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UA Fare Rules Question
I'd like to change the return portion of an upcoming trip on UA.
I called the travel agency through which I had purchased the ticket, and after a few minutes of discussion and them calling UA, they told me that they had to reprice the entire ticket, not just the return segments. This bumped the fare *way* up, since one of my outbound flights is completely sold out now (U2 H0 Q0 V0). The way I interpret the fare rules, the entire ticket does not have to be repriced if I'm only changing the return date. Here is the relevant excerpt from the fare rules: 2. WHOLLY UNUSED TICKETS- CHANGES TO OTHER THAN THE ORIGINATING FLIGHT WITH NO CHANGE TO ORIGIN/DESTINATION/STOPOVER POINTS- CHANGES TO OTHER THAN THE ORIGINATING FLIGHT MUST BE MADE ON/BEFORE THE DEPART- URE DATE OF THE ORIGINAL TICKETED FARE COMPONENT WITHOUT REGARD TO ADVANCE PUR- CHASE REQUIREMENT PROVIDED CHANGE MEETS ALL OTHER RULES OF THE TICKETED FARE. I'd like to know who's right in this case, me or the agency? Should I be able to change the return date with no penalty other the change fee and the small fare difference that would result if only the return portion was repriced? And if so, how can I get this resolved in my favor? UA won't help me because I booked through an agency. And I doubt another call to the agency will help much. TIA, TIM |
You definitely should be able to change the return flight as long as it's the exact same routing and the same fare class is available on the new flight (V?) by paying the $100 service fee. Perhaps there's someone else at the travel agency you can talk to? Maybe walk through the rule with them and find out what they are looking at that makes the change not possible?
Is there perhaps another rule in your fare that has specific date, time of day, or day of week restrictions that your new flight doesn't meet? |
Are you using a real travel agency or a consolidator? Unless pilicy has changed, United can make changes to reservations made by real travel agents (it's been a while for me, but I know I've done it), but not by consolidators. I've never had a problem with legitimate tavel agents, but consolidators often have their own rules.
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Actually, I had a feeling this would happen, and I tried to hold their hands as much as possible, explaining the situation up front and telling them specifically which return flights had availability in V class.
I think one problem may be that they don't know how to override the 21-day advance purchase requirement on the fare as the new return date is less than three weeks away, because right after I gave the agent the flights he said he didn't see any availability. This is when I have the schedule up on the flyaow UA/ITN site on the screen in front of me and it shows wide open. Either that, or his response was such because V class isn't combinable with the E/U class I'd have to get if I also rebooked the outbound portion. As far as I can tell, the routing, time-of-day, etc. is valid, because I can get the same flights on a later date (same day of the week) to price out correctly on UA's web site. For now, I'm faced with four unpleasant alternatives: keep my original date, spend who knows how many hours on the phone with the agency trying to convince them that the change is possible, wait to change the flight through UA directly after my departure hoping that there are seats left, or drive 3 hours to another airport and buy a $108 O/W flight back. :( |
Assuming this is a domestic US trip, you need to refare if you make any changes prior to departure; you could change the return for $100 after departure.
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Originally Posted by TerryK
Assuming this is a domestic US trip, you need to refare if you make any changes prior to departure; you could change the return for $100 after departure.
You can change the routing as well, but not the origin/destination city pair. |
I would do rapid fire phone calls to UA reservations until you get an agent that will do it for you...if you keep explaining your situation, someone will take pity and help you out.
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This is a constant problem for me. My company requires that I book with their assigned travel agency. My travel schedule changes quite often - a lot of times I'll have to change an outbound or return portion of my itinerary *AFTER* I've been cleared for an upgrade.
But if I ask my travel agent for a change, they say that they have to reprice the ticket, thus causing my confirmed upgrade to be null and void. Once the agent has re-ticketed me, I have to call UA to get back onto the waiting list :( When I try to call UA and ask them to make the change, they tell me I have to do it through my travel agent... *sigh* |
Since you have yet to fly your first segment, you still need to meet all the rules. i.e. 21-day advance purchase. It seems you are now traveling in less than 21 day, so whatever the current fare for traveling less than 21 days will apply. Unless you want to fly 21 days from now.
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Originally Posted by mahasamatman
Are you using a real travel agency or a consolidator? Unless pilicy has changed, United can make changes to reservations made by real travel agents (it's been a while for me, but I know I've done it), but not by consolidators. I've never had a problem with legitimate tavel agents, but consolidators often have their own rules.
I wanted to buy up an M ticket to B from LHR-IAH. UA would not touch it with a barge poll (c'mon, I'm giving you more money!). In the end, I did get a sympathic agent at our company TA, who managed the add-collect. On the return, I just called UA and made changes without a problem. |
Well, I was just told by two UA agents that they can't make the change until after I've taken the outbound flights. They were quite insistent.
My lesson learned is not to book through a travel agent. I normally wouldn't have, but UA's phone system wouldn't price out the trip correctly. It was only a few days later when I booked a similar UA trip for my mother-in-law that I learned you can get the correct price (in her case, even better!) if you speak with a live agent. |
Originally Posted by LHR Tim
Just to clarify, UA can only make changes to a travel agent issued ticket AFTER you've flown the first segment.
I wanted to buy up an M ticket to B from LHR-IAH. UA would not touch it with a barge poll (c'mon, I'm giving you more money!). In the end, I did get a sympathic agent at our company TA, who managed the add-collect. On the return, I just called UA and made changes without a problem. I've bought up an H fare to Y without going thru work's travel agency when they refused to do it. It took the agent about a half hour to do it, but they got it done. The travel agent never balked at it either. |
Believe it or not, you might find that UNITED.COM can do this successfully. I've had reasonably good luck using the web site's change functionality if there's no corporate discount on the original ticket and if you haven't already upgraded. Go into the "My Itineraries" feature (often slow, but usually works), click the circle next to the itinerary in question, and click the button to make changes. Worth a try...
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Originally Posted by JS
No, you can change the return before departure for just the change fee, assuming the minimum/maximum stay and day/time provisions are still met.
You can change the routing as well, but not the origin/destination city pair. |
Originally Posted by JS
No, you can change the return before departure for just the change fee, assuming the minimum/maximum stay and day/time provisions are still met.
You can change the routing as well, but not the origin/destination city pair. I was getting sick and tired of my corporate travel (and UA agents) telling me they need to refare eveytime I make a change on UA before departure. The OP should get escalate it up the UA chain esp if the agent is a mom-and-pop shop. 1. WHOLLY UNUSED TICKETS- CHANGES TO ORIGINATING FLIGHT OR CHANGES TO ORIGIN/DESTINATION/STOPOVER POINT- CHANGES MUST BE MADE ON/BEFORE ORIGINAL TICKETED DEPARTURE DATE. REPRICE THE ENTIRE TICKET USING CURRENT FARES APPLICABLE TO THE CHANGED ITINERARY. IF REPRICING RESULTS IN OTHER THAN A NON REFUNDABLE FARE THE VALUE OF UNUSED TICKET MUST BE SHOWN IN THE ENDORSEMENT BOX OF THE NEW TICKET AS A NON REFUNDABLE AMOUNT AND WILL REMAIN NON REFUNDABLE FOR ANY SUBSEQUENT REISSUES. A. IF THE NEW FARE IS EQUAL TO OR HIGHER IN VALUE - COLLECT THE FARE DIFFERENCE AND THE USD 100.00 SERVICE CHARGE. B. IF THE NEW FARE IS LOWER IN VALUE - THE RESIDUAL AMOUNT LESS THE USD 100.00 SERVICE CHARGE WILL BE GIVEN TO THE PASSENGER IN THE FORM OF A NON REFUNDABLE UA TRAVEL CERTIFICATE OR MCO VALID ONLY ON UA FLIGHTS. 2. WHOLLY UNUSED TICKETS- CHANGES TO OTHER THAN THE ORIGINATING FLIGHT WITH NO CHANGE TO ORIGIN/DESTINATION/STOPOVER POINTS- CHANGES TO OTHER THAN THE ORIGINATING FLIGHT MUST BE MADE ON/BEFORE THE DEPARTURE DATE OF THE ORIGINAL TICKETED FARE COMPONENT WITHOUT REGARD TO ADVANCE PURCHASE REQUIREMENT PROVIDED CHANGE MEETS ALL OTHER RULES OF THE TICKETED FARE. EXCEPTION- A. IF ORIGINAL CONTINUING/RETURN FARE COMPONENT WAS FOR PEAK DAY TRAVEL CONTINUING/RETURN MAY BE CHANGED TO TRAVEL ANY DAY FOR USD 100.00 SERVICE CHARGE. NO REFUND OR TRAVEL CERTIFICATE IF NEW FARE IS LOWER. B. IF ORIGINAL CONTINUING/RETURN WAS FOR OFF-PEAK DAY AND CHANGE RESULTS IN TRAVEL ON OTHER THAN OFF-PEAK DAY COLLECT DIFFERENCE IN FARE PLUS USD 100.00 SERVICE CHARGE. --- ANY COMBINABLE BOOKING CODE MAY BE USED FOR THE NEW QUALIFIYING CONTINUING/RETURN FARE USED FOR THE RECALCULATION. --- IF CHANGE VIOLATES PROVISIONS OF THE ORIGINALLY TICKETED FARE - REPRICE ENTIRE TICKET USING CURRENT FARES APPLICABLE TO THE CHANGED ITINERARY. COLLECT FARE DIFFERENCE PLUS USD 100.00 SERVICE CHARGE. IF REPRICING RESULTS IN OTHER THAN A NON REFUNDABLE FARE THE VALUE OF THE ORIGINAL TICKET MUST BE SHOWN AS A NON REFUNDABLE AMOUNT IN THE ENDORSEMENT BOX OF THE NEW TICKET AND WILL REMAIN NON REFUNDABLE FOR ANY SUBSEQUENT REISSUES. A. IF THE NEW FARE IS EQUAL TO OR HIGHER IN VALUE- COLLECT THE FARE DIFFERENCE AND THE USD 100.00 SERVICE CHARGE. B. IF THE NEW FARE IS LOWER IN VALUE- THE RESIDUAL AMOUNT LESS THE USD 100.00 SERVICE CHARGE WILL BE GIVEN TO THE PASSENGER IN THE FORM OF A NON REFUNDABLE UA TRAVEL CERTIFICATE OR MCO VALID ONLY ON UA FLIGHTS. --- |
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