Fare Drop 30-day grace period?
 

I booked EWR-HNL-ogg and back last week for $1048. W-fare used RPUs. Outbound cleared at booking, Return cleared today. I noticed that the fare has dropped to $768. I saw R was available and figured its >$200 difference so I should do the change.

(skip to bottom if you don't care about the details) I tried the change button and got an error, likely due to my RPU clearing requiring a "resync". Called the 1k-line, (thinking they can make sure my upgrade stays in place) but the operator said she could no reprice and sent me to web support. Got disconnected. Noticed the "issue with reservation" message disappeared but change still didnt work. Called the 1k line again. This time she could reprice but was getting 980 something before the change fee. I said thats not what i'm seeing so she called the rate desk. Came back and said she got the fare but since it is a T fare I cant use my upgrade because I need W+. I was getting frustrated after waiting 45min and interrupted her mid-sentance and said "No!, that's only for GPUs". To which she said, "but it's international", where I said "Hawaii is not international!!". I got about 10min of silence, then she came back and apologized for the confusion after looking up the rules.

Then, I was told, that I would need to pay a $50 fee (in lieu of the $200 change fee) because I am with-in the "30-day grace period". Then I would get an E-cert for the difference $280. This surprised me as I never heard of it but I wasn't about to complain. I got an TCVA pin over the phone but was told they have to snail-mail it to me for some reason. Has anyone heard of this "30-day grace period"? I skimmed through the fare rules and didn't see anything. It would be good to know the details for future flights. I always thought I'd have to pay the full $200.

Never heard of it, but would love to know of other similar reports!

I heard about it only once. It was from a non-FTer a few years ago (pre-merger) that he was able to do the same. It was on 3 tickets SFO-HNL. At the time I told him I had never heard about it.

This was after UA stopped issuing vouchers for the difference in fares. There was a $50 per ticket fee too.

If your route is staying exactly the same, and the fare drops, you can reticket at the new price, minus the change fees applicable to your fare class.

In one case, it came down so much that despite the change fee, we still saved over $225 per ticket.

Difference is issued as an e-Cert

Whether you stay the same route or not - it really doesn't matter. You can always take a ticket use it toward another - with the change fee.

The OP is bringing up a different issue: whether there is a grace period or not.

Hmm, maybe it has something to do with HNL?

Yes, I can always change a ticket (same route or not) but typically would need to pay the full change fee.

This case seems to be different where eventhough I am over a week after booking, I did not have to pay the change fee, but had to pay a $50 processing fee.

The only exception I can think of to the change fee rule is when you are close to departure and they have a travel waiver. Otherwise, even with the 24-hr rule, you still have to cancel your ticket first, I don't think you can change.

I obviously would like to know the details of the 30-day grace period. Does it apply to all tickets or just a certain fare class? Does it have something to do with me being 1K? Can I use it to up an intl fare to W?

I'm just saying, isnt there something fundamentally wrong with buying a ticket, the airline drops the price, and they charge you to get the new price? WOW!

Thanks for sharing the info about the 30 day period :)

No that's how's it works with most airlines these days.

i got the same $50 "grace period" offer

i was kinda pissed when the price dropped from $310 down to $220 *right* after the 24-hr window since ticketing has passed ... SHARES is just too smart in that regard

Until about a year before the merger (ended in maybe 2008 or so), United would issue a travel credit for ANY itinerary where the price fell for ANY amount, with NO fee.

If you had a ORD-LAX ticket for $400, and at ANY point before departure, it dropped to, let's say $379, all you had to do was call UA, tell them "Can you re-fare this itinerary?" and with no 'service fee', they'd mail you a voucher for $21. This was a minimal example...I'd have HUNDREDS of dollars in these vouchers.

The thought behind it was that you could buy anytime, 'risk free'--in terms of price drops. You didn't have to sit around and wait for a fare sale, or have to get up at 6AM on a Tuesday and hit the computer when the alleged lowest fares were loaded. I thought it was a win-win. United locked you in to buying from them, and they weren't giving cash back, they were issuing vouchers that were breakable, and obligated you to spend more money with them down the road.

Saved big one year on a family trip to Hawaii. I actually paid for 8 ORD-HNL flights at about $750 each, then saw the fare had dropped to $620 or so. Called and reticketed at the new fare and received 8 travel vouches for about $130 each. I felt pretty proud of myself, although some of them went unused.

This 30 day grace period thing is pretty interesting. Looking forward to learning more from the folks here.

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).

This would be nice if it is a real policy.

That's the real question. if it is a "real" policy, where is it in writing? That we we know when it applies, what the restrictions are. I so few of us FTers are aware of this policy, there is a high chance of encountering a mis-informed agent when trying to use this 30-day grace period option. In that case, it is even harder to argue it.

Thanks for sharing....I didnt know this. I wonder what caused the change. I guess its just cause they can. Folks will pay as they will get a travel voucher which assures UA that they will either fly later on and pay the difference between ticket and vocher or not travel at all and UA still keeps al the money. Since consumer cannot do anything about it why not charge as it is win win for UA.