Great airfares on United
Sep 2, 2020, 12:55 pm
#17
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SAN
Programs: 1K (since 2008), *G (since 1990), 1MM
Posts: 3,214
I normally find good fares to FRA and MUC midweek but the ZRH destination was a tip from a FA on a recent trip.
Last edited by Aussienarelle; Sep 2, 2020 at 12:59 pm Reason: Grammar
Sep 2, 2020, 7:19 pm
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: East Coast
Programs: AA CONCIERGE KEY & 1MM, HILTON DIAMOND
Posts: 11,970
Sep 2, 2020, 9:50 pm
#20
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: ORD
Posts: 435
Sep 2, 2020, 11:48 pm
#22
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP, Hyatt Glob, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plat, Total Wine & More Reserve
Posts: 4,486
ZRH booking made last week so before August 31 deadline on flexibility for change/cancellation. Was concerned United may not extend the deadline to September 30. I was right.😔 (I had the ETC for the trip I had to cancel for May and is the replacement trip for next May.)
Nonetheless still great airfares. Have more trips to book.
Nonetheless still great airfares. Have more trips to book.
Sep 3, 2020, 12:02 am
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: TOA
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott LTPP/Platinum Premier, Hyatt Lame-ist, UA !K
Posts: 20,061
Change Fee Waiver for tickets purchased before March 2, 2020 (Waiver - tickets purchased on/before March 2, 2020 | Travel Jun 1 - Dec 31 or https://united.canto.com/b/RKGSK) :
Sep 3, 2020, 1:11 am
#24
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SAN
Programs: 1K (since 2008), *G (since 1990), 1MM
Posts: 3,214
So I see a difference between change and cancellation. Change fees waived on international flights booked through 12/31. No fees on cancellations for flights booked through 8/31. I think that is the distinction - correct?
May not matter to most folks but the ability to cancel and get an ETC is huge for me at the moment for a flight next May.
May not matter to most folks but the ability to cancel and get an ETC is huge for me at the moment for a flight next May.
Sep 3, 2020, 7:38 am
#26
Join Date: May 2007
Location: WAS
Programs: UA GS, AA EXP, WN A+, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Tit, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,123
I’ve found some great flights. Transcon for a little over $200 round trip with high chance of upgrade is a great deal. I’ve started traveling a bit to see friends and family while the weather is good to remain outside.
I also noticed the upgrade offers seemed to have dropped. I’m now seeing IAD-SFO down to $287 from $3xx. IAD-DEN was $192 and is now $179.
I also noticed the upgrade offers seemed to have dropped. I’m now seeing IAD-SFO down to $287 from $3xx. IAD-DEN was $192 and is now $179.
Sep 3, 2020, 3:24 pm
#27
Join Date: May 2012
Location: ORF, RIC
Programs: UA LT 1K, 3 MM; Marriott Titanium; IHG Platinum
Posts: 6,940
Sep 3, 2020, 4:26 pm
#28
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,362
Incorrect.
No.
You do not (necessarily) have that ability.
United has not been waiving cancellation (refund) fees at all, except for award travel. They have been waiving change fees. They have also been allowing some people to take an ETC in lieu of Future Flight Credit, although that is not technically required and seems to have gotten more difficult as of August 1. There is no guarantee that you will be able to get an ETC if you have to cancel your trip; UA may decide that you have to accept Future Flight Credit instead. If you have to accept FFC, note that the fares that are currently being offered have no residual value -- if you change from SAN-ZRH to SAN-ARN, and SAN-ARN is cheaper, you will not get a refund or an ETC (barring a change of policy by UA).
There is not, and never has been, a fee to cancel a trip. The fee, if any, is to get it refunded ("cancellation fee") or reissued ("change fee"). You can now, and have always* been able to, call up and say "Please cancel my trip to Zurich, but I don't know what the new trip will be, so leave the credit on the reservation." No fee has ever been charged for that.
The fee would come up when you said "please refund my trip" (for refundable tickets with a cancellation fee) or "I've got the new trip details now -- please put me on the flight to Copenhagen instead."
There is no difference between the waivers that were in place on August 31 and those that are in place through December 31. In fact, as you can see from DELee's post, all they did was change the end date from August 31 to December 31.
* There was a brief time in 2001/2002, when zero-value-after-departure started, where the ticket had to be reissued (with new dates / destinations) prior to the original flight departure, or it was invalid. That was widely unpopular and was walked back to the current system: as long as you cancel before departure, the ticket automatically becomes FFC that you can use.
United has not been waiving cancellation (refund) fees at all, except for award travel. They have been waiving change fees. They have also been allowing some people to take an ETC in lieu of Future Flight Credit, although that is not technically required and seems to have gotten more difficult as of August 1. There is no guarantee that you will be able to get an ETC if you have to cancel your trip; UA may decide that you have to accept Future Flight Credit instead. If you have to accept FFC, note that the fares that are currently being offered have no residual value -- if you change from SAN-ZRH to SAN-ARN, and SAN-ARN is cheaper, you will not get a refund or an ETC (barring a change of policy by UA).
There is not, and never has been, a fee to cancel a trip. The fee, if any, is to get it refunded ("cancellation fee") or reissued ("change fee"). You can now, and have always* been able to, call up and say "Please cancel my trip to Zurich, but I don't know what the new trip will be, so leave the credit on the reservation." No fee has ever been charged for that.
The fee would come up when you said "please refund my trip" (for refundable tickets with a cancellation fee) or "I've got the new trip details now -- please put me on the flight to Copenhagen instead."
There is no difference between the waivers that were in place on August 31 and those that are in place through December 31. In fact, as you can see from DELee's post, all they did was change the end date from August 31 to December 31.
* There was a brief time in 2001/2002, when zero-value-after-departure started, where the ticket had to be reissued (with new dates / destinations) prior to the original flight departure, or it was invalid. That was widely unpopular and was walked back to the current system: as long as you cancel before departure, the ticket automatically becomes FFC that you can use.
Sep 3, 2020, 7:52 pm
#29
Join Date: Dec 1999
Programs: UA 1K/1MM, AC 25K, Marriott LT Platinum
Posts: 436
I'm glad that some people are finding great airfares on UA. I'm finding the opposite. Specifically, I was hoping that UA would match AA's refundable international flights offer (less $100), but so far, they haven't done so. Even with free changes, I'm uncomfortable booking nonrefundable travel for next summer with all the uncertainty. The free changes are nice, but my understanding is that travel would still have to begin within one year of the original ticket issue date. Although UA offers refundable international fares (less $300), they are typically around double the cost of the nonrefundable tickets.
Sep 4, 2020, 12:22 am
#30
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: TOA
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott LTPP/Platinum Premier, Hyatt Lame-ist, UA !K
Posts: 20,061
As Kmxu , jjmoore and BThumme have posted into a thread or three in Mileage Run Deals, UA deals are out there if desired:
UA: MCO-LAX/LAX-MCO $81
UA: LAX - MCO as low as $65 r.t. G fare 1.6cpm possible
UA: ORD-BOS $25 (regular ecxonomy, G fare) O/W
David
UA: MCO-LAX/LAX-MCO $81
UA: LAX - MCO as low as $65 r.t. G fare 1.6cpm possible
UA: ORD-BOS $25 (regular ecxonomy, G fare) O/W
David