Jan 15, 2024, 10:16 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Related topic: Change Fees "Gone For Good"(WW ex-USA,non-BE), credit for lower fare!, BE waiver
United;s web page: https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...ng-policy.html
United’s 24-hour flexible booking policy
and Ticket refund policies - Booking service fees
April 2020
Previous wording - Dec 2019
Note: United refers to this as "United’s 24-hour flexible booking policy", not just cancellations. UA includes routing changes, pricing changes, fare class changes, ..... as well as simple cancellations. But the timeframe is based on the original purchases and not reset by a change. Only a cancellation and then separate rebooking would achieve that.
Reservation booking service fees and close-in booking fees for award tickets are refundable only if you cancel your reservation within 24 hours of purchase. These sometimes may take an extra request.
Starting 2016Q4 ticket receipts state
The website link does now mention the 7 day restriction (new 2017Q2) and the CoCs has contained the 7 day restriction for awhile. This is allowed by the DoT rules. However, no reports yet of UA enforcing the 7 day restriction.
DOT 24 refund rule, announcement
76 Fed. Reg. 23110, 23166, Apr. 25, 2011
Further DOT Guidance on 24 hour rule
Note the present UA implementation in practice is more generous -- no 7 day limitation enforcement as of yet.
UA's 24 hour rule was in place long before the DOT requirement .
Note -- a changed ticket does not get a new 24-hour free cancel period -- that benefit only applies to the original purchase.
Does the 24 hour rule apply to award tickets?
Yes
Does the 24 hour rule apply to close in bookings?
Yes but cancellation must be done before scheduled departure.
While the policy revision in 2018 add the DOT allowed 7-day exemption, UA has generally allowed this and not enforced the 7-day exemption. There has been just one FT reported situation where the 7-day was enforced and it had other factors.
In the case of credit card purchases, on a cancellation, the credit charge may be left pending and never finalized. So in the end it is as if it never happen.
Basic Economy tickets -- are they projected by the 24 hour rule?
Yes, UA is allowing cancellation of BE tickets in the first 24 hour (consistent with DOT requirements. But as UA allows changes also of other fares in the first 24 hours, it will not allow that of BE . The distinction is minor but
Book a reservation with ETC but cancelled with 24 hours, will the ETC be refunded?
Yes it should but UA can be rather slow on this and occasionally will drop the ball. You may need to followup. Note the refunded ETC will have the same expiration as the original ETC. (So, not a way to extend the ETC
) -- Note in late 2020, UA's practice does seem to have changed to issuing NEW ETCs
Archive thread: United’s 24-hour cancellation / flexible booking policy ... {Archive}
United;s web page: https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...ng-policy.html
United’s 24-hour flexible booking policy
and Ticket refund policies - Booking service fees
April 2020
We know that life happens, and you may need to change your travel plans unexpectedly. United's 24-hour flexible booking policy gives you the freedom to make changes to select reservations within 24 hours of booking and ticketing, without being charged change fees if you made your purchase one week or more before the flight was scheduled to depart. This includes canceling your reservation and requesting a full refund of the ticket price. Although Basic Economy reservations aren’t eligible for changes within 24 hours, they’re still eligible for a full refund if you cancel within 24 hours and you made your purchase one week or more before the flight was scheduled to depart. Please view the terms and conditions below for more details.Terms and conditions
- Applies to tickets booked at united.com, United City Ticket Offices, airport ticket counters or with the United Customer Contact Center.
- The 24-hour timeframe begins at the time you book and ticket your reservation.
- Requests for refunds will be credited back in the original form of payment, except for purchases made with a United Gift Certificate, which will be credited back in the form of electronic travel certificates.
- Group tickets are subject to the terms of the group contract.
- Tickets purchased using e-certificates are excluded. (New April 2020)
- Reservations that are being held but have not yet been purchased are excluded.
- Any FareLock® fees paid to hold a reservation will not be refunded.
United's 24-hour flexible booking policy allows the flexibility to make changes to select reservations within 24 hours of purchasing your ticket, without incurring change fees if you made your purchase one week or more prior to the original scheduled departure flight. This includes canceling your reservation and requesting a 100% refund of the ticket price. Although Basic Economy reservations are not eligible for changes within 24 hours, they are still eligible for a full refund if you cancel within 24 hours and you made your purchase one week or more prior to the original scheduled departure flight. Please view the terms and conditions below.
Terms and conditions
1. Applies to tickets booked at united.com or with the United Customer Contact Center.
2. The 24-hour timeframe begins at the time your ticket is purchased.
3. Requests for refunds will be credited back in the original form of payment, with the exception of purchases made with a United Gift Certificate, which will be credited back in the form of electronic travel certificates.
4. Group tickets and tickets purchased using Western Union, cash or e-certificates are excluded.
5. Reservations that are being held but have not yet been purchased are excluded.
6. Any FareLockSM fees paid to hold a reservation will not be refunded.
Terms and conditions
1. Applies to tickets booked at united.com or with the United Customer Contact Center.
2. The 24-hour timeframe begins at the time your ticket is purchased.
3. Requests for refunds will be credited back in the original form of payment, with the exception of purchases made with a United Gift Certificate, which will be credited back in the form of electronic travel certificates.
4. Group tickets and tickets purchased using Western Union, cash or e-certificates are excluded.
5. Reservations that are being held but have not yet been purchased are excluded.
6. Any FareLockSM fees paid to hold a reservation will not be refunded.
Note: United refers to this as "United’s 24-hour flexible booking policy", not just cancellations. UA includes routing changes, pricing changes, fare class changes, ..... as well as simple cancellations. But the timeframe is based on the original purchases and not reset by a change. Only a cancellation and then separate rebooking would achieve that.
Reservation booking service fees and close-in booking fees for award tickets are refundable only if you cancel your reservation within 24 hours of purchase. These sometimes may take an extra request.
Starting 2016Q4 ticket receipts state
Refunds Within 24 Hours
When you book and ticket a reservation through united.com, the United mobile app, the United Customer Contact Center, at our ticket counters or city ticket offices, or if you use MileagePlus® miles to book an award ticket, we will allow you to cancel the ticketed reservation without penalty and receive a 100 percent refund of the ticket price to the original form of payment if you cancel the reservation within 24 hours of purchase and if the reservation is made one week or more prior to scheduled flight departure.
When you book and ticket a reservation through united.com, the United mobile app, the United Customer Contact Center, at our ticket counters or city ticket offices, or if you use MileagePlus® miles to book an award ticket, we will allow you to cancel the ticketed reservation without penalty and receive a 100 percent refund of the ticket price to the original form of payment if you cancel the reservation within 24 hours of purchase and if the reservation is made one week or more prior to scheduled flight departure.
DOT 24 refund rule, announcement
DOT requires airlines to either hold a reservation for 24 hours without payment or refund a paid ticket — even a non-refundable one — if you cancel within 24 hours of purchase and you purchased your ticket more than 7 days before your flight.
Airlines are free to choose between holding a reservation without payment in these circumstances or refunding after payment; they don’t have to offer both options. ...
Airlines are free to choose between holding a reservation without payment in these circumstances or refunding after payment; they don’t have to offer both options. ...
Further DOT Guidance on 24 hour rule
Note the present UA implementation in practice is more generous -- no 7 day limitation enforcement as of yet.
UA's 24 hour rule was in place long before the DOT requirement .
Note -- a changed ticket does not get a new 24-hour free cancel period -- that benefit only applies to the original purchase.
Does the 24 hour rule apply to award tickets?
Yes
Does the 24 hour rule apply to close in bookings?
Yes but cancellation must be done before scheduled departure.
While the policy revision in 2018 add the DOT allowed 7-day exemption, UA has generally allowed this and not enforced the 7-day exemption. There has been just one FT reported situation where the 7-day was enforced and it had other factors.
In the case of credit card purchases, on a cancellation, the credit charge may be left pending and never finalized. So in the end it is as if it never happen.
Basic Economy tickets -- are they projected by the 24 hour rule?
Yes, UA is allowing cancellation of BE tickets in the first 24 hour (consistent with DOT requirements. But as UA allows changes also of other fares in the first 24 hours, it will not allow that of BE . The distinction is minor but
Book a reservation with ETC but cancelled with 24 hours, will the ETC be refunded?
Yes it should but UA can be rather slow on this and occasionally will drop the ball. You may need to followup. Note the refunded ETC will have the same expiration as the original ETC. (So, not a way to extend the ETC
) -- Note in late 2020, UA's practice does seem to have changed to issuing NEW ETCsArchive thread: United’s 24-hour cancellation / flexible booking policy ... {Archive}
United’s 24-hour cancellation / flexible booking policy ... {Archive}
Apr 23, 2019, 2:32 pm
#751
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: San Francisco
Programs: 1K 2.2MM
Posts: 2,352
Does 24 hour apply to ticket changes?
I made a change to an international ticket today..paying change fee and small fare difference. Now another routing option became known to me that is more appealing. Will an agent make a change if I do so within 24 hours of making the change without charging the change fee again? Or is that only for newly issued tickets? Thanks!
Apr 23, 2019, 2:35 pm
#752
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Chicago IL US
Programs: UA 1K; National Executive Elite; Hertz PC & Hotels Galore
Posts: 946
Only newly issued but if you indicated you make a mistake, YMMV.
Apr 23, 2019, 2:42 pm
#753
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,852
May 25, 2019, 3:52 pm
#754
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 617
Is the United MileagePlus "close-in" fee refundable if you cancel within 24 hours?
Is the United MileagePlus "close-in" fee refundable if you cancel within 24 hours?
Just a quick question. I found an old thread on these forums from 11 years ago.
But I wanted to ask to get current info.
Just a quick question. I found an old thread on these forums from 11 years ago.
But I wanted to ask to get current info.
May 25, 2019, 5:21 pm
#755
Join Date: Dec 2009
Programs: SPG Plat
Posts: 459
Yes you always get a refund
May 25, 2019, 5:32 pm
#757
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: GVA (Greater Vancouver Area)
Programs: DREAD Gold; UA 1.035MM; Bonvoy Au-197; PCC Elite+; CCC Elite+; MSC C-12; CWC Au-197; WoH Dis
Posts: 52,140
My luck has been 50-50 on this.
Jul 11, 2019, 6:52 am
#758
Join Date: Oct 2015
Programs: AC SE 100K, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 142
Folks, what's the policy if I buy the ticket the day before departure? Will I still have 24 hours? I know the written policy is clear that this won't be the case, but what happens in practice?
Jul 11, 2019, 7:00 am
#759
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: ORD
Programs: United Plat 2MM, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,727
If we say "You still have 24 hours" and United says no, are you going to say "But a bunch of guys on the internet said I could!".
Jul 11, 2019, 7:33 am
#760
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,454
I have had no problem with free 24 hour cancel on a ticket bought less than 7 days prior to departure as recently as 3 weeks ago.
Jul 11, 2019, 1:46 pm
#761
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,852
What can be said, there have been no reports in this forum / thread of UA exercising the 7-day restriction -- but UA could, without notice, and be in the clear.
Jul 11, 2019, 4:34 pm
#762
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,331
I feel like they'd have to stop advertising the 24 hour policy on bookings made 2 days in advance before they'd start trying to exercise that restriction.
Jul 11, 2019, 5:09 pm
#763
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 14,886
Your feeling is wrong. The terms clearly state it the flexible policy is for tickets purchased 7 days or more in advance. They haven’t been enforcing it, sure, but it doesn’t mean they won’t at some point (after all, the 7-day language is ‘relatively’ new - maybe 2 or 3 years ago even through there’s been no real change in the wya they enforce it). That said, I’m sure if they do, there are people who might argue that initially, and even be successful with it for a bit. But given the restriction is there, it’s not a sure thing
Jul 29, 2019, 12:48 pm
#764
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 1
Struggling to get my refund
I canceled within the 24 hour window but have been told they cannot refund the credit card and that I need to BUY a gift card that they will then add the refund to. This sounds totally fishy. Anyone else seen this?
Jul 29, 2019, 1:19 pm
#765
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,852
Welcome to FT!, timagnew
Continue being very cautious on this one because is far from standard.
Was this a standard credit card? or a one time use number?
Who are you talking to?
Are you absolutely sure it is a real UA agent? (I am thinking not)
What number did you call? DId you google "united refunds"?
call 1 (800) 864-8331 800 UNITED1
Agent on phone promised a refund, but I don’t see it. Now fear wasn’t a UA agent.
Scammed by a fake UA call center
Continue being very cautious on this one because is far from standard.
Who are you talking to?
Are you absolutely sure it is a real UA agent? (I am thinking not)
What number did you call? DId you google "united refunds"?
call 1 (800) 864-8331 800 UNITED1
Agent on phone promised a refund, but I don’t see it. Now fear wasn’t a UA agent.
Scammed by a fake UA call center
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jul 29, 2019 at 1:25 pm Reason: telephone