SFO28L

I have a canceled reservation credit with a single traveler on the PNR. Is it possible to book a new ticket with 2 travelers using the residual value? The new tickets are more expensive than the existing value, I just would prefer to have both of us on the same reservation. I couldn't figure out how to do this on the website.

WineCountryUA

Short answer is no. The process to use a cancelled reservations is to "change" the previous reservation. You can not change a previous reservation to add a person.

While you want to consider the cancelled reservation as a "credit", it is actually still an open reservation and is subject to all the rules / limitations of a "reservation." However, once changed any unused "credit" is issued as voucher which then is a bit more flexible.

That isn't going to be easily even with an agent. As mentioned above, the direct approach will not work.

If you were to "change" to a very short flight (sub-$100), the residual goes to the voucher. Then you start with a new booking and convince an agent to help split the voucher into two voucher. With two vouchers, you can apply the vouchers to each passenger on a two passenger PNR.

or

You live with two reservations. Applying the residual of the changed reservation to the second reservation.

SFO28L

Thanks! That all makes sense and 2 reservations isn't really that big of deal in this case.

FlyerJ

Flight cancellation -- dates?

I have a flight booked in economy (W class) from YYC>IAH>MEX.

I'm planning to cancel the itinerary.

I know I'll get the full value back less at $200 change fee ... but what will my deadline to use the balance be?

- Book new flights within 365 days of making my original booking?
- Book and fly within 365 days of my original booking date?
- Fly within 365 days of my initially-booked travel date?
- or other??

(I've had different answers from UA's call center and a travel agent.)

findark

Note that the process of canceling a non-refundable (non Basic Economy) ticket looks like:

- any time prior to departure, you may cancel the ticket for no charge (and no refund)
- to use the value of the canceled coupon, you must (usually) pay the change fee in new money and now you have access to the entire ticket value
- the travel must be rebooked [and the coupon flown? - I might be wrong about this one?] by 1 year from the original ticketing date

So option number 2 from what you listed.


Also note that if the new itinerary has less value than the coupon you are changing, you will generally be issued a United ETC for the excess, which will have an expiration date 1 year after it is issued. Some people will "extend" or "free" the value of an expensive coupon by changing it to the cheapest ticket they can find and throwing away that value. (This also works to allow someone else to fly on the remaining value.)

threeoh

I think the wiki on this thread has answers: How to get residual value from non-refundable flight

sincx

I had a $400 ticket earlier this year that I cancelled due to a travel waiver. The agent told me the value can be used any time within the next year with no additional fee.

I need to travel next month, but the ticket I have in mind is only $300. If I use the $400 ticket's value to book this new $300 ticket, do I lose the remaining $100?

sincx

I called and apparently I get the leftover $100 as a electronic travel voucher.

threeoh

Yup! More info on this thread + wiki: How to get residual value from non-refundable flight

alexbc

Hi all,

I've booked parents on a United flight Econ (G class) from YRV-BUR, for tomorrow. They're now sick and can't go, my mom has Trip interruption insurance but not dad! They'd like to change flight to Monday now...

Questions:
1. Same flight on Monday is double the price... what would be fee to change? $200 + fare difference, right? I think fare diff would be $150, so $350 in total?
2. Another flight on Monday that goes to LAX is actually cheaper! If I change to that flight, do I save anything (original ticket $200, new one $150 - do I get back $50)?
3. Is it best to just cancel this flight and book the cheaper LAX? They still need to Uber or something to Burbank? If I just cancel, do I get anything?
4. With Trip Interruption policy SOLD by United, what do I need to do to claim and not fall into their loopholes?

Thanks!

WineCountryUA

If your parents are under the care of a doctor, then it is possible to get an medical refund of the change fee , see wiki of Consolidated "Refunds/Cancellations Due to Illness/Death" Thread [Merged]

Generally any insurance coverage will require a certification of the issue by an appropriate medical professional.

If you cancel / change an existing non-refundable ticket, you get a credit (after paying the change fee) for a future flight -- no refund. See https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unit...le-flight.html. If not all the credit is used, then you get a voucher toward a future flight (within 1 year)

alexbc

Yes they are and can get a note from doctor. Thanks, what happens if we change only the outbound flight? Like basically changing the departure date from Dec. 2 to Dec. 4? I get charged $200 change fee, plus fare change (on the outbound?), or do I also have to pay fare difference on the EXACT same return flight (if it's a re-issue)? Basically, I wanna change the outbound from Friday to Monday (hope they get better), but keep the return the same. I guess I shouldn't cancel it, as I lose the return flight, but just pay the change fare and then try to claim it. Right?

Also, does it make a difference if the change is made today, or tomorrow (same day change)?

WineCountryUA

The entire (unflown portion) of the ticket will be repriced at today's prices. There is no refund of fare differences.

The change fee is reduced to $75 if changed within 24 hours of the original flight departure. HOWEVER, the flight being changed to also has to be within 24 hours at the time of change (based on same inventory fare class being available). See UA Same-Day Travel Change (SDC) Fees/Questions (with Wiki) [2017-forward] for more

If there are doing a medical change waiver, then you don't need to worry about the change fee.

In The 216

Log into their reservation, select "Change Flights", put in the new dates/cities, and the system will tell you what you owe for the change.

alexbc

Thanks... they now wanna cancel. How do I cancel with minimum cost? The probably will do the trip in a cpl of months now.