Forgive me if the following is covered elsewhere, but I did browse all 20 pages of threads here and couldn't find an answer.

Last week I made a reservation on UAL to fly from Korea (ICN) to Hawaii (HNL). As most flights out of Korea it was pricey, at ~$1250 each r/t using United's "lowest" coach fair.

Three days later my fiancee told me that she wasn't going to be able to make the trip due to family issues and US visa issues. I called United and they said I could cancel the tickets (coded as NONREF/PEX whatever that means) but there would be a $170 charge per person. They also said they'd be keeping my money and that I'd have a year to use the credit on United.

No thanks.

I only picked United as they had the best price on the flight (other coach fares were ~$1800+). I don't want their credit as their flight options out of ICN are quite limited. Even then, if I did take their credit, it'd only be to fly to San Francisco, but as United's service can't hold a candle to that of the lower-priced Singapore Airlines, I'm not interested.

I need to get my money back. By any means necessary.

When I talked to the CSR at United, she said that if I had a doctor's letter explaining that I couldn't fly, that they'd then wave the penalty. But would I get a rebate or their unwanted "credit"? I could also dig up an obituary, my family name is quite common. Is there anyway to get United to refund my money?

I booked this flight with my Citi Premier Pass MasterCard--big mistake. I've been using my AMEX Blue almost exclusively for years, and if there's ever an issue AMEX is sure to back me. But when I called Citi they weren't so helpful. Though, I'm considering calling again and stating that the charge is unauthorized as I meant to make a reservation, not buy the tickets. Could work. Any ideas here?

I realize that some of you may think that I'm being rather unscrupulous here, but I think my actions are warranted in face of the true culprit--United Airlines. Their inflexibility and multi-tiered coach ticket classes only serve to profit them at the customer's disadvantage. Other airlines aren't as immoral as them in this practice, and some are quite accommodating of their customers like Singapore Airlines. I was easily able to cancel my rental car over the net without any penalty fee, United should be the same, especially since this flight is likely to sell-out anyway.

Thanks for any ideas. I really need that ~$2500 taken off my credit card instead of sitting in United's coffers.

As angry and wronged as you may feel, UA is not really the culprit here. As you stated, most other airlines have higher fares, which may or may not also have penalties attached to, and may or may not be refundable. You bought the cheapest fare without regard for the associated rules, which were available for you to see. How does that make UA the culprit? It is the problem of living in a free market.

I suggest you simply try a nice letter to WHQ. They may give you some sort of refund, but that would be UA being nice, not something you are entitled to. As for trying to "dig up" an obituary, pun aside, they usually require you provide the name of the mortuary and/or a copy of the death certificate faxed to their offices. Trust me, they have heard and seen every lie in the book, and know how to guard against them. Try one, and you can kiss your money goodby for good.

It sucks, but you took a chance on a bargain fare and lost. Your flight credit is good for a year. Take it and say thank you.

When you book your tickets you must familiarize yourself with the fare rules. Heavily discounted tickets usually are non refundable. If you need flexibility you must choose a fare that allows it.

Yeah, right. SQ and "other airlines" are just fine refunding non-refundable tickets, right?

Please. You bought a non-refundable ticket. You knew it at the time. Changing your mind doesn't make UA (or any airline) unscrupulous.

[QUOTE=holtju2]When you book your tickets you must familiarize yourself with the fare rules. Heavily discounted tickets usually are non refundable. If you need flexibility you must choose a fare that allows it.

Most of the people dont understand the same..I DO AGREE COMPLETELY WITH U,but people can go for highly discounted fares if they are sure that they are taking the flt,without postponing it for a later date

You purchased a ticket that was clearly non refundable, and now you want a refund. How can you accuse United of being immoral for not refunding your money? It is not United's responsibility to cover your fiance's family and visa issues, she should have clarified those issues in advance. When you booked the ticket what did you think the NONREF code was referring to?

I think some personal responsibility is in order here. You purchased the least expensive tickets, with restrictions, which you should have researched in advance. Your failure to do so is not United's responsibility.

Since Singapore Airlines is always so accommodating, you should have booked on them.

welcome to flyertalk.

sorry, but even with a doctor's note or a (fake) death in the family, you'll not be getting your money back. it'd save you the penalty. the coded NONREF on the ticket, as you said 'whatever that means,' means NONREFundable. based on your verbiage, you're a bright guy and i bet you knew that before asking. you'll get a credit to use towards a future flight, minus a penalty. they tell you that when you ticket.

i'm with flyinbob, you can try to write a FRIENDLY letter to whq and see where that gets you. if you blame united for their 'immoral' practices or whatever, you'll get nowhere. if the gods smile upon you, consider yourself lucky, not right.

fwiw, i don't think amex wouldn't have backed you on this one either, as you're clearly in the wrong--they might have given you a temporary credit, but eventually they'd have charged you for the trip.

When is/ was the travel scheduled for? If it's not for a few months, chances are UA will have a schedule change. Once the change occurs, you may be able to tell United that the new flight times are not possible for you at all. (If the flight was supposed to leave at noon, but it now leaves at 11:30, that will mess up your morning business meeting).

United just might issue a refund.

That means ticket is non refundable. you read it, when oyu make a booking they say it over and over again, you can be lucky you are not flying a european carrier, as you wouldn't even get a credit towards future flights...

Now to the helpful part. maybe oyu can try to find someone who needs to buy a ticket and you can "sell" them oyur credit ...

Won't work unless the person he sells the ticket to has the exact same name as the OP. You can only use the credit to issue another ticket in the same name as the original flyer.

Nice try though.

Tonight I talked with United again and they're processing a refund. I didn't have to explain anything, just called the 1-888-551-6881 line and waited for an agent to pick up. He told me there would be a 30000 yen penalty fee; United's been telling me on the phone how much things cost in yen, which makes no sense. I'm in Korea, we use the Korean "won". I purchased my ticket with a US credit card in US dollars. Quoting me in yen is the equivalent of quoting stateside customers in Canadian dollars. ...?

It works out to a ~$500 total cancellation fee for the two $1250 tickets. That's ridiculous, and of course the fiancee's paying it!

On a related note, since I need to make a run out of the country to renew my visa, I picked up my usual r/t ticket back home on Singapore Airlines to San Francisco. Cost ~$940, their cheapest fair (United was ~$1400). Singapore Airlines only charges ~$50 to cancel. And speaking from previous experience, changing the travel dates is free so long as the the same fare can be applied to the re-booked date. Last time I spaced out and mistook the time on my return ticket. I called Singapore Airlines just a couple of hours before departure and they arranged for me to fly the next day--with no additional fee. That is amazing service, and a far cry from the steaming platter of "service" United offered me.

Thanks for all of the helpful replies.

And does that SQ fare allow frequent flier mile accrual? @:-)

Yes, it actually does. Though I've had like-priced fares from them in the past for the same trip without any mileage accural.

But I'd trade zero mileage accural and a $940 ticket over a $1400+ ticket with UA any day. ~12,000 miles isn't worth ~$500 to me--the savings of flying Singapore twice over United would essentially be a free ticket and a night out!

Living in Asia I find that it's nearly impossible to have fidelity to just one carrier. Over the past nearly three years I've flown Asiana, Korean Air, Eva Airways, East China Airlines, Royal Thai, Bangkok Airlines, Philippine Airlines, and Singapore Airlines. I probably even forgot one or two. Trying to arrange all the travel I've done with just one carrier would have been difficult, if not impossible, and would have cost a lot more money.