How to get residual/"future flight credit" from non-refundable flight {Archive}

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Aug 17, 13, 4:28 pm

#16

Baze

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Jul 1999

Posts: 10,582

Quote:

Originally Posted by raehl311

A sort-of credit that you can't use for anything.

What are you talking about? I've used the credit on file with UA MANY times for another ticket. And yes, I have paid a change fee.

Aug 18, 13, 10:09 pm

#17

FlyingXplorer

Original Poster

Join Date: Jun 2013

Location: IAH

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Posts: 601

Thanks a lot everyone!

My ticket was over $437. The change fee seems to be $200. So it seems I should still get a $238 value from it, assuming I will book a ticket through united.com within 12 months. So I'd only be out $200 instead of $437, so that's a lot better than I thought.

When I click on Cancel on the reservation on united.com, this is what it displays:

"This reservation has no refundable value if cancelled. A refund will not be credited.

You may make changes to this reservation according to the fare rules of the cancelled reservation by selecting Change Flights on the View Reservation page."

How long can I wait before canceling?

What if the flight is delayed by an hour, would I be able to cancel and get a full refund or so then?

As of right now, there is no schedule change. How much of a schedule change is needed to get a full refund? What is the process of asking for such a refund in the case of a schedule change?

What would be the point of doing the Same Day Change fee-free? Either way, I expect that no fares will be available the same or lower fare.

Aug 18, 13, 11:30 pm

#18

WineCountryUA

Moderator: United Airlines; FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Jun 2007

Location: SFO

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Quote:

Originally Posted by FlyingExplorer

..... How long can I wait before canceling?

What if the flight is delayed by an hour, would I be able to cancel and get a full refund or so then? ....

cancel needs to before scheduled departure -- I would not wait too close -- 1 hour before is the latest I would plan on doing it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlyingExplorer

..... As of right now, there is no schedule change. How much of a schedule change is needed to get a full refund? What is the process of asking for such a refund in the case of a schedule change? ....

This is bit of a YMMV situation, the old standard was two hours but some have lucked out with less.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlyingExplorer

.....What would be the point of doing the Same Day Change fee-free? Either way, I expect that no fares will be available the same or lower fare.

to push the reservation until waiver occurs -- yes a bit extreme but some have done this

Aug 19, 13, 8:20 pm

#19

z8108

Join Date: Aug 2013

Posts: 74

I have a ticket cancelled with $1008 value for international travel. UA agent said I can only apply to a ticket valued more than $1008. So it will cause me additional $200 no matter what.

Aug 19, 13, 8:24 pm

#20

WineCountryUA

Moderator: United Airlines; FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Jun 2007

Location: SFO

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Posts: 53,015

Welcome to FT!, z8108

Quote:

Originally Posted by z8108

I have a ticket cancelled with $1008 value for international travel. UA agent said I can only apply to a ticket valued more than $1008. ...

Agent was wrong. Call again. If there is any used amount, you will be mailed an electronic credit for the residual that can be used by anyone for a future flight.

Quote:

Originally Posted by z8108

....So it will cause me additional $200 no matter what.

change fee is new money, can not used cancelled credit to paid change fee

Aug 21, 13, 8:32 pm

#21

FlyingXplorer

Original Poster

Join Date: Jun 2013

Location: IAH

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Posts: 601

Is it possible to cancel even after checking in for the flight?

Aug 21, 13, 10:16 pm

#22

iluv2fly

Moderator: Midwest, Las Vegas & Dining Buzz

Join Date: Jun 2001

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Posts: 17,569

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlyingExplorer

Is it possible to cancel even after checking in for the flight?

Absolutely. Do it often.

Aug 22, 13, 10:13 am

#23

CDKing

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Dec 2007

Location: BOS/ORH

Programs: AS MVPG

Posts: 18,076

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlyingExplorer

Is it possible to cancel even after checking in for the flight?

yes but you have to call. There used to be an uncheck in option on the old Continental site. Not sure why that went away, would have been nice to carry it over to the combined airline

Aug 22, 13, 12:17 pm

#24

AggieTraveler

Join Date: Sep 2011

Location: IAH

Posts: 362

Quote:

Originally Posted by ddrost1

the change fee must be paid in new money at the time of reusing the credit.

if you have a $300 round trip fare booked, and cancel it, then reapply it to a new $300 round trip fare, you will be charged $150 at the time of rebooking the new itinerary. this new itinerar will have the same PNR locator as the old itinerary.

if you have the same $300 round trip fare booked, and cancel it, then reapply to a new $200 fare, you will still be charged $150 and will get back a $100 e-cert with an expiration date 12 months from the date of new itinerary issue.

if you have a $300 round trip fare booked, cancel it, and then reapply the funds to a $400 fare, you will have to pay $250 ($150 change fee and $100 fare difference) at the time of issuing the new ticket.

in all cases you have 12 months from the date of cancel to reuse the credit. if you dont reuse the full credit, the ecert will have a date of expiration that is 12 months from the date of using the partial credit:

$300 round trip canceled today, residual credit expires one year from today
reapply $150 of the $300 credit tomorrow, the remaining $150 is refunded on an ecert and that ecert expires a year from tomorrow. in this way you can prolong a cancelation credit for up to two years by booking a cheap one way throw away ticket (think MIA-GNV or similar) the day before your residual credit expires.

This has been my exact experience post-merger. The change fee is always paid as new money.

Apr 2, 14, 7:55 pm

#25

bmr12

Join Date: Feb 2000

Location: Denver, CO, USA

Programs: Former 1KMM now free as UA Gold MM, former HH D, Marriott Lifetime Plat current Titanium

Posts: 1,090

Rules for Using a Large Credit from a Cancelled Ticket?

I searched but couldn't find a thread--must be using the wrong words.

I have a friend who had to cancel a relatively large non-refundable ticket. He's not a super-frequent traveler and not likely to re-use the entire value of the ticket (plus the change fee) on a single ticket for himself in the next twelve months. Some questions about the rules for using such a credit:

Can he use it for multiple tickets for himself, but only pay one change fee? Or is it $200 for each time he wants to apply the credit?
Can he use it on a pair of tickets, for himself and his spouse? How many change fees is that?
Can he use it on tickets for someone else where he's not on the PNR? (e.g., could I use it on some expensive last-minute fare for myself)?

Thanks!

Apr 2, 14, 8:16 pm

#26

exerda

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Join Date: Oct 2004

Location: Between DCA and IAD

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Posts: 59,625

I believe the first time he uses it, UA will issue any residual value as a TCV (e.g. he will only pay the change fee once).

The cancelled ticket can only be used for the person it was originally booked for, but the residual TCV can I believe be used for anyone.