Sep 14, 2016, 10:42 am
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
During the COVID period, change fees are waived for many tickets
Sept 2020 - Change Fees Are Gone For Good
UA's definitions -- in red added editorial comments
*Most change fees have been eliminated
Refundability
o Some tickets are refundable but with a change / cancellation fee
o In the fare rules, words like "CHANGES PERMITTED" or "CANCELLATIONS PERMITTED" indicate refundability
Note: For a ticket with multiple segments and different fares classes / fare rules, the most restrictive applies to the entire ticket. So a single non-refundable segment makes the entire ticket non-refundable.
related thread -- How to book a refundable ticket on UA
Sept 2020 - Change Fees Are Gone For Good
There won’t be any change fees if:
You’re traveling:
You’re traveling:
- Within the U.S., including Alaska, Hawaii, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
- Between the U.S. and Mexico or the Caribbean
- To other international destinations from the U.S.
- Economy
- Economy Plus®
- United First®
- United Business®*
- United Premium PlusSM*
Basic Economy (most restricted) ---- Our most restricted fare:Seat assigned prior to boarding
No group or family seating
No carry-on bag, just a personal item
Earn award miles only, no Premier® qualifying credit
Upgrades and Economy Plus® are not available
No refunds or changes
Economy ---- Our standard Economy fare:Seat selection at booking, if seats are available
Enjoy other options for customizing your travel
Non-refundable -- fee to change*, credit toward future flight
Economy (flexible) ---- Our flexible Economy fare:Refundable fare; cancellation and change* fees may apply
Seat selection at booking, if seats are available
Enjoy other options for customizing your travel
Economy (unrestricted) ---- Our unrestricted Economy fare:Fully refundable fare; no cancellation or change fees
Seat selection at booking, if seats are available
Enjoy other options for customizing your travel
First (lowest) ---- Our lowest fare in First:Personalized inflight service
More spacious seating and extra legroom
Expanded dining experience
Non-refundable -- a fee to change*, credit toward a future flight
First (unrestricted) ---- Our unrestricted First fare:Fully refundable fare; no cancellation or change fees.
Personalized inflight service
More spacious seating and extra legroom
Expanded dining experience
No group or family seating
No carry-on bag, just a personal item
Earn award miles only, no Premier® qualifying credit
Upgrades and Economy Plus® are not available
No refunds or changes
Economy ---- Our standard Economy fare:Seat selection at booking, if seats are available
Enjoy other options for customizing your travel
Non-refundable -- fee to change*, credit toward future flight
Economy (flexible) ---- Our flexible Economy fare:Refundable fare; cancellation and change* fees may apply
Seat selection at booking, if seats are available
Enjoy other options for customizing your travel
Economy (unrestricted) ---- Our unrestricted Economy fare:Fully refundable fare; no cancellation or change fees
Seat selection at booking, if seats are available
Enjoy other options for customizing your travel
First (lowest) ---- Our lowest fare in First:Personalized inflight service
More spacious seating and extra legroom
Expanded dining experience
Non-refundable -- a fee to change*, credit toward a future flight
First (unrestricted) ---- Our unrestricted First fare:Fully refundable fare; no cancellation or change fees.
Personalized inflight service
More spacious seating and extra legroom
Expanded dining experience
Refundability
o Some tickets are refundable but with a change / cancellation fee
o In the fare rules, words like "CHANGES PERMITTED" or "CANCELLATIONS PERMITTED" indicate refundability
Note: For a ticket with multiple segments and different fares classes / fare rules, the most restrictive applies to the entire ticket. So a single non-refundable segment makes the entire ticket non-refundable.
related thread -- How to book a refundable ticket on UA
Flex vs Unrestricted / Fully Refundable fare. What is/is not refundable, translation?
Nov 30, 2016, 1:37 am
#92
Moderator: Luxury Hotels and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Palo Alto, California,USA
Posts: 17,856
If it's refundable, can't you just refund it and buy a new ticket to get around change fees? You'll be hit with any difference in fares regardless.
And I always book a ticket expecting to use it, but stuff happens so it is nice to be able to cancel the ticket without penalty.
And I always book a ticket expecting to use it, but stuff happens so it is nice to be able to cancel the ticket without penalty.
Nov 30, 2016, 1:42 am
#93
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,413
Also, for fares priced on a round-trip basis, there would be a significant difference between a refund and a change if initiated after travel has begun -- refunding the return would result in the outbound being re-priced as a one-way; making a change would not. Even if a fee applied for changes, but not for refunds, in many cases it would be cheaper to pay the change fee than to do the partial refund.
Nov 30, 2016, 1:47 am
#94
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: 66,857
Nov 30, 2016, 2:06 am
#95
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: LHR (sometimes CLE, SFO, BOS, LAX, SEA)
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 5,894
Hmm.
Looks to me like AA fare basis I1E0N4D1 is $3310 r/t base fare LAX-TYO, versus UA fare basis PFE0ZUJC $3310 base fare LAX-TYO, looking at sample dates 5 May--25 May.
Of those two fares:
* AA fare I1E0N4D1 appears to be refundable (can get your cash back) but comes with a $500 refund fee. There's an additional $400 fee if you no-show without cancelling in advance. The fare also appears to be changeable — with a $400 change fee.
* UA fare PFE0ZUJC appears to be refundable (can get your cash back) but comes with a $500 refund fee. No no-show penalty; same $500 fee for cancel/refund after departure. The fare also appears to be changeable — with a $450 change fee.
That's how I read it, anyway. They're definitely somewhat different products, so you should be sure to read the rules carefully if you're buying one of these!
Which specific fares were you looking at?
Looks to me like AA fare basis I1E0N4D1 is $3310 r/t base fare LAX-TYO, versus UA fare basis PFE0ZUJC $3310 base fare LAX-TYO, looking at sample dates 5 May--25 May.
Of those two fares:
* AA fare I1E0N4D1 appears to be refundable (can get your cash back) but comes with a $500 refund fee. There's an additional $400 fee if you no-show without cancelling in advance. The fare also appears to be changeable — with a $400 change fee.
* UA fare PFE0ZUJC appears to be refundable (can get your cash back) but comes with a $500 refund fee. No no-show penalty; same $500 fee for cancel/refund after departure. The fare also appears to be changeable — with a $450 change fee.
That's how I read it, anyway. They're definitely somewhat different products, so you should be sure to read the rules carefully if you're buying one of these!
Which specific fares were you looking at?
Nov 30, 2016, 9:10 am
#96
Moderator: Luxury Hotels and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Palo Alto, California,USA
Posts: 17,856
Thanks, mherdeg. I wasn't looking at a specific fare, just what came up on the search screen for each airline, so it was probably the fares you found.
To me, a refund means "You can return it and get your money back." All of it. If AA claims a fare is refundable but has a so-called refund fee, that is NOT a refundable fare. In other words, it's fraud. Claiming that if I had just read the fare rules where it is buried deeply (something I do all the time but most purchasers don't) does not strike me as a defense.
To me, a refund means "You can return it and get your money back." All of it. If AA claims a fare is refundable but has a so-called refund fee, that is NOT a refundable fare. In other words, it's fraud. Claiming that if I had just read the fare rules where it is buried deeply (something I do all the time but most purchasers don't) does not strike me as a defense.
Nov 30, 2016, 9:17 am
#97
Join Date: Mar 2012
Programs: Mileage Plus 1K; Marriott Platinum; Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,355
Thanks, mherdeg. I wasn't looking at a specific fare, just what came up on the search screen for each airline, so it was probably the fares you found.
To me, a refund means "You can return it and get your money back." All of it. If AA claims a fare is refundable but has a so-called refund fee, that is NOT a refundable fare. In other words, it's fraud. Claiming that if I had just read the fare rules where it is buried deeply (something I do all the time but most purchasers don't) does not strike me as a defense.
To me, a refund means "You can return it and get your money back." All of it. If AA claims a fare is refundable but has a so-called refund fee, that is NOT a refundable fare. In other words, it's fraud. Claiming that if I had just read the fare rules where it is buried deeply (something I do all the time but most purchasers don't) does not strike me as a defense.
An administrative fee on a refund seems par for the course these days. Perhaps airlines should be clearer when a fare is "refundable" versus "fully refundable"?
Nov 30, 2016, 9:23 am
#98
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,467
I'm actually surprised that the UA P is refundable at all. They must be matching someone else's fare rules (maybe AA, maybe someone else), because that is definitely not the UA norm.
Nov 30, 2016, 10:07 am
#100
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: LHR (sometimes CLE, SFO, BOS, LAX, SEA)
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 5,894
I am pretty sure that this started happening only in the past 5-10 years as airlines got more aggressive about assessing fees on ticket changes. I don't have a good source. It has certainly confused others (see e.g. US Airways discussion at http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/us-ai...ancel-fee.html ).
Nov 30, 2016, 12:30 pm
#101
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: LAX
Programs: UA:1k; MR: PLT; Hilton: Gold
Posts: 1,324
Yes. I agree with you that it's crazy that the word "refundable" has a special meaning in airline land of "if you cancel, you can get (some) cash instead of just (some) airline credit".
I am pretty sure that this started happening only in the past 5-10 years as airlines got more aggressive about assessing fees on ticket changes. I don't have a good source. It has certainly confused others (see e.g. US Airways discussion at http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/us-ai...ancel-fee.html ).
I am pretty sure that this started happening only in the past 5-10 years as airlines got more aggressive about assessing fees on ticket changes. I don't have a good source. It has certainly confused others (see e.g. US Airways discussion at http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/us-ai...ancel-fee.html ).
This is why if you're every booking over the phone with UA or a TA, it's best to confirm "is this fare refundable without penalty," when seeking a "refundable" ticket.
Nov 30, 2016, 12:39 pm
#102
Moderator: Luxury Hotels and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Palo Alto, California,USA
Posts: 17,856
Not saying I agree with the practice, but Airlines aren't the only ones who impose caveats with "refundable." Many retailers impose restocking fees. Many online retailers charge a shipping/handling fee to return/refund an item. They all work the same way as an airline fare that is refundable, but carries a charge to do so.
This is why if you're every booking over the phone with UA or a TA, it's best to confirm "is this fare refundable without penalty," when seeking a "refundable" ticket.
This is why if you're every booking over the phone with UA or a TA, it's best to confirm "is this fare refundable without penalty," when seeking a "refundable" ticket.
Incidentally, in my experience, anyone who says "refundable" in any other industry and also charges a restocking fee, prominently includes that info. Airlines don't, I still think it verges on fraud.
Nov 30, 2016, 12:47 pm
#103
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 14,891
Yes. I agree with you that it's crazy that the word "refundable" has a special meaning in airline land of "if you cancel, you can get (some) cash instead of just (some) airline credit".
I am pretty sure that this started happening only in the past 5-10 years as airlines got more aggressive about assessing fees on ticket changes. I don't have a good source. It has certainly confused others (see e.g. US Airways discussion at http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/us-ai...ancel-fee.html ).
I am pretty sure that this started happening only in the past 5-10 years as airlines got more aggressive about assessing fees on ticket changes. I don't have a good source. It has certainly confused others (see e.g. US Airways discussion at http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/us-ai...ancel-fee.html ).
Refundable means you can get cash back. That's all. Your perception of it always means you get all cash back, or there can't be a fee, is just your perception - maybe from past normal practices, but that's not literally what it always means. In that case, if you convert that school of thought to a non-refundable fare, id take that to mean you could never get anything back, even though usually, you can get the value of the ticket back to use towards another itinerary.
Nov 30, 2016, 1:56 pm
#104
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: 66,857
For those looking for further discussion on the Alice-in-Wonderland world of "refundable" fares there are
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...on-please.html
and
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...solidated.html
and
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...ticket-ua.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...on-please.html
and
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...solidated.html
and
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...ticket-ua.html
Mar 29, 2017, 11:54 am
#105
Join Date: Nov 2008
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Gold
Posts: 282
What is the latest you can cancel an unrestricted / full fare ticket?
How close to departure can you cancel an unrestricted / full fare ticket? If I'm in the terminal and it's less than T-30 and I realize I won't make it through security, can I still cancel? I know that at 30 minutes you can no longer check-in and the gate agent "gets control" of the flight. I don't know if that prevents you from using the app or other tools to cancel your trip, though, so you can retain value on the ticket?