emcampbe

correct. The credit can only be used by the originally ticketed passenger. And only for new travel. Essentially, when you cancel, the flights are removed from the record, and the record remains empty until you rebook. This is how non-refundable tickets work. On United, at time of rebooking, you pay the change fee in new money, then have the full value of the credit to use. Other airlines might be different, where the fee is taken out of the value available to use. If you don’t use it all with a new ticket, you get a voucher, and while that voucher will have the pax name on it, it can be used by anyone (you’ll need the PIN and last name to use, but can be used by anyone, so long as they have the correct PIN/name combo). Note you must rebook within a year of the original issue date, or you lose all the value.

As a workaround to using the value for the ticketed passenger, you can rebook the cheapest flight you can find (say, LAX-SFO), and keep the rest of the value in the voucher (ETC) that can be used by anyone. The disadvantage here is that in addition to the change fee, you’ll lose part of the value for the cheap flight that presumably you won’t take, with flexibility of the voucher being able to be used for anyone. Note the voucher is valid for one year after the date of issue for that, so that also extends validity if you need it.

IAH-OIL-TRASH

Terms and conditions of the ticket were disclosed to you at time of purchase. A lot of people choose not to bother reading these, but CS rep’s answer reflects what it says in the T&Cs. As mentioned above, there is a workaround, assuming change fee and cheap flight to get RTC doesn’t make sense money-wise.

eeflyer

If a family were booked on separate PNRs, but some members had to cancel their non-refundable flights, would it be possible to use the value from the cancelled tickets for different passengers?

mahasamatman

Residual credit from cancelled flights can generally only be used by/for the ticketed passenger.

WineCountryUA

Directly no. Although cancelled, the ticket is still in the original passenger's name and airlines do not allow name changes. However, if the tickets are sufficiently valuable, the cancelled ticket can (after paying the change fee) be re-scheduled as a very inexpensive throwaway trip. The unused credit is then issued as an ETC which anyone can use. More on this is the thread's wiki.

eeflyer

Thanks for the replies and the referral to this thread, I understand now!

wyseson

I want to cancel a ticket that was already changed. When exactly does the 1 year period start for me?

The tickets are all on the same PNR. In January I purchased the tickets. In May I made a change, paid the change fee, and it looks like United had issued new ticket numbers. If I cancel the reservation now, does the 1 year period to use the residual value start from January or from May?

mozilla

If the previous ticket was unused and completely reissued, then you have until May next year provided you cancel before the newly ticketed departure time. See wiki above.

gspurr

I was hoping to cancel an international "P" fare ticket but it i non-refundable. From what I have been reading on here the only option to get the value back is to get a ETC by making a change to the reservation and paying a change fee. However, when I was working on this online it says I will get a "refund" to my original form of payment minus the difference in the ticket costs. Is this correct. I'm afraid of going further on the change. Below is what it says. What can I expect if I go ahead with this change? Thanks.

New trip (1 Traveler)
CA $406.16

Original trip

- CA $4,762.60
Fri, 10 Jan, 2020Revise

YYZ - IAD 8:15 a.m. - 9:40 a.m.
Sun, 19 Jan, 2020Revise

IAD - YYZ 5:15 p.m. - 6:48 p.m.
Change fee
CA $392.00



Total Refund

Fare differenceTo original form of payment (**1008)

CA $4,356.44


Total DueCA $392.00

Include taxes & fees

findark

It depends. Why do you say it is non-refundable? If that is true, then it cannot be refunded. Can you pull up and post either the fare rules or the fare basis + ticketing date?

gspurr

Here are the fare rules on penalties. I was told by a United Agent wit was non-refundable and when I checked to see what would happen if I tried cancelling on United.com it said it was non-refundable. These fare rules are the same for both legs. Flights are in January and was ticketed on July 13. Thanks.

Penalties

FARE RULES TEXT
FROM AREA 2 -
NOTE -
--
HALF ROUNDTRIP FARE COMBINATION OF
NON-REFUNDABLE / REFUNDABLE WITH A CANCELLATION
PENALTY / FULLY REFUNDABLE
- THE MOST RESTRICTIVE CANCELLATION PENALTY
RULE APPLIES TO THE ENTIRE PRICING UNIT FOR
WHOLLY UNUSED TICKET -
--
CANCELLATIONS
BEFORE DEPARTURE
CHARGE USD 300.00 FOR CANCEL/NO-SHOW/REFUND.
WAIVED FOR SCHEDULE CHANGE.
NOTE -
--
APPLY CAT 19 PROVISION DISCOUNTS FOR - INFANT
WITHOUT A SEAT // INFANT WITH A SEAT // CHILD
--
A. EXCHANGE - WHOLLY UNUSED TICKET // CHANGE TO
1ST TICKETED FLIGHT COUPON
--
FULL VALUE OF WHOLLY UNUSED TICKET MAY BE
APPLIED TOWARD THE PURCHASE OF MOST DOMESTIC
OR INTERNATIONAL FARES / EXCLUSIONS APPLY / A
NEW TICKET PRICED AT CURRENT FARE LEVELS UPON
PAYMENT OF THE CANCEL PENALTY CONTAINED WITHIN
THIS RULE AND DIFFERENCE IN
FARE/TAX/FEES/CHARGES AND SURCHARGES
COLLECTED/REFUNDED AT TIME OF EXCHANGE.
--
WHOLLY UNUSED TICKET / CHANGE TO 1ST TICKETED
FLIGHT COUPON
--
REPRICE USING CURRENT QUALIFYING FARES
--
CHARGE ONLY ONE FEE THE HIGHEST FEE OF ONLY
CHANGED FARE COMPONENTS
--
1. UA/LH/LX/OS/SN/AC FARES ARE USED.
2. ADVANCE RES IS MEASURED FROM REISSUE DATE
TO DEPARTURE OF PRICING UNIT
--
WHEN CHANGE RESULTS IN FARE DIFFERNCE--
--
WHEN CHANGE RESULTS IN LOWER FARE -
RESIDUAL VALUE MAY BE APPLIED TOWARD CANCEL
PENALTY
--
WHEN CHANGE RESULTS IN HIGHER FARE -
CHARGE FULL CANCEL PENALTY
ADD COLLECT FARE DIFFERENCE IF APPLICABLE
--
B. BOOKING CODE CHANGE PERMITTED
--
WHEN A FARE IS INTRODUCED INTO THE MARKET
OR A CURRENT FARE IS REDUCED OR BOOKING CODE
BECOMES AVAILABLE / THE TICKETED PASSENGER
MAY QUALIFY FOR ONE OF THE ABOVE OPTIONS.
ALL PROVISIONS OF THE QUALIFYING FARE MUST
BE MET BEFORE DEPARTURE.
NO CHANGE TO ORIGIN/DESTINATION/DATES/FLIGHTS.
---ONLY BOOKING CODE CHANGE IS PERMITTED---.
--
AN ADMINISTRATIVE FEE EQUAL TO CHANGE FEE
WILL BE ASSESSED.
RESIDUAL VALUE / IF ANY / MAY BE APPLIED
TOWARD ADMINISTRATIVE FEE EQUAL TO CHANGE
FEE.
--
ONLY BOOKING CODE CHANGE PERMITTED
--
REPRICE USING CURRENT QUALIFYING FARES.
CHARGE FEE OR HIGHEST FEE OF ONLY CHANGED
FARE COMPONENTS.
1. NO CHANGE TO FARE BREAKS/FLIGHTS/DATES
2. UA FARES ARE USED
3. ADV RES IS MEASURE FROM REISSUE DATE T0
DEPARTURE OF PRICING UNIT
--
WHEN CHANGE RESULTS IN FARE DIFFERENCE --
--
WHEN CHANGE RESULTS IN LOWER FARE -
RESIDUAL VALUE MAY BE APPLIED TOWARD CHANGE FEE
--
WHEN CHANGE RESULTS IN HIGHER FARE -
CHARGE FULL CHANGE FEE
ADD COLLECT FARE DIFFERENCE IF APPLICABLE
--
AFTER DEPARTURE
TICKET IS NON-REFUNDABLE.
CHANGES
ANY TIME
CHARGE USD 300.00.
WAIVED FOR SCHEDULE CHANGE.
NOTE -
--
APPLY CAT 19 PROVISION DISCOUNTS FOR - INFANT
WITHOUT A SEAT // INFANT WITH A SEAT // CHILD
--
-- CHANGE MADE TO OTHER THAN THE FIRST TICKETED
FLIGHT COUPON
--
CHARGE ONLY ONE CHANGE FEE THE HIGHEST FEE OF
ONLY THE CHANGED FARE COMPONENTS.
--
VOLUNTARY CHANGE MADE TO OTHER THAN 1ST TICKETED
FLIGHT COUPON
--
TICKETED RESERVATIONS NOT BEING USED ARE
TO BE CANCELLED PRIOR TO ORIGINAL SCHEDULED
FLIGHT. RETURN RESERVATIONS MAYBE SCHEDULED
ANYTIME WITHIN TICKET VALIDITY. TICKET MUST
BE REISSUED AT SAME TIME WHEN VOLUNTARY CHANGE
IS CONFIRMED.
--
IF CHANGES ARE MADE TO OTHER THAN THE FIRST
TICKETED FLIGHT / THE FARE LEVELS IN EFFECT
AT TIME OF ORIGINAL TICKET ISSUE WILL APPLY
PROVIDED THE NEW ITINERARY QUALIFIES FOR
ALL THE PROVISIONS OF THE ORIGINALLY
TICKETED FARE BASIS CODE/BOOKING CODE
IGNORING ADVANCE RESERVATION OR TICKETING
REQUIREMENTS.
--
CHARGE ONLY ONE CHANGE FEE THE HIGHEST FEE OF
ONLY THE CHANGED FARE COMPONENTS.
--
REPRICE USING CURRENTLY TKTD FARE /
KEEP THE FARE RESULTS /
SAME BOOKING CODE/SAME FARE BASIS CODE.
--
PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS ARE MET
1. NO CHANGE TO 1ST FLIGHT COUPON/ NO CHANGE TO
FARE BREAK POINTS
2. WHEN NO INTL COUPONS REMAIN - ALL NEW
TRAVEL MUST BE DOMESTIC
3. ALL RULE AND BOOKING CODE PROVISIONS ARE MET
IGNORING ADV RES-TKT
4. ADV RES IS MEASURED FROM ORIGINAL TKT DATE
TO DEPARTURE OF PRICING UNIT
--
KEEP THE FARE / EVEN REISSUE / CHARGE CHANGE FEE
--
OR
--
IF THE NEW ITINERARY QUALIFIES FOR THE
ORIGINAL BOOKING CODE TICKETED FARE /
BUT RESULTS IN FARE DIFFERENCE DUE TO
SEASONALITY / DAY OF WEEK TRAVEL /
CHANGE TO FARE BREAK POINT
--
HISTORICAL FARES / REPRICE USING FARES IN EFFECT
WHEN TICKET WAS ISSUED
--
PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS ARE MET
--
1. NO CHANGE TO 1ST FLIGHT COUPON / CHANGE TO
FARE BREAK POINT PERMITTED
2. WHEN NO INTL COUPONS REMAIN - ALL NEW TRAVEL
MUST BE DOMESTIC.
3. UA/LH/LX/OS/SN/AC FARES ARE PERMITTED
4. ALL BOOKING CODE PROVISIONS ARE MET
5. ADV RES IS MEASURED FROM ORIGINAL TKT DATE
TO DEPARTURE OF PRICING UNIT
--
WHEN CHANGE RESULTS IN FARE DIFFERENCE
--
WHEN CHANGE RESULTS IN LOWER FARE -
RESIDUAL VALUE MAY BE APPLIED TOWARD CHANGE FEE
--
WHEN CHANGE RESULTS IN HIGHER FARE -
CHARGE FULL CHANGE FEE
ADD COLLECT FARE DIFFERENCE IF APPLICABLE
--
OR
--
IF CHANGE BY THE PASSENGER NO LONGER QUALIFIES
FOR THE ORIGINALLY TICKETED BOOKING CODE FARE /
DUE TO BOOKING CODE NOT AVAILABLE OR ORIGINAL
TICKETED FARE NO LONGER QUALIFIES DUE TO RULE
RESTRICTIONS -
FULL VALUE OF THE ORIGINAL TICKET MAY BE
APPLIED TOWARDS QUALIFYING FARE -
USING FARES IN EFFECT ON THE ORIGINAL
TICKET ISSUE DATE.
--
RECALCULATION TO LOWER FARE VALUE IS NOT
PERMITTED
--
FARE IS RECALCULATED FROM POINT OF ORIGIN /
ANY DIFFERENCE IN FARE / TAXES AND CHANGE
FEE CONTAINED WITHIN THIS RULE WILL BE
APPLICABLE AT TIME OF CHANGE / REISSUE.
--
REPRICE USING FARES IN EFFECT WHEN TKT WAS ISSUED
--
1. NO CHANGE TO 1ST FLIGHT COUPON / CHANGE TO
FARE BREAK POINT PERMITTED
2. WHEN NO INTL COUPONS REMAIN - ALL NEW TRAVEL
MUST BE DOMESTIC
3. NEW TKT HAS EQUAL OR HIGHER QUALIFYING FARE
VALUE THAN PREVIOUS TICKET
4. ALL BOOKING CODE PROVISIONS ARE MET
5. ADV RES IS MEASURED FROM ORIGINAL TKT DATE
TO DEPARTURE OF PRICING UNIT
--
WHEN CHANGE RESULTS IN FARE DIFFERENCE
--
WHEN CHANGE RESULTS IN LOWER FARE -
RESIDUAL VALUE MAY BE APPLIED TOWARD CHANGE FEE
--
WHEN CHANGE RESULTS IN HIGHER FARE -
CHARGE FULL CHANGE FEE
ADD COLLECT FARE DIFFERENCE IF APPLICABLE
--

findark

Well, based on

the fare is refundable, less a $300 cancellation penalty. So you should be able to cancel the ticket for a refund equal to USD 300.00 less than what you paid. I assume that fare component on the ticket has this rule (if there is a different one that says "non-refundable" then the ticket is not refundable).

gspurr

Thanks. I thought I was reading this the same. There doesn't appear to be anything in the fare component that says anything about non-refundable. The travel begins and ends in Europe (area 2). Would this play a role in causing some confusion with United.com and/or the phone agent concerning refunds for this ticket?

jsloan

The receipt itself should show whether it's refundable or not, in the endorsements: either NONREF/0VALUAFTDPT/CHGFEE or -REFUNDABLE/CXLFEE/CHGFEE, most likely.

gspurr

It's weird, there isn't any of that wording there. Only:

"Fare Rules:

Additional charges may apply for changes in addition to any fare rules listed.

YUL POS END"