Feb 24, 2019, 12:37 pm
Last edit by: onthesam
Not publicly published but a long existing practice
Multiple reports of success in 2019 including one in June and one in July, 2019 in which the $50 processing fee was charged separately and then an ETC issued for the gross fare difference.
Another recent case in this thread is late 2018.
A successful case of repricing and keeping a confirmed upgrade.
Another recent case in this thread is late 2018.
A successful case of repricing and keeping a confirmed upgrade.
Only $50 change fee if fare goes down within 30 days... Did I miss the memo?
Jul 11, 2018, 10:48 pm
#61
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I've seen references to this policy before on this forum. For a while, they were requiring a $50 administrative fee. I'm not sure I've seen it documented, though.
After the expiration of the 30 days, your original plan would have worked (although, note that you would have been required to pay the change fee in "new money" rather than subtracting it from the voucher amount).
After the expiration of the 30 days, your original plan would have worked (although, note that you would have been required to pay the change fee in "new money" rather than subtracting it from the voucher amount).
maybe a year or so ago. A PITA to get the agent to do it, but I think it eventually worked.
Jul 11, 2018, 11:07 pm
#62
Join Date: Jul 2007
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The ability to do this is coded into the fare rules - however you should be charged the change fee (normally $300)
If the original ticket was refundable, the text is slightly different :
The 30 day thing has certainly been discussed here before, and whilst it may be a policy, it's not one written into either the fare rules or the CoC.
--
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 NEW AIR 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 / WILL BE RETURNED IN
THE FORM OF A NON-REFUNDABLE VOUCHER VALID FOR
TRAVEL ON UNITED AIRLINE
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 NEW AIR 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 / WILL BE RETURNED IN
THE FORM OF A NON-REFUNDABLE VOUCHER VALID FOR
TRAVEL ON UNITED AIRLINE
AN ADMINISTRATIVE FEE EQUAL TO CHANGE FEE
WILL BE ASSESSED.
RESIDUAL VALUE / IF ANY / WILL BE
RETURNED TO THE ORIGINAL FORM OF PAYMENT.
WILL BE ASSESSED.
RESIDUAL VALUE / IF ANY / WILL BE
RETURNED TO THE ORIGINAL FORM OF PAYMENT.
Jul 11, 2018, 11:07 pm
#63
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: PWM
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Posts: 1,335
I've used that policy many times. Yes there is a fee but they can (or at least used to) waive it if you ask nicely.
This was the link to that thread (which seems to be deleted/consolidated). There seem to be a lot of broken links these days...
Found new link.
This was the link to that thread (which seems to be deleted/consolidated). There seem to be a lot of broken links these days...
Found new link.
Last edited by sexykitten7; Jul 11, 2018 at 11:09 pm Reason: Added new link
Jul 12, 2018, 8:57 am
#64
Join Date: Oct 2009
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If one considers airline tickets to be the same as physical commodities such as a refrigerator or microwave. But it's clear they're not - the "product" one is buying is different at different times because time, supply, demand, etc. all changes. The purchase of an airline ticket is more like purchasing insurance or a stock option - the cost/value may vary over time and you can't get the old or new price because you're not buying the same product (compare - you typically can't get the same price on life insurance after a heart attack as you could before).
Supply and demand determines the price. Only a few days ago, I was booking a last-minute flight (within 3 days of travel) and decided to fare-lock it because I still didn't have confirmation of the business meeting. When I went back to book it only 8 hours later, I was amazed to see the fare had gone from around $800- to around 2K! I was really glad that I had bought the fare-lock at that point.
Jul 12, 2018, 1:44 pm
#65
Join Date: Jun 2008
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Exactly correct!
Supply and demand determines the price. Only a few days ago, I was booking a last-minute flight (within 3 days of travel) and decided to fare-lock it because I still didn't have confirmation of the business meeting. When I went back to book it only 8 hours later, I was amazed to see the fare had gone from around $800- to around 2K! I was really glad that I had bought the fare-lock at that point.
Supply and demand determines the price. Only a few days ago, I was booking a last-minute flight (within 3 days of travel) and decided to fare-lock it because I still didn't have confirmation of the business meeting. When I went back to book it only 8 hours later, I was amazed to see the fare had gone from around $800- to around 2K! I was really glad that I had bought the fare-lock at that point.
Jul 12, 2018, 3:22 pm
#66
Join Date: Oct 2009
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Last edited by zombietooth; Jul 12, 2018 at 5:18 pm
Jul 12, 2018, 3:46 pm
#67
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I'd never seen one that close-in before either. I would've normally just booked it and used the 24 hour cancel feature. I don't know if it makes any difference, but it was a E-fare, and it was booked slightly outside the 36 hour window.
Nov 8, 2018, 7:02 am
#69
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: CLE
Programs: UA MileagePlus Premier Platinum
Posts: 1,352
So I have an itinerary to SIN booked in V at ~$1,500 booked back in July, but now K became available at ~$800. Change fee is $120. The thing is that I have already upgraded SFO-SIN portion with miles+copay. Is there any way I can reprice this while keeping the upgrade? Or I will lose my upgrade if I reprice it? PZ=0 right now on that flight.
Nov 8, 2018, 7:23 am
#70
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So I have an itinerary to SIN booked in V at ~$1,500 booked back in July, but now K became available at ~$800. Change fee is $120. The thing is that I have already upgraded SFO-SIN portion with miles+copay. Is there any way I can reprice this while keeping the upgrade? Or I will lose my upgrade if I reprice it? PZ=0 right now on that flight.
-RM
Nov 8, 2018, 7:55 am
#71
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: CLE
Programs: UA MileagePlus Premier Platinum
Posts: 1,352
You will lose the upgrade as the ticket has to be re-issued. You then have to hope the upgrade inventory you just gave up goes back into the upgrade bucket. Chances of that are slim. Also, it's not clear how you upgraded. "K" fares are not eligible for GPUs but your "V" fare is.
-RM
-RM
Nov 8, 2018, 8:30 am
#72
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You will lose the upgrade as the ticket has to be re-issued. You then have to hope the upgrade inventory you just gave up goes back into the upgrade bucket. Chances of that are slim. Also, it's not clear how you upgraded. "K" fares are not eligible for GPUs but your "V" fare is.
-RM
-RM
here on FT, we would report about calling and hoping for an experienced agent who would essentially double book us while refaring the ticket. It would take a while, but it would always work.
I had had so many, SO many printed vouchers for $138, $61, $2.50! We would walk them to the city ticket office where they would be combined. The agent would write each amount down and add them up.
These were also the days when international changes were free, so long as the new ticket were $1 more.
Nov 8, 2018, 8:45 am
#73
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do you all remember the days when fare drops could always result in a full voucher for the difference?
here on FT, we would report about calling and hoping for an experienced agent who would essentially double book us while refaring the ticket. It would take a while, but it would always work.
I had had so many, SO many printed vouchers for $138, $61, $2.50! We would walk them to the city ticket office where they would be combined. The agent would write each amount down and add them up.
These were also the days when international changes were free, so long as the new ticket were $1 more.
STOP! You're making me sad over here.
...But could you book the tix on United Connection?!?!?!?
All this, plus I remember booking cheaper tickets on Northwest or CO, taking them to the 'real' UA (not UA Express, as it is now) counter at my small airport, and having them reissue them as UA tickets.
I remember lots of other things that were indeed 'flyer friendly' that have gone by the wayside.
Nov 8, 2018, 9:02 am
#74
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So I have an itinerary to SIN booked in V at ~$1,500 booked back in July, but now K became available at ~$800. Change fee is $120. The thing is that I have already upgraded SFO-SIN portion with miles+copay. Is there any way I can reprice this while keeping the upgrade? Or I will lose my upgrade if I reprice it? PZ=0 right now on that flight.
Nov 8, 2018, 11:00 am
#75
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: CLE
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If on UA metal they can keep the UG intact. Takes a bit of finagling, but I have gotten it done before. Make sure the agent understands that before making any changes. The problems arise when you have upgraded segments on airline partners ... those don't survive ticket re-issues.