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
Aug 30, 2020, 2:32 pm
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
(change fee waiver) Terms and Conditions: https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/travel/notices.html#ChangeFeeTerms
New fine print (1 April 2021)
The fine-print on the change rules:
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?)
"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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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!
If the new ticket costs less, the residual value from the old ticket is lostMultiple cancelled reservations cannot be combined to pay for a more expensive ticketStrictly U.S. and Mexico or the Caribbean only (excludes Canada) and excludes Basic Economy and International flightsWorldwide 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.
......
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.
......
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?)
Change Fees "Gone For Good"(WW ex-USA,non-BE), credit for lower fare!, Intl&BE waiver
Aug 4, 2021, 5:19 am
#616
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: UK
Programs: UA Gold
Posts: 66
No.
If your primary goal is to extend the validity of your credit, but you want to stay on two-person PNRs, I suggest purchasing two $1325-ish tickets, one for each of you, in August. Yes, you lose two months of potential extension of the larger credit, but it seems much more straightforward overall.
If the ticket you end up changing to is less than $1325 each, you'll get the difference back in a form that can be used on new, two-person bookings.
Also, note that UA has currently been issuing new ETCs, with expiration two years from the current date, when someone cancels a refundable ticket purchased with ETC. So, if your $1325 ticket is refundable, you could try to take advantage of that to get a two-year extension, either by cancelling immediately or by cancelling toward the date of your placeholder flight. The latter approach gets you even more time, but it relies on UA continuing to issue brand new ETCs for refunds in this scenario.
No. Once you've started by creating two separate PNRs with the tickets in them, there's nothing that an agent can do to link them together as FFC. The only thing that would be possible would be a refund to an ETC and then starting from there.
If your primary goal is to extend the validity of your credit, but you want to stay on two-person PNRs, I suggest purchasing two $1325-ish tickets, one for each of you, in August. Yes, you lose two months of potential extension of the larger credit, but it seems much more straightforward overall.
If the ticket you end up changing to is less than $1325 each, you'll get the difference back in a form that can be used on new, two-person bookings.
Also, note that UA has currently been issuing new ETCs, with expiration two years from the current date, when someone cancels a refundable ticket purchased with ETC. So, if your $1325 ticket is refundable, you could try to take advantage of that to get a two-year extension, either by cancelling immediately or by cancelling toward the date of your placeholder flight. The latter approach gets you even more time, but it relies on UA continuing to issue brand new ETCs for refunds in this scenario.
No. Once you've started by creating two separate PNRs with the tickets in them, there's nothing that an agent can do to link them together as FFC. The only thing that would be possible would be a refund to an ETC and then starting from there.
Do you know if a FFC from a cancelled domestic flight could be used to purchase an international ticket? I assumed that you could until I read the fare rules of a ticket I was considering (SFO-LAS one-way std economy V class). The fare basis code was VAA0AKDN and it included multiple references within Voluntary changes to "2. WHEN NO INTL COUPONS REMAIN - ALL NEW TRAVEL MUST BE DOMESTIC" .
Am I worrying unnecessarily?
It's beginning to make more sense to adopt your suggestion off using all our ETCs in August on international travel.
Aug 4, 2021, 7:12 am
#617
Join Date: Jan 2018
Programs: UA LT GS | UA LT Club | Marriott LT Titanium
Posts: 1,250
I'm confused.
I have a FFC worth $750
When I go to purchase a $500 ticket using the FFC it says the additional cost is $0 and when I click through it shows the ticket cost to be the full value of the FFC.
I thought FFC could be used to purchase multiple tickets.
Thanks for helping me understand.
ps fwiw the original $750 ticket was purchased using a $670 ETC plus $80 cash.
I have a FFC worth $750
When I go to purchase a $500 ticket using the FFC it says the additional cost is $0 and when I click through it shows the ticket cost to be the full value of the FFC.
I thought FFC could be used to purchase multiple tickets.
Thanks for helping me understand.
ps fwiw the original $750 ticket was purchased using a $670 ETC plus $80 cash.
Has happened to me several times. Here's what I think is happening:
1. UA is using the legacy self-serve rebooking feature that calculated the fare-difference with a floor of $0 (never negative). Given the legacy policy was, no residual, this made sense.
2. The phone agents are using a new module that correctly calculates residual, and issues a FFC to each person on the itenerary. That's why it's better to call in these situations.
3. Finally, to avoid the massive class action lawsuit, accusing UA of residual-pocketing, my guess is UA is running a nightly/weekly sweep to identify these cases and issue a cash refund. But given this isn't documented anywhere, probably safer to call and get it done correctly.
4. Remember, UA was 1st to eliminate change fees, but they got caught flat-footed, and had to be strong armed by competitors, into refunding residual. So it may take a few more months to incorporate proper residual handling into the self-serve change module.
Aug 4, 2021, 8:33 am
#618
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,393
Thank you for your detailed and very helpful response.
Do you know if a FFC from a cancelled domestic flight could be used to purchase an international ticket? I assumed that you could until I read the fare rules of a ticket I was considering (SFO-LAS one-way std economy V class). The fare basis code was VAA0AKDN and it included multiple references within Voluntary changes to "2. WHEN NO INTL COUPONS REMAIN - ALL NEW TRAVEL MUST BE DOMESTIC" .
Am I worrying unnecessarily?
It's beginning to make more sense to adopt your suggestion off using all our ETCs in August on international travel.
Do you know if a FFC from a cancelled domestic flight could be used to purchase an international ticket? I assumed that you could until I read the fare rules of a ticket I was considering (SFO-LAS one-way std economy V class). The fare basis code was VAA0AKDN and it included multiple references within Voluntary changes to "2. WHEN NO INTL COUPONS REMAIN - ALL NEW TRAVEL MUST BE DOMESTIC" .
Am I worrying unnecessarily?
It's beginning to make more sense to adopt your suggestion off using all our ETCs in August on international travel.
If you're just looking to cancel the whole thing and replace it with a new booking, the very first rule applies:
Code:
QUALIFYING CURRENT DAY FARE CANCEL OF TICKETED RESERVATIONS OF A WHOLLY UNUSED TICKET / CHANGE TO 1ST TICKETED FLIGHT COUPON -- REPRICE USING --CURRENT FARES-- IN EFFECT TODAY -- PROVIDED ALL OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS ARE MET- 1. UA FARES ARE USED EXCEPT EOU/ERU 2. FARE BREAK POINT CHANGES ARE PERMITTED 3. VALIDATE ADVANCE RESERVATION REQUIREMENTS 4. ADVANCE RESERVATION/TKG IS MEASURED FROM REISSUE DATE TO DEPARTURE OF PRICING UNIT
I have not, personally, changed a domestic flight to an international one (I've done the reverse). However, given this text in the rule, I'd be confident that it wouldn't be a problem, within certain boundaries: I don't know if you'd be successful in changing it to a fare with a non-US origin, since the currency would be different. But I don't anticipate any problems changing to a US-origin, international-destination fare.
Note that this page does sometimes work properly -- I've had it correctly calculate the fare and issue a residual. However, that's expressed very clearly on the confirmation screen before you accept the change -- I forget the exact text, but it says something like "$XX.YY flight credit." If I were not to see that text, I'd call.
Prior to the no-change-fee policy, the vast majority of UA fares included text that allowed the refund of the residual as an ETC/MCO. This isn't some new concept -- it's just that they've never quite gotten this part of the website to work properly.
Aug 4, 2021, 12:23 pm
#619
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 41
Can't discern difference between "Economy" and "Economy (fully refundable)".
Will buy tix LHR/ORD/LHR for family later in Aug. They are not sure they will have a necessary visa for infant by desired travel date. If I buy now for travel on, e.g. Aug 20, but need to change to a day or two later, I understand there is no change fee for either fare class, so is there any benefit to getting the "fully refundable" fare as I have no intention of seeking a refund?
I am assuming I would have to pay any additional fare in either case. (Maybe I am wrong on this point?)
Thanks.
Will buy tix LHR/ORD/LHR for family later in Aug. They are not sure they will have a necessary visa for infant by desired travel date. If I buy now for travel on, e.g. Aug 20, but need to change to a day or two later, I understand there is no change fee for either fare class, so is there any benefit to getting the "fully refundable" fare as I have no intention of seeking a refund?
I am assuming I would have to pay any additional fare in either case. (Maybe I am wrong on this point?)
Thanks.
Aug 4, 2021, 12:29 pm
#620
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.995MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,836
(and as a higher fare -- more PQPs, RDMs)
Correct, althought if changing to the same non-refundable fare, the difference will be smaller starting with the more expensive fare.
Aug 4, 2021, 12:31 pm
#621
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,393
Can't discern difference between "Economy" and "Economy (fully refundable)".
Will buy tix LHR/ORD/LHR for family later in Aug. They are not sure they will have a necessary visa for infant by desired travel date. If I buy now for travel on, e.g. Aug 20, but need to change to a day or two later, I understand there is no change fee for either fare class, so is there any benefit to getting the "fully refundable" fare as I have no intention of seeking a refund?
I am assuming I would have to pay any additional fare in either case. (Maybe I am wrong on this point?)
Thanks.
Will buy tix LHR/ORD/LHR for family later in Aug. They are not sure they will have a necessary visa for infant by desired travel date. If I buy now for travel on, e.g. Aug 20, but need to change to a day or two later, I understand there is no change fee for either fare class, so is there any benefit to getting the "fully refundable" fare as I have no intention of seeking a refund?
I am assuming I would have to pay any additional fare in either case. (Maybe I am wrong on this point?)
Thanks.
Note that neither a visa denial nor a government border closure is sufficient grounds to receive a refund of a non-refundable ticket.
Aug 4, 2021, 1:08 pm
#622
Join Date: Nov 2014
Programs: UA 2MM
Posts: 1,679
I have run into this as well, when you change your flight to a lower fare UA only shows a $0 price difference on the flight selection page then shows the credit on the next page. I am trying to figure out if this will be short lived or if this is intentional, yes the additional out of pocket cost is $0.00 to change the flight.
Aug 5, 2021, 2:24 am
#623
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: UK
Programs: UA Gold
Posts: 66
What's happening here is that UA provides several different ways to calculate the fare for the rebooked ticket, depending upon several conditions. The line that you're reading is part of a "keep the fare" group that would allow you to make certain changes without having to reprice the entire ticket.
If you're just looking to cancel the whole thing and replace it with a new booking, the very first rule applies:
EOU/ERU are Basic Economy (Economy One-Way Unbundled and Economy Round-Trip Unbundled). So, that's saying, if you haven't used the ticket for anything, you can make a change to any valid fare other than Basic Economy, using current fares (as of the date of change).
I have not, personally, changed a domestic flight to an international one (I've done the reverse). However, given this text in the rule, I'd be confident that it wouldn't be a problem, within certain boundaries: I don't know if you'd be successful in changing it to a fare with a non-US origin, since the currency would be different. But I don't anticipate any problems changing to a US-origin, international-destination fare.
If you're just looking to cancel the whole thing and replace it with a new booking, the very first rule applies:
Code:
QUALIFYING CURRENT DAY FARE CANCEL OF TICKETED RESERVATIONS OF A WHOLLY UNUSED TICKET / CHANGE TO 1ST TICKETED FLIGHT COUPON -- REPRICE USING --CURRENT FARES-- IN EFFECT TODAY -- PROVIDED ALL OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS ARE MET- 1. UA FARES ARE USED EXCEPT EOU/ERU 2. FARE BREAK POINT CHANGES ARE PERMITTED 3. VALIDATE ADVANCE RESERVATION REQUIREMENTS 4. ADVANCE RESERVATION/TKG IS MEASURED FROM REISSUE DATE TO DEPARTURE OF PRICING UNIT
I have not, personally, changed a domestic flight to an international one (I've done the reverse). However, given this text in the rule, I'd be confident that it wouldn't be a problem, within certain boundaries: I don't know if you'd be successful in changing it to a fare with a non-US origin, since the currency would be different. But I don't anticipate any problems changing to a US-origin, international-destination fare.
I'll try to get through to a CSR to ask about the change of origin. I was assuming that that wouldn't be an issue as my ETCs are in USD but as a UK resident I'm billed in GBP but they still manage to take my money OK
Aug 5, 2021, 9:50 am
#624
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Chicagoland/ORD
Programs: UA Million Miler (Gold), Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 3,458
Before I cancel these flights, I'd like to be sure of what will happen.
Flight #1: booked economy (not refundable) on July 11 for later this month with $50 travel bank from credit card & payment for rest. Will I get a TB credit with new expiration date and ETC for full amount of payment?
Flight #2: booked economy (not refundable) on July 11 for later this month with ETC. Will I get a new ETC for full amount?
Flight #1: booked economy (not refundable) on July 11 for later this month with $50 travel bank from credit card & payment for rest. Will I get a TB credit with new expiration date and ETC for full amount of payment?
Flight #2: booked economy (not refundable) on July 11 for later this month with ETC. Will I get a new ETC for full amount?
Aug 5, 2021, 9:51 am
#625
Join Date: Nov 2014
Programs: UA 2MM
Posts: 1,679
Before I cancel these flights, I'd like to be sure of what will happen.
Flight #1: booked economy (not refundable) on July 11 for later this month with $50 travel bank from credit card & payment for rest. Will I get a TB credit with new expiration date and ETC for full amount of payment?
Flight #2: booked economy (not refundable) on July 11 for later this month with ETC. Will I get a new ETC for full amount?
Flight #1: booked economy (not refundable) on July 11 for later this month with $50 travel bank from credit card & payment for rest. Will I get a TB credit with new expiration date and ETC for full amount of payment?
Flight #2: booked economy (not refundable) on July 11 for later this month with ETC. Will I get a new ETC for full amount?
Aug 5, 2021, 11:35 am
#627
Join Date: Nov 2014
Programs: UA 2MM
Posts: 1,679
Yes after you make the change you should see the FFC on the reservation.
Aug 5, 2021, 11:39 am
#628
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 14,884
if the system is not showing the credit on the step before you confirm, don’t complete online. I forget the steps it shows, but if it ain’t showing the credit, call to have this done. You’ll also get an email with the credit once the cancel is completed.
on that note, having done a same flight price drop not too long ago, it is NOT seamless, even though there are no change fees. In order to be able to ‘change’ to the same flights, you need to first change to a different flight (Id do one that costs the same as original, or one at the new price), then change back. I tried as a cancel and then rebook online - while it issued the credit as an [traditional] FFC, it would not let me select the same flights, even when it showed just the fare and no flights attached to the record. The only way I could do it online is to change to different flights, then change back.
you can try and call, but YMMV on how agents might handle. While some will likely process it, ive had someone tell me you can’t get a price drop on the same flight, and that you could only do it for $50 fee within a month of booking. If you get an agent saying this, HUCA, I guess. I’d try online using the two-step method if possible. If the computer will do it correctly, just let it do it.
Aug 5, 2021, 11:59 am
#629
Join Date: Jul 2005
Programs: UA Premier Gold
Posts: 503
you are supposed to get a residual FFC, which is a cross between the traditional FFC AND ETC. to use it, you’d use the PNR it came from using the ‘future flight credit’ form of payment when paying. Key things are the credit has to be used for the same passenger, but can be used on partners if desired, and will be valid from a year of the change.
if the system is not showing the credit on the step before you confirm, don’t complete online. I forget the steps it shows, but if it ain’t showing the credit, call to have this done. You’ll also get an email with the credit once the cancel is completed.
on that note, having done a same flight price drop not too long ago, it is NOT seamless, even though there are no change fees. In order to be able to ‘change’ to the same flights, you need to first change to a different flight (Id do one that costs the same as original, or one at the new price), then change back. I tried as a cancel and then rebook online - while it issued the credit as an [traditional] FFC, it would not let me select the same flights, even when it showed just the fare and no flights attached to the record. The only way I could do it online is to change to different flights, then change back.
you can try and call, but YMMV on how agents might handle. While some will likely process it, ive had someone tell me you can’t get a price drop on the same flight, and that you could only do it for $50 fee within a month of booking. If you get an agent saying this, HUCA, I guess. I’d try online using the two-step method if possible. If the computer will do it correctly, just let it do it.
if the system is not showing the credit on the step before you confirm, don’t complete online. I forget the steps it shows, but if it ain’t showing the credit, call to have this done. You’ll also get an email with the credit once the cancel is completed.
on that note, having done a same flight price drop not too long ago, it is NOT seamless, even though there are no change fees. In order to be able to ‘change’ to the same flights, you need to first change to a different flight (Id do one that costs the same as original, or one at the new price), then change back. I tried as a cancel and then rebook online - while it issued the credit as an [traditional] FFC, it would not let me select the same flights, even when it showed just the fare and no flights attached to the record. The only way I could do it online is to change to different flights, then change back.
you can try and call, but YMMV on how agents might handle. While some will likely process it, ive had someone tell me you can’t get a price drop on the same flight, and that you could only do it for $50 fee within a month of booking. If you get an agent saying this, HUCA, I guess. I’d try online using the two-step method if possible. If the computer will do it correctly, just let it do it.
Aug 5, 2021, 12:39 pm
#630
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 14,884
as for what the online change screen should show noting the credit, I just completed a change. Please excuse the sloppy markup on pi, but this is what my screen showed (note I was actually changing to a new flight, not going for a lower price on the same flight):
the markup at the bottom normally shows the pax name and how much credit each pax gets, which should always be the same.