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Change Fees "Gone For Good"(WW ex-USA,non-BE), credit for lower fare!, Intl&BE waiver

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View Poll Results: What do you think of the recent UA changes in Changes fees?
Good idea: No Domestic Change fee w/ no rebooking residual AND No Standby fee/Free SDC all elites
148
64.35%
Good idea: No Domestic Change fee w/ no rebooking residual but NOT No Standby fee/Free SDC all elite
25
10.87%
Good idea: No Standby fee/Free SDC all elite but NOT No Domestic Change fee w/ no rebooking residual
18
7.83%
Neutral /don’t care about either
30
13.04%
Don’t like / think either is a good idea
9
3.91%
Voters: 230. You may not vote on this poll

Old Aug 30, 2020, 2:32 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: DELee
Latest Update: 23 December 2021:

"Change fees are gone" (change fee waiver): https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/travel/notices.html#changefeesaregone
We've permanently gotten rid of change fees for most Economy and premium cabin tickets for travel within the U.S., or between the U.S. and Mexico or the Caribbean. There also won't be change fees for other international travel originating in the U.S. Learn more

For all other standard Economy and premium cabin tickets, change fees are waived through January 31, 2022. Basic Economy tickets can only be changed if they’re issued by December 31, 2021, for travel commencing by December 31, 2021. See terms and conditions
(change fee waiver) Terms and Conditions: https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/travel/notices.html#ChangeFeeTerms

Tickets: Applies to standard fare tickets issued between March 3, 2020, and January 31, 2022, and Basic Economy fare tickets issued between March 3, 2020, and April 30, 2021, or Basic Economy tickets issued between May 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021 for travel commencing between August 11 and December 31, 2021.

Changes/Cancellations: Customers with Basic Economy fare tickets issued between March 3, 2020, and April 30, 2021, or between May 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021 for travel commencing between August 11 and December 31, 2021, or standard fare tickets issued between March 3, 2020, and January 31, 2022, will be permitted to change without paying a change fee. If the new flight is priced higher, the customer may change for no change fee but must pay the fare difference. If the new flight is priced lower, the customer may change without paying a change fee, and standard fare tickets may be given residual value in the form of a future flight credit. If you purchased your ticket from a third-party agency, please check with the issuing agency for the rules of your ticket. Contract fares such as special bulk fares sold by travel agencies (e.g., opaque) may not be eligible for free changes. Any changes or cancellations must occur prior to ticketed travel date.

Please note: As of August 30, 2020, we no longer have change fees for most Economy and premium cabin tickets for flights within the U.S., or between the U.S. and Mexico or the Caribbean. We also no longer have change fees for international travel originating in the U.S. For more information visit united.com/changefee.

Fare validity: This applies to all standard fare tickets issued through January 31, 2022, all destinations, all points-of-sale, all travel dates available for sale, provided ticket number starts with 016. It also applies to Basic Economy fare tickets issued through April 30, 2021 or Basic Economy tickets issued between May 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021 for travel commencing between August 11 and December 31, 2021, all destinations, all points of sale, provided the ticket number starts with 016.

Miscellaneous: Fares, fees, rules and offers are subject to change without notice. Seats are capacity-controlled and may not be available on all flights or days. Some fares are nonrefundable except during the first 24 hours after purchase. Other restrictions may apply.

New fine print (1 April 2021)
  • You can change Basic Economy tickets without change fees if the ticket is issued by April 30, 2021,
  • and all other international travel without change fees if the ticket is issued by May 31, 2021.
  • If the new flight is priced lower, the customer may change without paying a change fee, and may be given residual value in the form of a future flight credit.
Updated 30 Sept 2021
Tickets: Applies to standard fare tickets issued between March 3, 2020, and December 31, 2021, and Basic Economy fare tickets issued between March 3, 2020, and April 30, 2021, or Basic Economy tickets issued between May 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021 for travel commencing between August 11 and December 31, 2021.

Changes/Cancellations: Customers with Basic Economy fare tickets issued between March 3, 2020, and April 30, 2021, or between May 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021 for travel commencing between August 11 and December 31, 2021, or standard fare tickets issued between March 3, 2020, and December 31, 2021, will be permitted to change without paying a change fee. If the new flight is priced higher, the customer may change for no change fee but must pay the fare difference. If the new flight is priced lower, the customer may change without paying a change fee, and standard fare tickets may be given residual value in the form of a future flight credit. If you purchased your ticket from a third-party agency, please check with the issuing agency for the rules of your ticket. Contract fares such as special bulk fares sold by travel agencies (e.g., opaque) may not be eligible for free changes. Any changes or cancellations must occur prior to ticketed travel date.

Please note: As of August 30, 2020, we no longer have change fees for most Economy and premium cabin tickets for flights within the U.S., or between the U.S. and Mexico or the Caribbean. We also no longer have change fees for international travel originating in the U.S. For more information visit united.com/changefee.

Fare validity: This applies to all standard fare tickets issued through December 31, 2021, all destinations, all points-of-sale, all travel dates available for sale, provided ticket number starts with 016. It also applies to Basic Economy fare tickets issued through April 30, 2021 or Basic Economy tickets issued between May 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021 for travel commencing between August 11 and December 31, 2021, all destinations, all points of sale, provided the ticket number starts with 016.

Miscellaneous: Fares, fees, rules and offers are subject to change without notice. Seats are capacity-controlled and may not be available on all flights or days. Some fares are nonrefundable except during the first 24 hours after purchase. Other restrictions may apply.

Originally Posted by spartacusmcfly
I just went through the process on a post-April 1st itinerary and was issued the new FFC vs ETCs. The agent tried to explain the new FFCs in detail:

The Bad:
1. No more ETC
2. No transferability
3. No combinability
4. Given there is no combinability, there is no more date-pushing (meaning new expiration date is most favorable of combined cert dates)

The Good:
5. Can use multiple towards a single itinerary (up to 10 she said)
6. Can pull from multiple accounts (3 from yours, 3 from spouse), so you don't have to split the locator to use from multiple accounts
7. Can be used on partner itineraries as long as one segment is UA
8. The FFCs show up in the account of the recipient and the booker. So I can see my spouse's FFCs if I booked the itenerary
9. FFCs now show up as a payment method in the app booking flow. For multi-passenger FFCs, both passengers show up!

I can live with all this, in exchange for no change fees, and reclaiming residual!
The fine-print on the change rules:
  1. If the new ticket costs less, the residual value from the old ticket is lost
  2. Multiple cancelled reservations cannot be combined to pay for a more expensive ticket
  3. Strictly U.S. and Mexico or the Caribbean only (excludes Canada) and excludes Basic Economy and International flights
    1. Worldwide until Dec 31, 2020
United Airlines Permanently Eliminates Change Fees
Applies to all Economy and Premium cabin tickets for travel within the U.S.;
Airline also announces complimentary standby travel, becomes only U.S. airline that will let all customers in all classes of service fly same-day standby for free
With these new options, United gives more flexibility than any other U.S. carrier when customers' travel plans change
Video(1) Photos(1)

CHICAGO, Aug. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The only thing constant is change and at United Airlines, some of the fees associated with changes related to flying are gone for good. The carrier announced today that it is permanently getting rid of change fees on all standard Economy and Premium cabin tickets for travel within the U.S., effective immediately. And starting on January 1, 2021, any United customer can fly standby for free on a flight departing the day of their travel regardless of the type of ticket or class of service, a first among U.S. carriers, while MileagePlus Premier members can confirm a seat on a different flight on the same day with the same departure and arrival cities as their original ticket if a seat in the same ticket fare class is available.

United is also extending its waiver for new tickets issued through December 31, 2020, to permit unlimited changes with no fee. This policy applies to all ticket types issued after March 3, 2020 and is valid for domestic and international travel. With these improvements, no U.S. airline gives their customers more flexibility when booking – and changing – their travel plans than United Airlines.

"Change is inevitable these days – but it's how we respond to it that matters most. When we hear from customers about where we can improve, getting rid of this fee is often the top request," said Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines, in a video message to customers. "Following previous tough times, airlines made difficult decisions to survive, sometimes at the expense of customer service. United Airlines won't be following that same playbook as we come out of this crisis. Instead, we're taking a completely different approach – and looking at new ways to serve our customers better."

The new change fee policy applies to all standard Economy and Premium cabin tickets for travel within the U.S. 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and customers will not be limited in the number of times they adjust their flights.

Additionally, United is giving customers more flexibility to change their flights on the day of their travel so they can head home if a meeting ends earlier or enjoy a few more hours on vacation. With the ability to list for same-day standby for free, customers will now have an option to take a different flight with the same origin and destination airports as their original itinerary if space is available at departure. This enhanced option will be available to all customers for travel within the U.S. and to and from international destinations beginning on January 1, 2021. Customers who want to switch flights will be able to add themselves to the standby list through United's award-winning mobile app, on united.com or at the airport no later than 30 minutes prior to departure for domestic flights and one hour before departure on international flights.

The carrier is also improving the travel experience for its MileagePlus members including waiving all redeposit fees on award travel for flights changed or cancelled more than 30 days before departure and allowing all MileagePlus Premier members to confirm a different flight on the day of their travel. As a way to thank MileagePlus Premier members for their loyalty, beginning January 1, 2021, all Premier members will be able to confirm a seat for free on a different flight with the same departure and arrival cities as their original ticket. This expanded option will allow MileagePlus Silver members and above to confirm a new seat in the same ticket fare class if space is available. Earlier this year, United announced that it will extend status for MileagePlus Premier and Global Services members through January 2022. United also reduced thresholds for Premier qualification by 50 percent for each status level, to make reaching an even higher status tier easier.

For more information on United's new flexible travel policies, visit https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...hange-fee.html.

......
Related Threads
AA Eliminates Many Change Fees, Other Benefits 31 Aug 2020
Delta to Eliminate Change Fees on Domestic Tickets [Consolidated Thread]
Alaska Eliminates Change Fees (9/1/2020)

UA will extend BE/International change fee waiver (In response to AA?)
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Change Fees "Gone For Good"(WW ex-USA,non-BE), credit for lower fare!, Intl&BE waiver

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Old Aug 31, 2020, 3:04 pm
  #151  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: CLE
Programs: UA GS+LT UC, AA EXP+LT PLT, Fairmont LT PLT, Marriott PLT, Hilton DIA, Hyatt Glob, Avis CHM
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United may have been first out of the gate, but AAs changes murder United's changes.
I sure hope UA mAAtches all of them.
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Old Aug 31, 2020, 3:05 pm
  #152  
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Originally Posted by NYC Flyer
Interesting to see how this will impact the pricing model going forward.

Wording is a bit confusing, but this seems to be an extension of existing waiver on cash tickets to 31DEC, with details of the "permanent" policy effective 01JAN TBD.
Hi NYC Flyer – we hope you like the changes. To clarify, the existing change fee waiver policy that is valid for tickets issued on/after April 1st and up to December 31, 2020 applies to all United ticket types including Basic or International, and allows customers to change without paying a change fee for travel up to 12 months from the original travel date. You can find more information about that waiver in the FAQ at this site: https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...hange-fee.html

The new policy, which is elimination of change fees on most Economy and Premium Economy tickets within the United States, starts January 1. Unlike a travel waiver, this will be United’s permanent policy going forward. However, also beginning January 1, same day standby will be complimentary for everyone, and all MileagePlus Premier members will be able to same day change to a different flight and get a confirmed seat at no cost if their fare class is open. Better yet, the same day standby and same day change policy for Premier members applies to both domestic and international flights. While everyone can same day standby on a domestic or international flight, the ability to get a same day confirmed seat on a different flight at no cost when the same fare class is open is a Premier benefit. The included link has more information and full details.
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Old Aug 31, 2020, 3:07 pm
  #153  
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Location: Chicago, Houston, or somewhere in between
Posts: 2,176
Originally Posted by naumank
Agree. It would be much better if the new policy applies to international trips.

Nevertheless, it’s a change for the better. At least I can say goodbye to Southwest.
Glad you enjoy the changes and we’re looking forward to seeing you in the friendly skies! While the elimination of change fees doesn’t extend to international trips, the elimination of a fee for Premier members to same day change or same day standby applies to domestic and international flights.
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Old Aug 31, 2020, 3:09 pm
  #154  
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Posts: 2,176
Originally Posted by drgreg
Fantastic news!! Thank you United!!
Thanks Drgreg, glad you like the changes and looking forward to seeing you on board soon!
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Old Aug 31, 2020, 3:11 pm
  #155  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Westchester NY
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Posts: 373
Originally Posted by NYC Flyer

Inability to preserve unused value was going to be a customer service nightmare for UA. This is not unexpected.
Yes, but I don't see United offering unused residual value without significant customer/competitor push-back. I think UA's pricing engine not only makes extensive use of AI but also withholds low fare buckets until closer to departure. From my experience it is pretty rare that the lowest fares are offered more than 2 months prior to a flight. The $200 change fee helped prevent a mass re-ticketing issue as fares dropped. Offering unused residual value probably messes with their pricing model as many customers could easily capture the lowest daily price leading up to a trip. There are plenty of websites that will issue fare alerts to make this an easy process.
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Old Aug 31, 2020, 3:15 pm
  #156  
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Originally Posted by dkc715
The $200 change fee helped prevent a mass re-ticketing issue as fares dropped.
Not really, as UA sells very few tickets more than 2 months in advance. Consumers have learned to wait.
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Old Aug 31, 2020, 3:30 pm
  #157  
 
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: NYC/PHX
Programs: IATA, Sabre, AvgeekAgent
Posts: 1,958
Originally Posted by Cledaybuck
I wonder if some of these things had to be added because the price difference is already higher than the market can bear? I have a hard time spending $70/pp to be able to pick a seat a couple rows forward of the seat they will assign me for free, both in economy (especially with waivers for change fees on all tickets right now). Plus, I don't see how it ever made sense to not allow people to pay you more money for a better seat just because they bought basic.
You may see price differentials tighten for "basic" BE, with higher all-in cost once extras are bundled in. This will by dynamic as market demand shifts.

Originally Posted by swag
I'm AA lifetime Gold, and UA lifetime-ish silver (as long as the Marriott partnership continues).

Others may have to pay for adding features to BE, but this AA policy means that my elite benefits (including upgrades and seat selection) now apply to basic Economy tickets. Would love to see UA match that part.
I am lifetime gold on AA...as soon as I got over the amazement of AA's announcement, my next thougth was "will my benefits be cut, or will lifetime status go away entirely".

Originally Posted by UA Insider
Hi NYC Flyer – we hope you like the changes. To clarify, the existing change fee waiver policy that is valid for tickets issued on/after April 1st and up to December 31, 2020 applies to all United ticket types including Basic or International, and allows customers to change without paying a change fee for travel up to 12 months from the original travel date. You can find more information about that waiver in the FAQ at this site: https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly...hange-fee.html
Thanks and congrats on shaking up the industry! My point was that none of the details about stacking unused tickets, storing multiple unused tickets, etc after Jan 1 has been announced.
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Old Aug 31, 2020, 4:04 pm
  #158  
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Originally Posted by ctownflyer
United may have been first out of the gate, but AAs changes murder United's changes.
I sure hope UA mAAtches all of them.
That's the problem with going first in the airline industry. Folks tend to forget the first mover and the second mover gets to enhance their response to hit the weak points of the first mover. Classic one-upmanship

UA was second mover on some of the original COVID waivers with an improved terms.

While first movers change the landscape, second movers tend to get the credit for the better response.
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Old Aug 31, 2020, 5:35 pm
  #159  
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Originally Posted by ctownflyer
United may have been first out of the gate, but AAs changes murder United's changes.
I sure hope UA mAAtches all of them.
At the very least include Canada! (selfishly)
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Old Aug 31, 2020, 6:06 pm
  #160  
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
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I think this is a positive change especially for my work travel which sometimes needs to be flexible but I'm not willing to pay the way more expensive flexible fares. That said, I wonder how much of this was done to reduce potential DOT backlash to the lack of refunds offered. The issue of change fees has been on DOTs radar screen for some time but I'm merely guessing.
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Old Aug 31, 2020, 6:16 pm
  #161  
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
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Originally Posted by rankourabu
At the very least include Canada! (selfishly)
I shamelessly approve this message
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Old Aug 31, 2020, 6:17 pm
  #162  
 
Join Date: May 2001
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Future changes will be interesting to see how the environment evolves. As mentioned previously moving to booking One-ways is a given; does that turn the lowest fares into RT only?
Basic Economy to Economy spread will increase most likely.
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Old Aug 31, 2020, 6:28 pm
  #163  
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I added a :"fine-print" section to the Wiki. Help me edit/keep it current (or take it out if not appropriate.

You know, I was wondering if they take one more step (i.e. you have a non-refundable "bank account" where you can put in the money to be used for a longer period of time and cancellations go back to the account), then how many of us won't mind putting some money in that bank with a small discount and occasional promotion?
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Old Aug 31, 2020, 6:38 pm
  #164  
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Originally Posted by whlinder
As mentioned previously moving to booking One-ways is a given
Not necessarily. There is a huge advantage to booking RTs if you expect to change the return flight and might need to pay a fare difference -- you get to calculate advance purchase from the date of the original purchase. So, if you have a RT G fare, there is a K fare in the market (say, +$20 each way), and you need to change the return, inventory is K1 G0, and the 0-advance purchase fare is an E (+$400 each way), booking an RT will save you $380 on this change. The numbers are made up, but the scenario isn't -- I've been on both sides of it (a RT, and a cheap change, and two one-ways, and an expensive change).

Originally Posted by whlinder
does that turn the lowest fares into RT only?
Not any more than was already the case; that's already true in many markets.

Originally Posted by whlinder
Basic Economy to Economy spread will increase most likely.
There's no reason for that to happen as a result of this change (although it might happen anyway, just as a natural consequence of time). Southwest already had a similar policy (arguably, a better one, in many aspects), and UA is already trying to match its BE product to WN's cheapest fares. The lack of change fees doesn't immediately have to translate into a higher regular economy fare.
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Old Aug 31, 2020, 6:41 pm
  #165  
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Bellingham/Gainesville
Programs: UA-G MM, Priority Club Platinum, Avis First, Hertz 5*, Red Lion
Posts: 2,808
Originally Posted by uastarflyer
Echo post 2. Wow! Very good news. Addresses the only reason I ever booked on WN...being unsure about a certain trip.

i wish they reinstated the early 00’s PMUA no change fee on INTL tickets policy as well. That policy required the new ticket be $1 or more higher. I once changed a net $12 US-SIN RT fare difference for.....$12!
I looked at a few routes and fare classes on its matrix and they are showing up. Most of the oal fares have a mix of non ref no change fee and ref with penalty with no change fee depnding on route and carrier. Very much like back then.
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