suggestions on how to change/refund a ticket w/o paying $$$? (redeposit fee)
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 240
suggestions on how to change/refund a ticket w/o paying $$$? (redeposit fee)
Anyone have any suggestions on how to change a ticket without getting hit with big $$$?
My mother-in-law is visiting from Germany and we want to push her return back a week so she can attend my son's basic training graduation.
She is booked on a K fare class ticket.
I called this morning but the charge was almost $600. Trying to avoid huge costs. She has no status and I don't yet until I get my status match from Delta.
Thanks,
Robert
My mother-in-law is visiting from Germany and we want to push her return back a week so she can attend my son's basic training graduation.
She is booked on a K fare class ticket.
I called this morning but the charge was almost $600. Trying to avoid huge costs. She has no status and I don't yet until I get my status match from Delta.
Thanks,
Robert
#2
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Join Date: Mar 2002
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The bad news is that the change fee is what it is. Usually $150 + any fare differential. No way around it that I know of.
Used to be that upfaring the ticket would eliminate change fees at pmUA, but those days are long since over.
Good luck.
Dave
#3
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Land of the parrots and parrotheads
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Might look into alternative one-way tickets back using miles? Say on AA or other one-way reward ticket friendly carrier?
Anyone have any suggestions on how to change a ticket without getting hit with big $$$?
My mother-in-law is visiting from Germany and we want to push her return back a week so she can attend my son's basic training graduation.
She is booked on a K fare class ticket.
I called this morning but the charge was almost $600. Trying to avoid huge costs. She has no status and I don't yet until I get my status match from Delta.
Thanks,
Robert
My mother-in-law is visiting from Germany and we want to push her return back a week so she can attend my son's basic training graduation.
She is booked on a K fare class ticket.
I called this morning but the charge was almost $600. Trying to avoid huge costs. She has no status and I don't yet until I get my status match from Delta.
Thanks,
Robert
#4
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Near SEA
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Long since over except for the (unrelated to this thread) case where you keep flight dates the same and upfare to an instant-upgrade fare class (domestically). Edge case, but just wanted to point out that there are some rare instances where they are waived.
#5
Join Date: Oct 2003
Programs: UA 1K, LH SEN
Posts: 622
Wait until she has flown the outbound, then change the return -- in that case, if there is availability in K class on the new flight and the fare rules are being met (i.e. day of the week), you only need to pay the $250 change fee. No re-faring necessary. The website should be able to do it -- it did it for me a couple of weeks ago. If you reroute, there may be a difference in airport taxes.
#6
Join Date: Mar 2006
Programs: *Gold / HHonors Gold
Posts: 395
Wait until she has flown the outbound, then change the return -- in that case, if there is availability in K class on the new flight and the fare rules are being met (i.e. day of the week), you only need to pay the $250 change fee. No re-faring necessary. The website should be able to do it -- it did it for me a couple of weeks ago. If you reroute, there may be a difference in airport taxes.
#7
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Look at alternative dates for which the additional fare might not be as large. If you can find K class and the new dates do not violate fare rules (thirty day maximum stay here?), the cost should only be the change fee, probably $250. Otherwise, change the return date after the outbound has been flown.
However, if the ticket was purchased as Germany-USA-Germany, the fare codes and associated rules could be very different from what we are accustomed to. There are totally unrefundable and non changeable deep discount tickets exEurope. It might help if you were to examine the specific fare rules or perhaps call UA again and ask about rules, fees, and options.
However, if the ticket was purchased as Germany-USA-Germany, the fare codes and associated rules could be very different from what we are accustomed to. There are totally unrefundable and non changeable deep discount tickets exEurope. It might help if you were to examine the specific fare rules or perhaps call UA again and ask about rules, fees, and options.
#9
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: SoCal
Programs: UA Plat, National Exec Elite
Posts: 833
If the flight isn't for a while, you could wait and see if there is a schedule change (if it's more than a few months out this is bound to happen), and then plead your case that the change is unacceptable.
#10
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: SEA
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You can make it more likely by doing a free rescheduling to an itinerary with same origin and destination, but with tight connections and/or last flights of the day. Then, even a 20 minute change may force you onto another flight, resulting in the two-hour change in arrival or departure at which UA normally considers letting you cancel without fees.
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