"Fare drop" refunds when using CS25/CS50
 

I've gotten slightly inconsistent information from United phone agents about this and wanted to ask what people's actual experiences have been. The scenario is if you have ticketed an itinerary, using a CS25 or CS50 certificate (or perhaps other similar-type certificates) which reduce your out of pocket cost by reducing the fare basis. A few days later, you notice that a sale is going on and the exact same itinerary is available for less, in which case, United's policy normally would be to issue a voucher for the value of the difference. But in this scenario, United phone agents are consistent in telling me that they cannot process a voucher to be mailed to me unless the new fare is below the old actual fare I paid, including the discount. This can be frustrating since if the fare drops approx. $25 or $50, then a CS25 or CS50 (respectively) that was used at original ticketing time was effectively wasted.

The inconsistency comes when some United phone agents recommend that I try visiting the place of original ticketing and see if they can help me out, even if the phone agent cannot. Other United phone agents say that even the place of original ticketing cannot do anything for me. I'm wondering if the resolution between these conflicting statements is that the ticketing location is allowed more discretion to do what they think is right. Even if the computer won't let them return the CS25 or CS50 I used to me and then re-apply it to the current fare, perhaps they can choose to give me a brand new CS25 or CS50, then take it back immediately to ticket the new fare. But, this would be at their customer service discretion, as opposed to a "guaranteed" benefit.

What have people's actual experiences been?

I have been told consistently at the CTO's that once a discount like hths is usde it canot be re granted and that they do NOT have leeway. I had the exact same thing happen and was told (very nicely) that I was out of luck. THis is in SFO.

The policy is once the CS25 or CS50 is used, that's it. This has happened to me MANY times and although an exception was made for me a couple times (begging over the phone helps), the policy remains as was stated to you. If you find a cheaper fare, have another cert and have access to a CTO or the airport for ticketing, then you are in luck and you can get thefare difference refunded in the form of a travel voucher. Other than that, you (and unfortunately me) are out of luck.

My experience is that the post-CS price is the one you have to beat in order to get a refund. They do give refunds, but as compared to the post-CS price you actually paid, not the pre-CS price you might have paid. This seems reasonable to me.

All the responses are right. Once a Type "B" cert is used, that's it. A Type B reduces the TOTAL FARE PAID (total fare equals amount charged) on the ticket while a Type A (bump voucher) leaves the TOTAL FARE PAID intact (total fare higher than amount charged).

You can only get a voucher for the difference if the new lower fare is more than the original value of the CS voucher amount.

It would be nice if UA allows the CS25 & CS 50 certs to be used online. I only use those certs when the price is very low: (I used a CS50 on a SNA-DTW ticket when it was $101 before cert--cert brought it down to $51!). http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif I would like to get the online booking bonus but I did a ticket by mail because it was Sunday & the CTO is 55 miles from my house & did not feel like driving on that day--not worth my time & gas. I only used the CS25 cert on a friend's ticket. He wanted me to ticket at that time & 2 days later, the fare dropped $100. Since I used the cert, I got a voucher for $75. My friend last flew 8 years previous so he let me have the voucher. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif I use the cert if the fare is very inexpensive. (such as when they have LAX-LAS for $71 RT including taxes). http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I have to disagree with the comments above IF we are talking about the Customer Service Discount Travel Certificates ($25 or $50) with Profile Name PMO/DollarUA and Tic COde: CS25 or CS50.

Copying from Item #10 on the back of the certificate, "... The certificate discount may not be reapplied toward the purchase of another ticket when exchanging or refunding your original ticket, except when the original ticket qualifies for a reduced fare (guaranteed fare rule applies)." (emphasis added)

I have only had one instance where I used a CS25 and the guaranteed fare rule was later applicable. The initial agent on the 1K desk said you can't do that - I read her the exact wording above and asked her to check with a supervisor. She came back on the line and advised me a voucher was being issued for the difference resulting from the fare reduction.

I do not know if the guaranteed fare rule would apply on a service check printed on UA ticket stock (Type AB certificate) as there are no rules as above printed on those certificates.

I've been told repeatedly that the bumping voucher amount also reduces the TOTAL FARE PAID. But I think the documents I have in hand confirm the above, with exception that the type is "B".

My documents in hand are labeled "Travel CREDITs" and "Travel VOUCHERs". Refunds of cash paid are Vouchers (due to low fare guarantee) and those due to VDB (bumping) are Credits. Both types have an entry to "treat as Type B Voucher".

I have one "Customer Relations Travel Voucher" in hand and it has an entry to "treat as a Type B voucher". It also says "the full value of the ticket, including the value of this voucher, may be reapplied toward the purchase of another ticket, less any applicable service charges".

OK, well, live and learn. Nevada1K, thanks for your sharp eyes. I had not noticed that clause before. I just called up United and the agent at first responded the same way as the agent this morning did, which is that once the CS50 is used, that's the end of it. However, when I specifically read off that clause, she put me on hold and went off to grab a supervisor. When she came back on, she said sure enough, the guaranteed airfare rule is in fact a special case, and a voucher for the difference will be on its way to me.

(Being a bit of a cynic, I guess I'll believe it when the voucher for the right amount actually shows up in my mailbox. But hopefully that won't prove to be a problem. This has happened to me in the past, too, but at this point, I no longer have any documentation that the lower airfare was in fact ever available, so it's not worth going back and disputing the several United agents' incorrect interpretation of the admittedly labyrinthine rules.)

All my bumps were Type A.

"All my bumps were type A"

Meaning your vouchers actually stated the opposite of the ones I have in hand?...they actually said "treat as type A" in the lower right corner?

Since you have found that your type A vouchers are counted toward fare paid amount, and the CR voucher type B I described above included that quote about fare paid, I wonder how to identify a voucher that won't be included in the fare paid amount for subsequent low fare guarantee. Simply type A and B does not seem to do it.

Type A and Type B are standard industry terms. Type A is a discount certificate, which reduces a fare. Type B is a voucher, which has value and is exchanged for a ticket.

In my experience, CS25 and CS50 PMO/Dollar PMO/Friends are all Type A - Discount Certificate. The Denied Boarding Compensation vouchers I have seen are Type B - Voucher. Other customer service dollar certificates could be either type. The certificate or its detailed rule should tell which.

If you want to see the procedures for ticketing, check

http://www.arccorp.com/forms/pp/iah6_0_2.pdf

http://www.arccorp.com/forms/iar/iarbook.pdf

Regrettably, I have yet to find a definitive source that makes it clear that one can apply a Type A and a Type B to the same ticket, although the logic seems clear. That's a holy grail if someone can find it, especially with UA's name attached.

It's possible for a single form to be treated as either a Type A or a Type B if the airline wants it that way as these references explain.

Charles

Thanks for this post, Charles. I was hoping we'd get the definitive word. This is consistent with the wording on one of my vouchers and clarifies the difference. It's also very important nowadays as fares drop frequently.

It's interesting that when I queried a rep at the 1K desk yesterday, she did not recognize the term of type A and type B. She gave me a ticket by mail number to call (xxx) to get clarification on both the term meaning as to fare paid and to combinability. The number has always been busy and I doubt it is correct. I pointed out that she needed to know whether Type B counted toward fare paid or not because she's the one who will have to implement the low fare guarantee on an eticket.
edited to delete the telephone number

[This message has been edited by Warrenlm (edited 08-08-2001).]

I was mistaken. it's the other way around. All my bumps were Type B.

Said voucher has shown up, yay. (It's for a rather small number of dollars. But I've lost out once on close to $50 because of my previous failure to cite that very specific clause of the terms & conditions. Won't happen to me again, thanks to FT....)