Last edit by: WineCountryUA
FFC == "Future Flight Credit"
When re-booking 3-March 2020 purchased tickets, if the new ticket is cheaper you will receive an ETC (good for 24 months); starting April 2021, this is now a new form of FFC
However for tickets purchased 3 March or later, the fare rules now state there is no "residual value" meaning no ETC for the fare drop and if you have to rebook again the credit is just the value of the new ticket.
For pre-1 April 2020 purchased, FFCs will be good for 24 months from the original purchase date
And there are no change fees
Change Fees Are Gone For Good
For purchases starting 1-April, the lifetime of FFCs are returning to the traditional 12 months from purchase
In some cases of voluntary cancellations, FFCs may be convertible to ETCs (seems pre 1 August 2020 purchase is a factor) but this can only be requested on the phone and may take days/weeks. This may be a way to avoid the problem of "no residual credit" YMMV
Update 4 April 2020
The below needs to be updated based on the changes above
This wiki discusses the for steps in using the "future flight credit" from a canceled non-refundable ticket. Note this is for the cancellation of an entire ticket -- the process is different for a partial flown ticket
- Note some tickets are non-changeable and have no residual value if not flown:
United's Basic Economy - Discussion, Q&A, ...
New UA/*A TATL -LGT Economy fare - first bag charged, no changes allowed
- Notify UA of the cancellation before the scheduled departure. An absolute must, if not done the entire value will be lost. But see note below about Travel Waivers
- Wait until you are ready to reschedule. When ready you will need to pay a change fee in new money - the fee varies and will depend on the fare rules of the original fare. Note in many cases there is no longer a change fee (BE and flights origining outside the USA may still have a fee)
- If an ETC is issued, all of the funds in it must be used withinone twos year of issuance.
To get maximum ETC (or new type FFC), an option is to pay the change fee (if any) and book the cheapest possible OW fare and throw that ticket away -- how to find that cheap fare, see Cheapest possible flight (How do I redeem this flight credit?)
If the reason for the change / cancellation is due to medical issues or death of a close relative, see Consolidated "Refunds/Cancellations Due to Illness/Death" Thread [Merged] for the process to get a refund of the change / redeposit fee.
Other cases for "free" changes are:
1) if the flight is covered on the day of departure by a waiver (WX related or other reasons). Note there may be a limited time frame for the change fee waiver.
2) or by an airline's change in schedule
What if it is 1 year from the original ticket purchase date and I am not ready to buy another United ticket using my canceled ticket's funds? Buy a throwaway ticket on the cheapest fare you can find. United will issue an Electronic Travel Certificate for any unused funds. That ETC is valid for one year from issuance (see https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/united-airlines-mileageplus/1369495-ua-electronic-travel-certificates-etc-general-q-new-combinability-policy-34.html). If you do this on the expiry date of your original ticket, you effectively extend the availability of the funds for an additional year at the cost of a throwaway ticket.
What if I purchase a refundable ticket with the credit from the non-refundable ticket, can I then cancel and get a refund? No, the funds from a non-refundable purchase remain non-refundable even if used to purchase a refundable fare.
Cannot find the canceled reservation online?
Go to Manage Reservations and look in both "Current" and "Cancelled" tabs
Find the appropriate reservation and look for "Use Future Flight Credit"
After rebooking a canceled ticket, is there a new 24-hour window for fee changes?
No, the 24-hour flexible change only applies to the original /new booking and does not extend to rebooking of canceled / changed tickets.
United’s 24-hour cancellation / flexible booking policy
What if one leg is a refundable fare and another leg is non-refundable?
For a single ticket, the most restrictive fare rule applies to the entire ticket. So a refundable segment paired with a non-refundable segment makes the entire ticket non-refundable. Same with the change fee, the segment with the highest change fee applies to the entire ticket.
Archive thread: How to get residual/"future flight credit" from non-refundable flight {Archive}
Other related threads
Changing/Canceling/Replacing a ticket costing less than the change fee?
When re-booking 3-March 2020 purchased tickets, if the new ticket is cheaper you will receive an ETC (good for 24 months); starting April 2021, this is now a new form of FFC
If the new flight is priced higher, the customer may change for no change fee but must pay the fare difference. If the new flight is priced lower, the customer may change without paying a change fee but no residual value will be given.
- New tickets must be reissued within 24 months from original ticket date
- Rebooked travel must commence within 24 months from the original ticket issue date
Change Fees Are Gone For Good
For purchases starting 1-April, the lifetime of FFCs are returning to the traditional 12 months from purchase
In some cases of voluntary cancellations, FFCs may be convertible to ETCs (seems pre 1 August 2020 purchase is a factor) but this can only be requested on the phone and may take days/weeks. This may be a way to avoid the problem of "no residual credit" YMMV
Update 4 April 2020
We’re extending electronic certificates
To give you more flexibility when you travel, electronic certificates are now valid for 24 months from the date they were issued. This includes all currently valid electronic certificates and all new ones issued on or after April 1, 2020.
This policy change will automatically appear, but it may not be reflected everywhere right away. We’d appreciate your patience as we work to make that happen.
To give you more flexibility when you travel, electronic certificates are now valid for 24 months from the date they were issued. This includes all currently valid electronic certificates and all new ones issued on or after April 1, 2020.
This policy change will automatically appear, but it may not be reflected everywhere right away. We’d appreciate your patience as we work to make that happen.
This wiki discusses the for steps in using the "future flight credit" from a canceled non-refundable ticket. Note this is for the cancellation of an entire ticket -- the process is different for a partial flown ticket
- Note some tickets are non-changeable and have no residual value if not flown:
United's Basic Economy - Discussion, Q&A, ...
New UA/*A TATL -LGT Economy fare - first bag charged, no changes allowed
- Notify UA of the cancellation before the scheduled departure. An absolute must, if not done the entire value will be lost. But see note below about Travel Waivers
- Wait until you are ready to reschedule. When ready you will need to pay a change fee in new money - the fee varies and will depend on the fare rules of the original fare. Note in many cases there is no longer a change fee (BE and flights origining outside the USA may still have a fee)
- The new ticket must be purchased within 1 years of the original ticket's purchase date (pre-April 2020 purchases receive 2 year FFC)
- The new ticket will be good for 1 year from the exchange/re-scheduled date and travel must commence prior to the expiration of the original ticket
(an exception is if the new travel is just a date change, in this case, a new ticket may not be issued and initial purchase date will still prevail) - The new ticket must be for the same named traveler
- The portion of a ticket purchased with nonrefundable ticket credit will be nonrefundable regardless of the new ticket's fare rules
- The change fee requires payments of new funds and cannot be funded from the original ticket's value
- Any fare residual will issued as an ETC valid for
onetwo year.
- If an ETC is issued, all of the funds in it must be used within
- The ETC can be used by anyone.
- The
onetwo-year limitation only limits purchasing, not travel - travel may be outside the12-year limit. - There are no additional fees to use the ETC
- The credit voucher can only be used for UA/UX operated flights (workaround - UA Electronic Travel Certificate & Codeshares/partner flights)
To get maximum ETC (or new type FFC), an option is to pay the change fee (if any) and book the cheapest possible OW fare and throw that ticket away -- how to find that cheap fare, see Cheapest possible flight (How do I redeem this flight credit?)
If the reason for the change / cancellation is due to medical issues or death of a close relative, see Consolidated "Refunds/Cancellations Due to Illness/Death" Thread [Merged] for the process to get a refund of the change / redeposit fee.
Other cases for "free" changes are:
1) if the flight is covered on the day of departure by a waiver (WX related or other reasons). Note there may be a limited time frame for the change fee waiver.
2) or by an airline's change in schedule
What if it is 1 year from the original ticket purchase date and I am not ready to buy another United ticket using my canceled ticket's funds? Buy a throwaway ticket on the cheapest fare you can find. United will issue an Electronic Travel Certificate for any unused funds. That ETC is valid for one year from issuance (see https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/united-airlines-mileageplus/1369495-ua-electronic-travel-certificates-etc-general-q-new-combinability-policy-34.html). If you do this on the expiry date of your original ticket, you effectively extend the availability of the funds for an additional year at the cost of a throwaway ticket.
What if I purchase a refundable ticket with the credit from the non-refundable ticket, can I then cancel and get a refund? No, the funds from a non-refundable purchase remain non-refundable even if used to purchase a refundable fare.
Cannot find the canceled reservation online?
Go to Manage Reservations and look in both "Current" and "Cancelled" tabs
Find the appropriate reservation and look for "Use Future Flight Credit"
After rebooking a canceled ticket, is there a new 24-hour window for fee changes?
No, the 24-hour flexible change only applies to the original /new booking and does not extend to rebooking of canceled / changed tickets.
United’s 24-hour cancellation / flexible booking policy
What if one leg is a refundable fare and another leg is non-refundable?
For a single ticket, the most restrictive fare rule applies to the entire ticket. So a refundable segment paired with a non-refundable segment makes the entire ticket non-refundable. Same with the change fee, the segment with the highest change fee applies to the entire ticket.
Archive thread: How to get residual/"future flight credit" from non-refundable flight {Archive}
Other related threads
Changing/Canceling/Replacing a ticket costing less than the change fee?
How to get residual/"future flight credit" from non-refundable flight
#121
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: 66,846
#122
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 10
Outcomes from canceling one of two tickets for Premium Plus on United
I found a pretty good price on EWR-HKG-NRT-EWR in Premium Plus (I think it was A class on 777-300ER), but there is some risk my wife won't be able to travel. If I cancel her ticket beyond the 24 hour purchase period, but not last minute, what is the realistic outcome? My experience with United cancellation has always been inside the 24 hour window and booking with a United credit card.
Thanks!
- Will I get an actual refund, or will it be a credit usable towards another flight with a change fee?
- Will any credit be usable across multiple tickets? (i.e. could I buy multiple domestic tickets perhaps with some surcharge.)
Thanks!
#123
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: 66,846
The only way to avoid the change fee is if UA issues a travel waiver.
There is a more detailed explanation in this thread's wiki.
#124
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,396
Regardless of the cabin, for a canceled non-refundable ticket, you will have a future flight credit. To access that flight credit, within 1 year of the original purchase date, there will be a "change / cancel credit" fee -- this varies and is available in the fare rules, by calling & asking, by attempting to make a change online, .... That credit is only useable by the original passenger but any reminder after the change will come as an ETC useable by anyone.
The only way to be sure what will happen is to read the fare rules prior to purchase. They'll be extremely complicated -- they're intended to be read by computers, not people -- but the most important rules are generally in the PENALTIES and VOLUNTARY CHANGES sections.
#125
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: USA
Posts: 1,153
Regardless of the cabin, for a canceled non-refundable ticket, you will have a future flight credit. To access that flight credit, within 1 year of the original purchase date, there will be a "change / cancel credit" fee -- this varies and is available in the fare rules, by calling & asking, by attempting to make a change online, .... That credit is only useable by the original passenger but any reminder after the change will come as an ETC useable by anyone.
#126
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: SFO
Programs: COdbaUA Platinum 2MM
Posts: 5,532
New itinerary is good for 365 days from new itinerary's ticket issuance date. In reality, it is more like 330 days from new ticket issuance date.
#127
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: 66,846
Be sure to state you are canceling the prior ticket and using it as credit toward a new itin.
#128
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: USA
Posts: 1,153
Understood. My corporate TA must have been giving me bad advice. I definitely cancelled several UA tickets, then when I used them (after paying $200 change fees) toward a new itinerary, they advised me of the requirement to not only buy a new ticket within one year but (and this is the wrong part) I'd have to compete the itinerary within that same year long window.
#129
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1P, Marriott Silver Elite
Posts: 170
Ticketing Question
I have a ticketing question and not sure which forum it should go:
Last year my family bought 4 tix to Hawaii (ORD-HNL) on a single record for a trip in July. My daughter and wife ended up not going so I cancelled their flights. This December we are looking to go back. When I buy our next set of tickets, I'll be "rebooking" their flights and purchasing 2 tickets for my son and I. Is there a way that they can all be on the same record locator? Does that matter? I'm the only one of us that is Silver status and not sure if that will make any difference. We plan on buying the E+ seats.
Last year my family bought 4 tix to Hawaii (ORD-HNL) on a single record for a trip in July. My daughter and wife ended up not going so I cancelled their flights. This December we are looking to go back. When I buy our next set of tickets, I'll be "rebooking" their flights and purchasing 2 tickets for my son and I. Is there a way that they can all be on the same record locator? Does that matter? I'm the only one of us that is Silver status and not sure if that will make any difference. We plan on buying the E+ seats.
#130
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,460
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unit...le-flight.html
If you are willing to take the chance of 2/2 separated seating, I think you can pay for E+ for two people (wife + daughter/son) and then at check in get E+ without fee for the other two (you + son/daughter).
Last edited by fumje; Aug 13, 2019 at 6:41 am Reason: incorrect
#131
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,410
I have a ticketing question and not sure which forum it should go:
Last year my family bought 4 tix to Hawaii (ORD-HNL) on a single record for a trip in July. My daughter and wife ended up not going so I cancelled their flights. This December we are looking to go back. When I buy our next set of tickets, I'll be "rebooking" their flights and purchasing 2 tickets for my son and I. Is there a way that they can all be on the same record locator? Does that matter? I'm the only one of us that is Silver status and not sure if that will make any difference. We plan on buying the E+ seats.
Last year my family bought 4 tix to Hawaii (ORD-HNL) on a single record for a trip in July. My daughter and wife ended up not going so I cancelled their flights. This December we are looking to go back. When I buy our next set of tickets, I'll be "rebooking" their flights and purchasing 2 tickets for my son and I. Is there a way that they can all be on the same record locator? Does that matter? I'm the only one of us that is Silver status and not sure if that will make any difference. We plan on buying the E+ seats.
#132
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: 66,846
The two that were canceled have a unique PNR and they will be re-scheduled / re-booked on that post-split / cancel PNR (and there will be a change fee to use the past credit). The two additional new tickets will be on a separate PNR.
{On a canceled ticket, you don't get a credit, but rather you get to reuse the previous PNR which has a credit attached}
So no way to be on a single new PNR.
If purchasing E+, you will still be able to use Premier Access for the whole family. However, you 1 bag waiver as Silver will only be available to those on your PNR. You might be able to argue that other 2 on the previously cancel PNR, had been on your PNR for the previous trip but not sure that will be successful.
#133
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,460
I'm thinking it will not be possible to get on a single PNR.
The two that were canceled have a unique PNR and they will be re-scheduled / re-booked on that post-split / cancel PNR (and there will be a change fee to use the past credit). The two additional new tickets will be on a separate PNR.
{On a canceled ticket, you don't get a credit, but rather you get to reuse the previous PNR which has a credit attached}
So no way to be on a single new PNR.
If purchasing E+, you will still be able to use Premier Access for the whole family. However, you 1 bag waiver as Silver will only be available to those on your PNR. You might be able to argue that other 2 on the previously cancel PNR, had been on your PNR for the previous trip but not sure that will be successful.
The two that were canceled have a unique PNR and they will be re-scheduled / re-booked on that post-split / cancel PNR (and there will be a change fee to use the past credit). The two additional new tickets will be on a separate PNR.
{On a canceled ticket, you don't get a credit, but rather you get to reuse the previous PNR which has a credit attached}
So no way to be on a single new PNR.
If purchasing E+, you will still be able to use Premier Access for the whole family. However, you 1 bag waiver as Silver will only be available to those on your PNR. You might be able to argue that other 2 on the previously cancel PNR, had been on your PNR for the previous trip but not sure that will be successful.
Last edited by fumje; Aug 13, 2019 at 8:16 am Reason: typo
#134
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: SF
Posts: 48
When does new trip have to start?
Posted in Consolidated "Refunds/Cancellations Due to Illness/Death" Thread [Merged] but didn't receive a reply, here is more appropriate: On the wiki,
You have 1 year from the original purchase date to reschedule travel (the new trip has to start within that one year period).
Do I have one year from the reschedule date to travel? Or travel must start within a year of the original purchase date?
- The new ticket must be purchased within 1 year of the original ticket's purchase date
- The new ticket will be good for one year from the exchange/re-scheduled date
You have 1 year from the original purchase date to reschedule travel (the new trip has to start within that one year period).
Do I have one year from the reschedule date to travel? Or travel must start within a year of the original purchase date?
#135
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: DCA/IAD & BUF
Posts: 1,400
Revenue Ticket Credit question
I have three questions, please, about a unused United ticket credit. The ticket is one-way, DCA to PLS (Providenciales/Turks & Caicos), purchased in early January 2019.
1) Do I have to complete travel on the ticket credit by the original purchase date, or is it sufficient to retain the ticket value (minus the change fee) by having it applied to a new reservation by the original purchase date? It's not a large amount, but I don't want to loose it completely, especially with miles no longer expiring on United.
2) Can the residual ticket value be used to depart from IAD vice DCA? or depart from any domestic airport? Or does travel have to originate from DCA?
3) Can the ticket be applied to a domestic destination, (for example DCA - KOA), vice PLS or another international destination?
Thanks much -- not certain of the nuances with applying remaining United ticket value, with the international component of the original ticket.
1) Do I have to complete travel on the ticket credit by the original purchase date, or is it sufficient to retain the ticket value (minus the change fee) by having it applied to a new reservation by the original purchase date? It's not a large amount, but I don't want to loose it completely, especially with miles no longer expiring on United.
2) Can the residual ticket value be used to depart from IAD vice DCA? or depart from any domestic airport? Or does travel have to originate from DCA?
3) Can the ticket be applied to a domestic destination, (for example DCA - KOA), vice PLS or another international destination?
Thanks much -- not certain of the nuances with applying remaining United ticket value, with the international component of the original ticket.