and there are different rules for each. They are also provided in different situations.
Pre-COVID, one could not get an ETC when cancelling an itinerary, though UA provided extra flexibility to allow this for a while (apparently some agents are still doing this, while others aren’t - YMMV). Per traditional rules, when cancelling a non-refundable itinerary, only FFCs (as I’ve outlined above) are provided.