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Refunds for E+ / Preferred fees (upgrades, seat changes, cancellations, ...) [Merged]

Old Apr 7, 2013, 4:03 pm
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Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Economy Plus FAQs

Can I get a refund for my Economy Plus purchase if I no longer want it on my trip?

No. Economy Plus purchases are nonrefundable unless the ticket is refunded or canceled prior to travel.

If I buy Economy Plus seating, can I select a different Economy Plus seat prior to travel?

Yes. If the price of the new seat is equal to or less than the original purchase price then there will be no refund or additional charges. If the price of the new seat is greater than the price of the originally purchased seat, then the original price will be refunded and the new seat must be purchased in full.

Will my Economy Plus purchase be refunded if I cancel my trip?

Yes. In the event of a ticket refund or cancellation, Economy Plus purchases will be automatically refunded.

What will happen if I purchased Economy Plus seating but want to change my flights?

In the event of a voluntary change to a trip, Economy Plus purchases will be automatically refunded. If the ticket is partially used at the time of the change, only the value of the unused Economy Plus seating will be refunded.

What happens to my Economy Plus purchase if I get upgraded?

In the event of an upgrade, with some exclusions, purchased Economy Plus seating for the upgraded segment(s) will be automatically refunded. Exclusions include Complimentary Premier Upgrades and cases where a customer is reaccommodated into a seat of similar or greater value due to an aircraft change or other operational issue.

What happens if my itinerary changes due to a cancellation or schedule change?

In the event of any involuntary changes, such as rebooking due to a cancellation or schedule change, United will, if available, transfer the Economy Plus seating to your new flight(s) free of charge. If we are unable to accommodate you in Economy Plus, the Economy Plus purchase will be automatically refunded after flight departure. If you are re-accommodated on another airline per United’s policies, your purchase of Economy Plus seating for that portion of the itinerary will be automatically refunded.

I purchased Economy Plus, but I didn’t get to sit in an Economy Plus seat. Will I receive a refund?

Yes. If we are unable to accommodate you in Economy Plus, the Economy Plus purchase price will be automatically refunded after flight departure.

What is the deadline to request a refund for my Economy Plus purchase?

For Economy Plus refunds that aren’t issued automatically, you must submit your request within 90 days of the later of the following two dates: i) the date when the fee was originally paid; or ii) the flight date.If we were unable to accommodate you in Economy Plus or a seat of similar or greater value, and you received a new boarding pass, then the refund for the Economy Plus purchase price will be issued automatically. If you were not issued a new boarding pass, please submit a request through our Refunds page by the deadline specified above.

How long will it take to receive my Economy Plus refund?

Please allow up to seven business days from the date when the refund is issued for the activity to post to your credit card. If the refund does not post within one billing cycle, please contact your credit card company for information. For all other forms of payment, please allow up to 20 days for a refund to be processed. If you do not see a credit post within these time frames, please submit a refund request at united.com/refunds. All refunds are credited to the original form of payment used.
related thread : UA Economy Plus (E+) - Questions/Worth It?/Experiences [2016 Consolidated]

Preferred seat refunds (changed flights, upgraded, purchased E+, ...)

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Refunds for E+ / Preferred fees (upgrades, seat changes, cancellations, ...) [Merged]

Old Nov 2, 2023, 9:28 pm
  #91  
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After wasting time on hold waiting for an agent, they told me to go to Refund page to get a refund for the drink that I paid for using a drink chit, but was charged anyway.

Got the refund the next day. Educated guess, it should work for preferred seat as well (Seats is in the dropdown menu)
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Old Nov 2, 2023, 9:32 pm
  #92  
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No reason to use an agent, go directly to https://www.united.com/refunds , where there is a specific refund request for seat fees.
If the ticket was flown, what is the grounds for a refund?


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Old Nov 2, 2023, 9:50 pm
  #93  
 
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Originally Posted by WineCountryUA
No reason to use an agent, go directly to https://www.united.com/refunds , where there is a specific refund request for seat fees.
If the ticket was flown, what is the grounds for a refund?


When I booked the ticket, I purchased a preferred seat. Later, I did a miles+money upgrade to Polaris. So I traveled in Polaris, and my understanding from asking in another thread in this forum is that the preferred seat should be refunded automatically. That never happened, so last week I used the refund page (same one you recommended) and it processed the refund but as a travel credit instead of a refund to my credit card. So I called UA, got this offshore agent, who said she would submit it to refund the travel credit (after first trying to send me to that same refund page...). During or right after that call, I got the email confirmation of the refund request, but it showed my e-ticket number instead of the EMD number for the preferred seat. Today I checked the status page and it said the refund was denied, but didn't give a reason, it said "Please check your email to learn more about why your request was denied". The only email I received was the day that I spoke to the agent, I did not receive any further emails. To further complicate it, the travel credit that was on my MP account is no longer there. So I don't know if the refund was actually processed, despite the message on the refund status page. No refund has posted to my credit card. At this point I'm getting fed up (especially since it's just $54) and want to speak to someone who knows what they are talking about.
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Old Nov 2, 2023, 10:35 pm
  #94  
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Originally Posted by bearchaser303
When I booked the ticket, I purchased a preferred seat. Later, I did a miles+money upgrade to Polaris. So I traveled in Polaris, and my understanding from asking in another thread in this forum is that the preferred seat should be refunded automatically. That never happened, so last week I used the refund page (same one you recommended) and it processed the refund but as a travel credit instead of a refund to my credit card.
.... To further complicate it, the travel credit that was on my MP account is no longer there. So I don't know if the refund was actually processed, despite the message on the refund status page. No refund has posted to my credit card. At this point I'm getting fed up (especially since it's just $54) and want to speak to someone who knows what they are talking about.
Talking directly Refunds is not normally an option.

You are due a refund and it should have been to the credit card. With the disappearing travel credit, it is possible it is now being processed as a true refund. It can take 5 to 10 days for the credit to show on you credit card account.

You could do a charge back on the card; or
A DOT clain to delayed refund (DOT requires refund in 5 days). But DOT complaints can easily take 30 or more days.
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Old Nov 3, 2023, 10:07 am
  #95  
 
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Originally Posted by WineCountryUA
Talking directly Refunds is not normally an option.

You are due a refund and it should have been to the credit card. With the disappearing travel credit, it is possible it is now being processed as a true refund. It can take 5 to 10 days for the credit to show on you credit card account.

You could do a charge back on the card; or
A DOT clain to delayed refund (DOT requires refund in 5 days). But DOT complaints can easily take 30 or more days.
This morning I received an email from United Refunds stating that the $54 refund has been processed. I guess I just need to learn to be more patient, lol.
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Old Nov 7, 2023, 5:08 pm
  #96  
 
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I currently have E+ booked on a flight, that I am considering cancelling and re-booking the same flights into first. Would I get refunded the E+ cost if I did so? The FAQ in the E+ refund thread says yes, but my reading of the United website says I'll only get a refund if I bought a refundable fare, which I did not. Can anyone confirm?

I ran the math and the price difference between the economy ticket, plus the E+ cost, is only about $100 less per person than flying first the whole trip, so I'd like to cancel and re-book, however, if I won't get an E+ refund, it wouldn't be worth it.

My plan is cancel, get future flight credit, apply to first class booking, and then expect a refund to my credit card for the E+ cost. Is that accurate?

I guess I could call in to upgrade the existing flights as well, but I would prefer to do it myself online.
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Old Nov 7, 2023, 6:37 pm
  #97  
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Originally Posted by shimps1
I currently have E+ booked on a flight, that I am considering cancelling and re-booking the same flights into first. Would I get refunded the E+ cost if I did so? The FAQ in the E+ refund thread says yes
That is correct.

You do not need to cancel your present booking -- the process of up-faring or taking a upgrade cash offer, will trigger the E+ seat fee refund.
However cancelling the flight for a credit will also trigger the E+ seat access refund.


https://www.united.com/en/us/fly/tra...nomy-plus.html
You'll get an automatic refund for your Economy Plus seat if your flight is canceled or changed, you end up flying in standard economy due to a travel disruption, or you buy a premium cabin seat of equal or greater value to your Economy Plus seat
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Last edited by WineCountryUA; Nov 7, 2023 at 6:46 pm Reason: E+ T&Cs
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Old Nov 7, 2023, 8:10 pm
  #98  
 
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Originally Posted by WineCountryUA
That is correct.

You do not need to cancel your present booking -- the process of up-faring or taking a upgrade cash offer, will trigger the E+ seat fee refund.
However cancelling the flight for a credit will also trigger the E+ seat access refund.

https://www.united.com/en/us/fly/tra...nomy-plus.html
Thanks! To wrap this up, I originally booked with the UR portal for economy seats, then paid with a card for E+. I cancelled via the UA app, then it wouldn't let me rebook using the credit, saying I needed to contact the agency to use it. I researched and it seemed like UR portal agents don't know what they're doing with travel credits, so I just called UA first. The agent was great, waived the "transfer fee" he said there would normally be (since Chase has the travel credit, technically), rebooked us into first, and processed the E+ refund, all while I was on the phone. Zero wait time to get an agent, too. I was very impressed. Thought it would be a hassle but he knew exactly what he was doing.
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Old Nov 7, 2023, 8:15 pm
  #99  
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Would have been even easier and faster to call UA and simply up-fared to first.
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Old Dec 10, 2023, 8:42 pm
  #100  
 
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Angry Booking UA E+ option from the get go

Hi,

Perhaps I have missed it when I purchase my E+ ticket as a new booking (not upgrade it after purchase).
Here is what UA lists under E+ travel option details:
  • An Economy Plus purchase reserves a seat within the Economy Plus seating area. Specific seat assignments are not guaranteed.
  • MileagePlus members will earn Premier qualifying points (PQP) for the Economy Plus portion upon completion of travel. PQP from Economy Plus are credited to the member who travels in the Economy Plus seat.
  • If we're unable to accommodate you in Economy Plus at time of travel, the value of that feature, which is indicated on your receipt, will be automatically refunded after flight depart

No where does it say this option is totally non refundable. Yet, when I try to cancel the whole tickets, it will not give me back the E+ fees as a FFC or refund.

I guess I will just stick with my regular Y from now on.
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Old Dec 10, 2023, 8:47 pm
  #101  
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Originally Posted by neuro0
No where does it say this option is totally non refundable. ....
Perhaps because on a total cancellation the E+ access fee will be refunded but is done separately.
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