Originally Posted by
trvlr98765
Interestingly, I asked whether there would be a refund of taxes and fees. The agent said that refunds are only calculated on base fares and taxes & fees aren't refunded. I think I'll either HUACA once I know when I want to depart or just book an award ticket home and write to customer care once I'm feeling better.
You can't refund only the taxes and fees, no.
I'm not sure why you're trying to HUCA, or why you'd want to use award miles. UA is saying, "you have residual credit for a trip home, but if you choose to convert it to a one-way instead, that credit would be void." That is exactly the correct answer, and it seems obvious that the best approach is to call, when you're ready to set a new return date, and reissue your ticket. I expect the fare difference would be negligible, and quite possibly zero.