Typical fare rule with comments:

3. Penalties:PENALTIES: FOR TRAVEL ON/AFTER 01OCT 02 CANCELLATIONS TICKET IS NON-REFUNDABLE. NOTE - FARES NOT USED OR NOT CHANGED ON/BEFORE THE TICKETED DEPARTURE DATE ARE INVALID AND HAVE NO VALUE.


yup, understood...


OTHER FARES ON THE SAME TICKET THAT ARE HALF ROUND TRIP COMBINED WITH THE UNUSED FARE ARE ALSO INVALID AND HAVE NO VALUE. CHANGES CHARGE USD 100.00 FOR REISSUE/UNTICKETED PTA. NOTE - SERVICE CHARGE APPLIES FOR CHANGES TO AN UNTICKETED PTA OR ISSUED TICKET. 1.ON/PRIOR TO THE TICKETED DEPARTURE DATE - VOLUNTARY REROUTING OF UNUSED TICKET IS PERMITTED TO ANY NEW UA FARE FOR BOTH DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL.

doesn't mention non-refundable only, so presumably, reading so far, you could turn your non-ref into a new ticket, lose $100 but keep the value in the form of a refundable ticket, right? You can't get the non refundable money back, but since it's in a Y fare, you can change it any way you want with no further penalties, presumably, thereby mitigating the "lose it" problem, right?

Let's read on and make sure this isn't contradicted anywhere else...

THE VALUE OF THE UNUSED TICKET SHOULD BE SHOWN IN THE ENDORSEMENT BOX OF THE NEW TICKET AS A NON-REF AMOUNT IF IT IS GREATER THAN THE NON- REF/SERVICE CHARGE AMOUNT THAT NORMALLY WOULD APPLY TO THE NEW TICKET. THE NEW ITINERARY MAY BE OF EQUAL OR HIGHER VALUE OR LOWER VALUE THAN PREVIOUS ITINERARY. IF OF LOWER VALUE--THE RESIDUAL VALUE WILL BE GIVEN TO THE PASSENGER IN THE FORM OF A NONREF UA TRAVEL CERTIFICATE OR MCO VALID ONLY ON UA FLIGHTS. TICKETS AT THESE FARES MUST BE REISSUED. FARES COMBINED END-TO-END ON THE TICKET/THAT IS FARES THAT COULD STAND ALONE IF ON ANOTHER TICKET/ MAY BE REROUTED SEPARATELY IF DESIRED. 2.WHEN THESE FARES ARE COMBINED WITH HALF OF RT FARES OR ON AN END-TO-END BASIS TO CREATE A RT/ CT/OJ OR OTHER MULTI SEGMENT ITINERARY--CHANGES TO OTHER THAN THE ORIGINATING FLIGHT MAY BE MADE ANYTIME ON/PRIOR TO THE FARE COMPONENT DEPARTURE DATE. THESE CHANGES MAY BE WITHOUT REGARD TO ADVANCE PURCHASE REQUIREMENTS PROVIDED THERE IS NO CHANGE TO ORIGIN/DESTINATION/ STOPOVER POINTS AND THE CHANGE MEETS THE MIN/ MAX STAY REQUIREMENT OF THE FARE. IF THESE FARES ARE COMBINED END-TO-END WITH OTHER FARES AND CHANGES TO ORIGIN/DESTINATION/STOPOVER POINTS ARE NEEDED-- THE NEW FARES MUST MEET THE ADV RES/TKTG OF THE NEW FARE. THE REMAINING UNCHANGED STAND ALONE ITINERARY MAY REMAIN VALID AND BE USED AS TICKETED IF DESIRED. ALL CHANGES REQUIRE TICKET REISSUE. TICKET MUST BE REISSUED AND SERVICE CHARGE ADDITIONAL FARE COLLECTED WITHIN 1 DAY AFTER RESERVATIONS CHANGED OR ON THE ORIGINAL FARE COMPONENT DEPARTURE DATE WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST. NOTE 1-IF ORIGINAL CONTINUING/RETURN FARE COMPONENT WAS FOR PEAK DAY TRAVEL PASSENGER MAY CHANGE TO ANY DAY FOR ONLY USD 100.00 SERVICE CHARGE. IF ORIGINAL CONTINUING/RETURN WAS FOR OFF-PEAK DAY OF TRAVEL-- PASSENGER MUST UPGRADE TO ANY CURRENTLY OPEN FOR SALE COMBINABLE FARE WITH ADD COLLECT PLUS USD 100.00 SERVICE CHARGE. NO REFUND OR TRAVEL CERTIFICATE IF NEW FARE IS LOWER. NOTE 2-IF AFTER THE TICKET IS PURCHASED AND ON OR BEFORE THE ORIGINAL DEPARTURE DATE THE PASSENGER CHANGES THE CONTINUING/RETURN FLIGHT OR DATE AND IS UNABLE TO MEET THE MIN/MAX STAY REQUIREMENTS OF THE FARE THE PSGR MUST UPGRADE THE ENTIRE RT/CT/OJ ITINERARY INCLUDING PREVIOUSLY FLOWN SEGMENTS TO ANY APPLICABLE FARE THAT MEETS THE MIN/MAX NEEDS OF THE CHANGED ITINERARY. NO CHANGE PERMITTED TO ORIGIN/ DESTINATION/STOPOVER PTS. ADVANCED PURCHASE REQUIREMENTS WILL BE WAIVED AND NO REFUND WILL BE MADE OR TRAVEL CERTIFICATE ISSUED IF NEW RT/CT/OJ FARE IS LOWER THAN THE ORIGINAL FARE. THE NEW FARE REMAINS NON REFUNDABLE. NOTE 3-AFTER EACH TICKETED DEPARTURE DATE-- A. NO CHANGES PERMITTED TO NON REFUNDABLE FARES THAT WERE NOT USED AND TO ANY FARES HALF ROUND TRIP COMBINED ON THE TICKET WITH THOSE FARES. B. ALL FARES HALF ROUND TRIP COMBINED WITH UNUSED FARES THAT WERE NOT CHANGED ON OR PRIOR TO DEPARTURE DATE HAVE NO VALUE. C. FARES COMBINED ON TICKET ON AN END-TO-END BASIS/FARES THAT COULD STAND ALONE/ ARE STILL VALID. D. SAME DAY STANDBY NOT PERMITTED FOR FARES HAVING NO VALUE. 3.VIA UA PSGRS HOLDING CONFIRMED RESERVATIONS AND TKTS MAY STANDBY FOR EALIER/LATER SAME-DAY FLTS. BETWEEN CITY PAIRS. IN ADDITION TO THE ORIGINAL AIRPORT OF DEPARTURE/ARRIVAL PASSENGERS MAY CHECK IN AND STANDBY ON UA FLIGHTS TO/FROM AIRPORTS LISTED BELOW UNLESS RESTRICTED BY THE AIRPORT PROVISIONS OF THE FARE-- CITY AIRPORT CHI CGX/ORD/MDW NYC JFK/LGA WAS DCA/IAD 4. SAME DAY STANDBY WILL BE AT NO ADDITIONAL COST FOR TRAVEL ON/BEFORE 31 DEC 02. FOR TRAVEL ON/AFTER JANUARY 1 2003 A USD 100.00 SERVICE CHARGE/CHANGE FEE ON THESE FARES WILL APPLY FOR STANDBY TRAVEL ON TICKETED DAY OF DEPARTURE. IF THE PASSENGER MISSES THE FLIGHT AND PRESENTS HIMSELF/HERSELF AT THE UA DEPARTURE AIRPORT TICKET COUNTER AFTER THE CLOSE OUT OF THE SCHEDULED FLIGHT AND NO LATER THAN 2 HOURS AFTER THE SCHEDULED DEPARTURE TIME-- THE PASSENGER WILL BE ACCOMMODATED ON THE NEXT AVAILABLE UA FLIGHT AND THE SERVICE CHARGE/ CHANGE FEE WILL BE WAIVED. 5. IF PASSENGER ON COMPANION FARES....ALL COMPANION FARE TICKETS MUST BE PRESENTED AT THE SAME TIME FOR ANY CHANGES.


So I guess you can (as I read this) do the following:

1. get a non ref ticket, say IAD-SFO for $300.

2. cancel the itinerary buy calling UA before departure. Tell them you want to apply the ticket to a Y fare, say IAD-ORD for $600.

3. UA will issue a new Y ticket, apply $200 to this new ticket, and there will be some sort of documentation reading that of the $600 fare, $200 is non refundable.

4. Now, with that ticket, you have a credit with UA and will no longer "lose it" beyond the $100 you already lost. Yes, you can't get the $200 back, but you could concievably change this IAD-ORD ticket, apply it to something else, etc., and you will not pay an additional $100 for these changes ever again.

Is parking non ref tickets this way a reasonable strategy??