Minimum latest time to cancel (cash) UA ticket for credit / refund?
 

I may need to cancel a flight tomorrow morning at the last minute and I may need to cancel it after I check in. Is there any difference that matters if I cancel before versus after check in? I realize that UA will need to un-check me if I cancel after check in.

None whatsoever. I do it frequently. Just be ceratain to do it before the flight is scheduled to depart.

My own experience
 

In my experience, if I cancel a ticket prior to checking in, I'm able to do so online (website). However, if I've already checked in and have a BP, then I've never been able to cancel it online, and have always (N=6-8) needed to call it in. It's not a big deal, but I wanted to alert you to the subtlety that I've personally experienced. I have no doubt that others' experiences with UA.com in this scenario, may not be the same as mine.

The only difference is if you checked a bag. Getting it back will be a hassle.

There's a un-check-in feature now:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...available.html

The only thing that matters are the fare rules. For restricted tickets, those generally require cancellation prior to scheduled departure in order to generate a credit of any kind. Otherwise, no difference.

Able to cancel a flight online after check-in. I was standby on one flight (direct) leaving 30 minutes before another flight (checked-in) leaving 30 minutes later, but would get me in 6 hrs later because it had a layover. Last person to board on the standby flight, and cancel the later flight via online, just as the door was closing.

Thanks all for the tips.

One more question.

The ticket was purchased for my by a relative who is not a MP member. If I cancel how do they get to use the credit in the future? I'm familiar with the need to bring "new money" for the change fees.

Can they use the credit for flights for someone else (not me)?

The money is tied to the named passenger. If you need to reuse it for someone else then they'll need to buy a new ticket in your name first (paying the change fee in new money as you noted) and then the residual value will be a travel voucher (TCV) which can be used by anyone.

Minimum latest time to cancel (cash) UA ticket for credit?
 

Oddly I cannot find the answer to this: I have a UA ticket tomorrow evening (economy K) I most likely need to cancel and I'd like to get the amount as a credit (minus the 200$) the agent said "a few hours" before departure when I called to ask. Anyone know a specific number of hours before?
thank you!

Any time prior to the coupon being voided when you are offloaded from the flight. I don't have a great opinion on how long you want as a safety margin to make sure the cancellation processes before departure, but it's a minimum of 15 minutes (domestic) or 30 minutes (international) if you have checked in.

Strictly speaking, you are OK if you cancel prior to the GA closing the flight, which is 10-15 minutes prior to departure. But I wouldn't push that close -- not under 30 minutes, at least 60 minutes would be better.

Allow some time for a "problem" -- you have an issue log on to united.com or a delay getting a phone agent or ....

i don’t think many flights actually close 15 minutes prior to departure unless boarding is done really early. T-15 (30 for international) is when they can offload you from the flight. My understanding is the ticket gets canceled not simply when you are offloaded, but when the flight closes with you offloaded. The GA still has work to do to close the flight, so that would likely take a few minutes.

That said, I agree not to cut it until the last minute..things (like life) happens and can interrupt a perfectally good intention to cancel right before the bell (so to speak)

i actually did this once pretty late, a few years ago. Was supposed to go to YYZ, but found out a day or two before I wasn’t going to go anymore. I was flying a connection to ORD, wife was on that same connection to ORD but was going out to California. Also noticed the ORD flight was booked ‘full’. So I ended up using the BP to go to the gate so i could see the wife off, but was also hoping I could VDB. They never ended up needing a volunteer, and so while the flight was still boarding, I called res and canceled. As an aside and the irony of travel sometime, shortly after I canceled, my YYZ flight started significantly delaying, and in another hour or so, was outright canceled. So had I actually boarded the flight and gone out to ORD, I could have just claimed trip in vein. But such is life.

Latest cancellation time
 

Before the flight is closed -- 10 to 15 minutes prior to scheduled departure (domestic).

You can be marked as a no-show if not available to board at T-15 minutes (domestic)

However, I would not let it go that late, a hour or two is probably safe.