May 7, 2022, 3:00 pm

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Active thread; UA-Schedule changes; +25% TATL 2022 capacity, Q2 TPAC down 65% vs 2019; June changes

UA publishes a schedule for 330 days in advance (called Beginning of Schedule) and in the past would make tweaks quarterly and things would be fairly settles 3-4 months out. Updates would occur Friday evening / Saturday morning (Chicago time). Routine additions could occur anytime.
20 Oct 2021

Quote:

Originally Posted by EWR764

In the earnings call today, UA noted that has been transitioning back to its 'normal' (pre-pandemic) 90-day schedule load process, which should be complete in the very near future.

Quote:

Originally Posted by UA Insider

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, regardless of fare type, on a flight departing the day of their travel, 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.

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 United 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/travel/change-fee.html.

Quote:

Change is here. Change fees are gone.We’re permanently getting rid of change fees for most Economy and premium cabin tickets for travel within the United States. This includes Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Learn more

For all other destinations, change fees are waived through December 31, 2020. See terms and conditions

Quote:

We’re extending electronic certificatesTo give you more flexibility when you travel, electronic certificates are now valid for 24 months from the date they were issued. This includes all currently valid electronic certificates and all new ones issued on or after April 1, 2020.

This policy change will automatically appear, but it may not be reflected everywhere right away. We’d appreciate your patience as we work to make that happen.

Quote:

Award flight redeposit fees waived

We’re waiving redeposit fees for award flights issued on or before December 31, 2020, that are canceled at least 30 days before the departure date. You can also change your award flight with no fee. Learn more about changing or canceling your award flight.

International travel advisories and waivers

For more information about international travel:

View our current travel waivers
See our country-specific travel updates
Search by destination for passport, visa and health requirements provided by the International Air Transport Association (IATA)
Visit the U.S. Department of State’s website for detailed information on coronavirus by country[/quote]

CARES service exemptions for United
United Exemption 042520 FINAL ISSUED.pdf
United Airlines 2nd Exemption_051220_FINAL ISSUED.pdf
latest (tentative) -2020-5-5 Order to Show Cause

Other Resources and Statistics

COVID19 UA-Schedule {Archive}

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Mar 11, 2020, 1:45 pm

#1366

zagat4

Join Date: Jun 2007

Programs: United

Posts: 84

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsloan

Yes. You can cancel and rebook later. You will not be able to get a refund, but the credit will be stored in the reservation, and you will be able to use it later.

For most tickets booked prior to March 3, if the new ticket you want to buy is cheaper than the older ticket, you'll get the remainder in an Electronic Travel Credit to be used within one year.

Although another person just said they tried this and they were charged $200 for re-booking a canceled flight covered by the waiver so I'm confused

Mar 11, 2020, 1:48 pm

#1367

lindaiah

Join Date: Jun 2008

Location: Houston

Programs: UA Silver, IHG Plat AMB, Hertz Pres. Circle, Avis Presidents Club; Caesars Diamond Plus

Posts: 641

I changed a flight booked after March 3 and the fare difference was about $32. It said it would be refunded to me in an ETC. How do I get that? They haven't emailed anything to me that looks like an ETC (or snail-mailed, for that matter).

Mar 11, 2020, 2:04 pm

#1368

jsloan

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Oct 2001

Location: Austin, TX

Posts: 21,370

Quote:

Originally Posted by zagat4

Although another person just said they tried this and they were charged $200 for re-booking a canceled flight covered by the waiver so I'm confused

I haven't seen that message. It wouldn't surprise me if the wrong value were showing up online. If that happens, call.

UA has waived all change fees for travel originally scheduled between March 9 and April 30, for tickets booked prior to March 3. You have until December 31, or 12 months from the original ticket date, whichever is earlier, to reissue the ticket. I don't think there are any gotchas here.

Mar 11, 2020, 2:10 pm

#1369

rankourabu

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Jan 2002

Location: Canada

Programs: UA*1K MM

Posts: 23,294

So India is shutting down. I guess UA will need to get on top of yet another waiver fast.

Mar 11, 2020, 2:11 pm

#1370

zagat4

Join Date: Jun 2007

Programs: United

Posts: 84

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsloan

OK there person above said this so I got worried: I tried to re-book a cancelled flight online and the website wants to charge me $200. This flight falls within the latest waiver.

Mar 11, 2020, 2:13 pm

#1371

TravellingMan

Join Date: Apr 2005

Location: DEN

Programs: Free checked in bag on UA & DL. Free icecream at Marriott checkin.

Posts: 2,862

I reckon the number of cancelled flights are going to skyrocket soon. US is contemplating ban on visitors from Europe (probably France, Italy, Germany and Spain) similar to China and Iran. India has closed its borders to all visa holders (non-citizens) until April 15th.

Mar 11, 2020, 2:21 pm

#1372

CPRich

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: May 2002

Location: Pittsburgh

Programs: MR/SPG LT Titanium, AA LT PLT, UA SLV, Avis PreferredPlus

Posts: 30,994

"Your wait time is more than 90 minutes" - so I guess I won't get an answer in person.

My daughter's study abroad trip was originally ORD-NRT and was rescheduled to ORD-LIM. It was rebooked with no fee and I'm supposed to have a credit/refund for the difference - I got an email that says "Tickets paid for by credit card are refunded back to the credit card account used to make the purchase. ....For exchanges made to non-refundable ticket, you may be issued an Electronic Travel Certificate."

For ORD-LIM, as it was a redeye (and cheaper), I selected upgraded/E+ seats for three of the legs.

My understanding now is that they will cancel the flight and allow me to reuse the ticket value, without change fee, for travel up to one year from the original issue date - would this be the 12/4 original date or 2/27 changed date?

What happens to what I paid for upgraded seats? Refundable/Credited?

I'll try calling again late tonight, but it's still 90 minutes+, should I just cancel on-line and sort it out later? Any other options? The flight was supposed to be Sunday.

I've never received either a credit on my card or any type of communication about an "Electronic Travel Certificate". Is this just in her on-line account somewhere? Or should I have received, as I do with Southwest, and email with a code to use?

United has no "we'll call you back when it's your turn"?

Mar 11, 2020, 2:22 pm

#1373

jsloan

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Oct 2001

Location: Austin, TX

Posts: 21,370

Quote:

Originally Posted by zagat4

OK there person above said this so I got worried: I tried to re-book a cancelled flight online and the website wants to charge me $200. This flight falls within the latest waiver.

United's website has been problematic for years. There's no ambiguity in the waiver, but you may need to call to use the credit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lindaiah

Booked after March 3? Was it a domestic or international ticket?

Most fares that I've seen published since March 3 state that if the new ticket is lower, United won't give you the residual amount back -- they just ignore (read "keep") it.

If they did actually issue an ETC, it's supposed to arrive in email, but frequently doesn't. You'd be able to apply it by calling and providing the confirmation number of the affected itinerary; it'd be linked in there. If they want to charge you a phone booking fee (thus eating up the credit), point out that you never received it and thus weren't able to book online.

Last edited by WineCountryUA; Mar 13, 2020 at 10:01 pm Reason: merged consecutive posts by same member

Mar 11, 2020, 2:38 pm

#1374

J S

Join Date: Apr 2001

Posts: 592

I have a flight coming up. Purchased before 3/1. The fare has dropped 50%. What can/should I do?

Thanks.

Mar 11, 2020, 2:46 pm

#1375

jsloan

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Oct 2001

Location: Austin, TX

Posts: 21,370

Quote:

Originally Posted by J S

I have a flight coming up. Purchased before 3/1. The fare has dropped 50%. What can/should I do?

Thanks.

If the flight is between now and April 30, call UA and ask for them to reticket it at the lower fare; you should receive a travel credit for the remainder.

Mar 11, 2020, 2:53 pm

#1376

EmpressRouge

Join Date: Sep 2010

Location: SF Bay Area

Posts: 221

Does the April 30 travel date cutoff apply to the entire booking or individual flights? Anticipating a conference might be cancelled and I'd have to cancel and go somewhere else. My outbound flight is on April 27 but the return is May 2 (it's 1 booking).

Mar 11, 2020, 2:56 pm

#1377

jsloan

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Oct 2001

Location: Austin, TX

Posts: 21,370

Quote:

Originally Posted by EmpressRouge

Either flight being in the window is enough for the trip to be covered.

Mar 11, 2020, 3:21 pm

#1378

HNLbasedFlyer

Join Date: Sep 2006

Location: HNL

Programs: UA GS4MM, MR LT Plat, Hilton Gold

Posts: 6,447

Had a fairly seamless experience changing my flight online - just changed a HNL-SFO flight I bought 2 days before they instituted change fee waiver to a HNL-SFO-LAS flight and was pleased to see F buyup I had previously paid is refunded back to my credit card. Wasn't quite sure how they were handling the F buyups.

Mar 11, 2020, 3:50 pm

#1379

Boraxo

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Dec 2002

Location: Danville, CA, USA;

Programs: UA 1MM, WN CP, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Gold, IC Plat

Posts: 15,716

Mixed feelings. Early this year we booked an August RT to Paris. UA fares have not dropped on this route but they did for other airlines. Also I am loathe to give UA more revenue in light of customer unfriendly schedule change/refund policy. I wish I hadn't booked this flight on UA, but I expect international C fares to recover once the pandemic ends.

Mar 11, 2020, 4:02 pm

#1380

m.y

Join Date: Aug 2009

Location: YYZ

Programs: AC 75k, Marriott Titanium

Posts: 1,154

Quote:

Originally Posted by zagat4

Although another person just said they tried this and they were charged $200 for re-booking a canceled flight covered by the waiver so I'm confused

I also canceled a flight booked prior to March 2, the website asked for $200 change fee, I was able to call in today and booked a different flight and agent said there is no fee, residual is returned as travel credit.