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
Sep 9, 2021, 4:30 pm
#661
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: SAN
Programs: UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Lt Plt
Posts: 241
travel credit is available immediately. I’ve had to do this a couple of times (and even on the same reservation!). IME, you can’t just cancel, it will tell you your original flight is ‘not available’ in the same class you had (though I think someone else reported this wasn’t the case for them, but for me, it was). To get around this, I needed to actually change to a different flight, then change it back. I was able to do this all pretty quickly. As has been posted by others above, they don’t seem to want you to use this for a price drop for the same flight (at least not easily).
to save a step, I’d try and make a change (at either the current or new price level), then make the change back to your current flight. It will show $0 when you initially select the flight, even with the drop, but then in the summary before you confirm, will show the old price, the new price, and will indicate the travel credit amount you’ll receive (which will be the difference between the two). If you don’t see the credit amount, as one person reported, I’d be weary of continuing online. Once you confirm, you’ll immediately get two emails - one with the new itinerary, and another with the travel credit amount (residual FFC info).
to save a step, I’d try and make a change (at either the current or new price level), then make the change back to your current flight. It will show $0 when you initially select the flight, even with the drop, but then in the summary before you confirm, will show the old price, the new price, and will indicate the travel credit amount you’ll receive (which will be the difference between the two). If you don’t see the credit amount, as one person reported, I’d be weary of continuing online. Once you confirm, you’ll immediately get two emails - one with the new itinerary, and another with the travel credit amount (residual FFC info).
From reading here I was either extremely lucky the previous times or something has definitely changed with United not wanting you to change to a lower fare on the same itinerary. Next time will try the tricks above before calling United.
Sep 9, 2021, 5:05 pm
#662
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 14,884
For the last several months I've changed to a lower fee (same itinerary) by calling United without any issue whatsoever, they issued FFC. Today I tried calling for a reservation that dropped the price and were giving me the excuse that it is beyond the 30 days since I purchased the ticker and there is a $50 change fee as part of their guaranteed price. After many calls and long time on the phone was able for them to change to the lower fare and waived the fee.
From reading here I was either extremely lucky the previous times or something has definitely changed with United not wanting you to change to a lower fare on the same itinerary. Next time will try the tricks above before calling United.
From reading here I was either extremely lucky the previous times or something has definitely changed with United not wanting you to change to a lower fare on the same itinerary. Next time will try the tricks above before calling United.
i was also told this initially at one point ($50 fee within 30 days) - this was definitely SOP pre-COVID, but definitely worked well when the change fees were more hefty. I’ve never called to complete these though with no change fees - a bit of a PITA to change flights then change back (with the anxiety of ‘what if the price changes during the time this process takes’) online, but it’s easy enough. Has worked for me.
my thing is, if it’s easy enough for me to do on my own, why not, especially if it involves not having to wait on hold and not having to potentially get into a debate about what should be/shouldn’t be possible.
Sep 9, 2021, 5:16 pm
#663
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: SAN
Programs: UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Lt Plt
Posts: 241
Agree, moving forward that is what I am doing not worth the time spent on the phone with them
Sep 10, 2021, 1:01 am
#664
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP, Hyatt Glob, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plat, Total Wine & More Reserve
Posts: 4,502
Absolutely. The workaround described upthread is actually fairly easy once you get used to it. I just rebooked a bunch of my reservations thanks to significant price drops recently to get several hundred in FFCs, and the process became almost routine.
The only annoying part is that each change generates an extra confirmation email, yet I still have to manually request the new eticket receipt.
The only annoying part is that each change generates an extra confirmation email, yet I still have to manually request the new eticket receipt.
Sep 10, 2021, 12:53 pm
#665
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: SFO South Bay
Programs: UA 2MM
Posts: 3,052
United refusing to provide residual?
I changed a flight from SFO-HNL-KOA to same day SFO-HNL flight. Price was $300 cheaper ($530 vs $830). Did the change online. But when I clicked to do the change, it priced the new ticket at the same as the old with no residual credit. I double checked, and the SFO-HNL is still only $529. So now I have a SFO-HNL ticket that shows price purchased at $830. Called and they said nothing they can do. They do not provide residual credit when done online. Is that true??
Last edited by blueman2; Sep 10, 2021 at 1:01 pm
Sep 10, 2021, 1:34 pm
#666
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 14,884
I changed a flight from SFO-HNL-KOA to same day SFO-HNL flight. Price was $300 cheaper ($530 vs $830). Did the change online. But when I clicked to do the change, it priced the new ticket at the same as the old with no residual credit. I double checked, and the SFO-HNL is still only $529. So now I have a SFO-HNL ticket that shows price purchased at $830. Called and they said nothing they can do. They do not provide residual credit when done online. Is that true??
if it were me - I’d change the ticket to a different flight that is showing the $530 price (assuming it will show the residual prior to confirming) - on the same day, different day, etc., then change back to the flight you actually want. Obviously, confirm the price is what you want before going through all of this. The residual amount should show when you are pricing new flight - I would not change if it is not showing the residual before confirming, and perhaps calling in for this if it won’t.
as noted throughout the thread, UA seems to discourage (to put it nicely) getting a lower flight for the same price - both agents (mostly) and online. But without change fees, and assuming the residual shows, there is no reason why you can’t do this online.
Sep 10, 2021, 5:02 pm
#667
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: SFO South Bay
Programs: UA 2MM
Posts: 3,052
Found a VERY helpful agent! First agent I spoke with apparently did not really try to do anything. Second one did!
The agent said it is very common right now for the price the system shows when doing a change to be different than when buying a new flight. She said this was an error they are looking in to. It took about 15 minutes for her to work it out with the rate desk, but she got them to not just give me a flight credit, but to actually refund the entire flight cost difference to my credit card. Wow. United can be frustrating at times, but when you get a great agent, I am reminded of the old days when I really loved this airline.
The agent said it is very common right now for the price the system shows when doing a change to be different than when buying a new flight. She said this was an error they are looking in to. It took about 15 minutes for her to work it out with the rate desk, but she got them to not just give me a flight credit, but to actually refund the entire flight cost difference to my credit card. Wow. United can be frustrating at times, but when you get a great agent, I am reminded of the old days when I really loved this airline.
Sep 11, 2021, 1:26 pm
#668
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,453
This error has been around forever. Online change flights function cannot be relied upon to return the lowest fare.
Sep 11, 2021, 1:54 pm
#669
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 14,884
as shown by this thread, we get varied results, so YMMV.
Sep 12, 2021, 9:15 am
#670
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,453
interestingly enough, my recent experience, which I realize isn’t necessarily consistent with everyone else’s, is that I have been able to do changes properly and based on lowest price. Consistently, pre-COVID this was problematic, but not recently.
as shown by this thread, we get varied results, so YMMV.
as shown by this thread, we get varied results, so YMMV.
Sep 14, 2021, 5:39 pm
#671
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SAN
Programs: 1K (since 2008), *G (since 1990), 1MM
Posts: 3,218
So I do not think I had understood this properly but on my most recent bookings I no longer have the banner stating can change for no fee. However, all good with the T&Cs.
I booked an international trip last at the weekend and in looking at the Wiki only international bookings made by September 2021 qualify for no change fees. So my recent purchase will qualify but if I were to purchase in October it would not. This was not the reason I booked it but no change fees was a reason I was willing to book for next summer. My plans are obviously not firm yet.
Anyone willing to speculate that this will be extended for international flights?
I booked an international trip last at the weekend and in looking at the Wiki only international bookings made by September 2021 qualify for no change fees. So my recent purchase will qualify but if I were to purchase in October it would not. This was not the reason I booked it but no change fees was a reason I was willing to book for next summer. My plans are obviously not firm yet.
Anyone willing to speculate that this will be extended for international flights?
Sep 14, 2021, 5:46 pm
#672
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 14,884
So I do not think I had understood this properly but on my most recent bookings I no longer have the banner stating can change for no fee. However, all good with the T&Cs.
I booked an international trip last at the weekend and in looking at the Wiki only international bookings made by September 2021 qualify for no change fees. So my recent purchase will qualify but if I were to purchase in October it would not. This was not the reason I booked it but no change fees was a reason I was willing to book for next summer. My plans are obviously not firm yet.
Anyone willing to speculate that this will be extended for international flights?
I booked an international trip last at the weekend and in looking at the Wiki only international bookings made by September 2021 qualify for no change fees. So my recent purchase will qualify but if I were to purchase in October it would not. This was not the reason I booked it but no change fees was a reason I was willing to book for next summer. My plans are obviously not firm yet.
Anyone willing to speculate that this will be extended for international flights?
It depends. Travel originating in the US doesn’t have change fees permanently (or at least as long as it lasts - nothing is permanent in airline strategy land), no matter the destination. Bookings originating internationally do have the limited time change fee waiver, which right now ends on Sept. 31.
Sep 15, 2021, 12:56 pm
#674
formerly 1984SW
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
Programs: UA
Posts: 1,058
Sep 16, 2021, 7:34 pm
#675
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 14,884
on another note with changes, just realized that the permanent removal of change fees doesn’t apply to flights from Canada, at least once the international waiver ends. That will be a PITA, since I typically book flights to YYZ as one ways (because of taxes, always works out cheaper that way), so I may have to rethink this soon. Otherwise, booking to Canada will still be free changes, but from Canada will not. I did wonder why there are no change fees from
Mexico/Carribean, but there are from Canada. My best guess is because AC doesn’t do that (I mean, they are temporarily). AA and DL do have their no change fees apply to Canada though, IIRC.