Originally Posted by
PGHflyer
Good to know, I see Economy Plus seat purchases and Travel Option Bundles get refunded on cancellations/changes permitted by the ticket (ex. permitted on award tickets) so strange purchased upgrades do not.
The upgrades are often sold at a very substantial discount to the current F fare differential. In exchange for the discounted upgrade, UA takes away flexibility. It's sort of like booking a cheap nonrefundable hotel room.