Schedule Change(Back to 2hrs)/Cancelation Refund,New DOT ruling,UA processing refunds
Aug 28, 20, 8:14 am - Wikipost
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6 June 2020
Now posted on Jetstream -- UA's Travel Agency Rebooking Parameters   UA has stated
On June 5, 2020, United updated its guidance to its contact agents to provide refunds for all flights that had a carrier-initiated schedule change of more than two (2) hours. This change in guidance applies to all passengers, both moving forward and retrospectively, including for carrier-initiated schedule changes throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
12 May 2020 *New* (2nd) Guidance on DOT Refunds
4. May airlines and ticket agents retroactively apply new refund policies?
The Department interprets the statutory prohibition against unfair or deceptive practices to cover actions by airlines and ticket agents applying changes retroactively to their refund policies that affect consumers negatively. The refund policy in place at the time the passenger purchased the ticket is the policy that is applicable to that ticket. The Aviation Enforcement Office would consider the denial of refunds in contravention of the policies that were in effect at the time of the ticket purchase to be an unfair and deceptive practice.The Department interprets the statutory prohibition against unfair or deceptive practices to cover actions by airlines and ticket agents applying changes retroactively to their refund policies that affect consumers negatively. The refund policy in place at the time the passenger purchased the ticket is the policy that is applicable to that ticket. The Aviation Enforcement Office would consider the denial of refunds in contravention of the policies that were in effect at the time of the ticket purchase to be an unfair and deceptive practice. 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. Both US Department of Transportation and European Commission affirms that a refund must be provided for airline-cancelled flights upon passenger request. ENFORCEMENT NOTICE REGARDING REFUNDS BY CARRIERS GIVEN THE UNPRECEDENTED IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY ON AIR TRAVEL European Commission reaffirming on 18 MARCH 2020 that a refund is (still) an option due to cancelled flights despite COVID-19. Asof 3 April According to jetstream (UA's travel agency reference resource): If schedule change > 6 hours (or cancellation with no rebook) a refund is allowed. If you bought via OTA (Any Online Travel Agency like expedia/orbitz/), and want to perform changes/refund due to the waiver 1) go via OTA first, request cancel per United Jetstream rules 2) if OTA resists and only offers travel credit (instead of refund per Jetstream rules), try contacting UA directly to authorized refund, then contact OTA. Once OTA sees refund, you should get your money back from OTA 3) see [url=https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/32635969-post2939.html]this post[url] for more information For flights departing European Union, UA is required to provide a refund within 7 days upon passenger request for cancellation or schedule change in excess of 5 hours (see Section B). The Notice of Passenger Rights granted by EC261/2004 is linked on this UA page. For purposes of EC261/2004, the following countries are considered "Community member states."
EU means the 27 EU countries , including Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Réunion Island, Mayotte, Saint-Martin (French Antilles), the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands as well as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. It does not include the Faeroe Islands, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.
US DOT position from 2011 concerning cancelled flights and refunds (page 23129)
We reject some carriers’ and carrier associations’ assertions that carriers are not required to refund a passenger’s fare when a flight is cancelled if the carrier can accommodate the passenger with other transportation options after the cancellation. We find it to be manifestly unfair for a carrier to fail to provide the transportation contracted for and then to refuse to provide a refund if the passenger finds the offered rerouting unacceptable (e.g., greatly delayed or otherwise inconvenient) and he or she no longer wishes to travel. Since at least the time of an Industry Letter of July 15, 1996 the Department’s Aviation Enforcement Office has advised carriers that refusing to refund a non-refundable fare when a flight is canceled and the passenger wishes to cancel is a violation of 49 U.S.C. 41712 (unfair or deceptive practices) and would subject a carrier to enforcement action.
If you believe UA is not refunding "in good faith" and/or outright violating the policy/rules above, your options are (in no particular order or combination):
United made a controversial change to their refund policy due to schedule changes during the current COVID-19 situation. United's previous schedule change policy allow for refunds if scheduled changed > 2 hours. If you wish to proceed with a charge back due to UA retroactively apply this change, the following links (policies no longer current) could serve to support your case with your credit card issuer and/or with a regulatory complaint. https://www.united.com/web/en-US/con...arameters.aspx (This links to policy in effect prior to COVID-19) https://www.united.com/web/format/pdf/agency/bookticket/AgencyRebookingParameters2016_Print.pdf (This links to policy in effect prior to COVID-19) BACKUP link - http://archive.is/q8jDz (This links to policy in effect prior to COVID-19 and is not a UA link)  Note: UA is being very reluctant to provide refunds. However UA is allowing "free" mileage redeposit Related thread: Check Your UA Itineraries for Schedule Changes and what to do after one 
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Mar 7, 20, 4:57 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: YVR
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 510
Schedule Change(Back to 2hrs)/Cancelation Refund,New DOT ruling,UA processing refunds
*UPDATE June 6* UA has now changed the refund threshold back to 2 hours, for both UA and non-UA flights on 016 ticket.
This applies retroactively to tickets you already received credits for too (and have not used). See options as seen on Jetstream,
Refund window is still longer - up to 21 business days:
*UPDATE March 12* UA has changed the refund threshold from 25+ hours to 6+ hours, as seen on Jetstream and mentioned via Tweet below:
And on UA's schedule change page, 25+ hours has been replaced with "significantly changes":
https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...e-changes.html
ORIGINAL source with 25+ hrs from March 7:
Per source:
This applies retroactively to tickets you already received credits for too (and have not used). See options as seen on Jetstream,
Refund window is still longer - up to 21 business days:
*UPDATE March 12* UA has changed the refund threshold from 25+ hours to 6+ hours, as seen on Jetstream and mentioned via Tweet below:
And on UA's schedule change page, 25+ hours has been replaced with "significantly changes":
https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...e-changes.html
ORIGINAL source with 25+ hrs from March 7:
Per source:
Last edited by kevflyer; Jun 6, 20 at 12:01 pm Reason: UA now changed it to 2 hours again
Mar 7, 20, 6:01 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Gold, Amex Plat
Posts: 25,683
That's seriously disturbing. I am curious what the DOT will say about this. Essentially UA is saying 'I can rebook you a day later and you have no recourse'? Don't think that is going to fly.
Mar 7, 20, 7:06 pm
#5
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Montreal, Quebec
Programs: United 1K, SPG/Mar Plat, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Explorist, NEXUS/GE, Amex Plat
Posts: 101
Originally Posted by ctbarron
Wow that smacks of desperation. I wonder what happens when the original return is same day or within 25 hours.
Mar 7, 20, 7:10 pm
#6
Join Date: Feb 2000
Posts: 4,494
chargeback time.
helpful for tickets issued prior to today
https://web.archive.org/web/20191120...e-changes.html
helpful for tickets issued prior to today
https://web.archive.org/web/20191120...e-changes.html
Last edited by Colin; Mar 7, 20 at 7:17 pm
Mar 7, 20, 7:26 pm
#9
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: IAD/DCA
Programs: HH Diamond, VS Silver, SPG Gold
Posts: 1,010
Originally Posted by Often1
Or you could spend 30 seconds looking at the COC and see that UA expressly provides for changes with a change of as little as 30 minutes for arrival or departuure. Rule 24.
Mar 7, 20, 7:34 pm
#10
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
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Originally Posted by Often1
Or you could spend 30 seconds looking at the COC and see that UA expressly provides for changes with a change of as little as 30 minutes for arrival or departuure. Rule 24.
Mar 7, 20, 7:39 pm
#11
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Originally Posted by ctbarron
Unless UA claims this rule overrides that. Or they change their COC.
When we buy tickets, we agree to the terms, and I’m ok with that. I fail to see how they can enforce a term that didn’t exist at the time I gave my agreement. Or did I miss a line saying I agree to any terms that get updated after the time of the agreement.
Mar 7, 20, 7:48 pm
#12
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: SJC
Programs: Southwest, Alaska, United, American Airlines
Posts: 874
United is literally begging for a revival of Passengers' Bill of Rights efforts if this nonsense survives beyond Monday. Airlines generally get a ton of leeway so long as they do not absurdly violate basic principles of contract/consumer law, and a 25-hour threshold for an involuntary refund goes well into the absurd territory.
Mar 7, 20, 8:00 pm
#13
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: SJC
Programs: Southwest, Alaska, United, American Airlines
Posts: 874
United just upped the schedule change threshold for involuntary refunds from 2+ hours to 25+ hours. No one should be buying flights on United 016 ticket stock until this ridiculous rule change is rescinded. Period.
Mar 7, 20, 8:08 pm
#15
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: IAD/DCA
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Posts: 1,010
Originally Posted by emcampbe
Even if the COC was officially changed, are they even legally able to change those terms on tickets booked prior to the change?
When we buy tickets, we agree to the terms, and I’m ok with that. I fail to see how they can enforce a term that didn’t exist at the time I gave my agreement. Or did I miss a line saying I agree to any terms that get updated after the time of the agreement.
When we buy tickets, we agree to the terms, and I’m ok with that. I fail to see how they can enforce a term that didn’t exist at the time I gave my agreement. Or did I miss a line saying I agree to any terms that get updated after the time of the agreement.
My last thought was if UA (or other airlines) will begin rolling out force majeure to justify changes. Pandemic was not listed as an event, but the language does contain “anything else we can forgot.”
